A woman digs with a machete as she builds a temporary home in a spontaneous camp for quake survivors being established in Croix-des-Bouguets, Haiti, north of the capital Port-au-Prince. Quake survivors continue to move as aftershocks continue, and reports of aid deliveries in one camp will provoke families from other camps to migrate there.
A woman digs with a machete as she builds a temporary home in a spontaneous camp for quake survivors being established in Croix-des-Bouguets, Haiti, north of the capital Port-au-Prince. Photo Credit: Paul Jeffrey

In the wake of the devastating January 2010 earthquake, the United States government pledged a total of U.S. $4 billion to Haiti for humanitarian relief assistance, reconstruction and development aid. Since its allocation, much of this aid has failed to reach the populations that need it the most. According to the Government Accountability Office, nearly 50% of allocated foreign aid remains unspent, and of the funds deployed, less than 1% of aid went directly to the Haitian government. Meanwhile, the U.S. government prioritized foreign contractors (60% of which were Washington DC-area firms) while less than 1.5% of contracts went to Haitian companies.

Since 2010, the HAWG has advocated for rigorous accountability and transparency in U.S. foreign aid to Haiti, as well as participatory mechanisms that measure the effectiveness of aid among vulnerable populations.   Following three years of Hill-focused advocacy in summer 2014, our coalition facilitated a major victory when the United States Congress passed the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act (APHA), a bill that increases oversight of USAID’s operations in Haiti. Since the passage of this legislation, the HAWG has worked with Congress and the Administration to ensure that APHA is thoroughly implemented.

The HAWG believes that consultation and coordination with domestic Haitian organizations and the Government of Haiti is critical to successful development, and advocates for systematic documentation of aid disbursement to ensure aid accountability and efficacy.

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Aid Accountability and Transparency, Events, Food Sovereignty, Gender & Human Rights, Housing

Year Three Videos

Recordings of the different briefings are available online.

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Aid Accountability and Transparency, Report

USAID Infrastructure Projects Have Had Mixed Results and Face Sustainability Challenges

As of March 31, 2013, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had obligated $293 million (45 percent) and disbursed $204 million (31 percent) of $651 million in funding for Haiti from the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (the Act). The Department of State (State) submitted four of five periodic reports to Congress, as required by the Act. Read More

Aid Accountability and Transparency, Report

Breaking Open the Black Box: Increasing Aid Transparency and Accountability in Haiti

From CEPR: http://www.cepr.net/publications/reports/breaking-open-the-black-box

April 2013, Jake Johnston and Alexander Main

The U.S. government pledged $1.15 billion for relief and reconstruction projects in Haiti. Key U.S. actors, like the State Department’s Cheryl Mills, acknowledged a “unique opportunity to ‘build back better’” and “an obligation to ensure that aid is actually effective.” Over three years have passed since Haiti’s earthquake and, despite USAID’s stated commitment to greater transparency and accountability, the question “where has the money gone?” Read More

Aid Accountability and Transparency, Gender & Human Rights, Housing

Recommendations du HAWG (Francais)

Gche a Drt: Mobilize for Haiti’s Dominique Toussaint, IJDH’s Brian Concannon, Interprete Hyppolite Pierre, Rep. Barbara Lee, Renhassa’s Pierre DouDou, Pohdh’s Antonal Mortime & LiLiLi Read’s Michelle Karshan

Recommandations du Groupe de Travail pour le Soutien en Haïti deux ans après le séisme

HAWG | Adoption de la loi sur l’évaluation des progrès à Haïti

HAWG | La Violence Sexuelle en Haiti

HAWG | Le droit foncier et le droit au logement en Haïti

HAWG | Attribution des marchés à des entreprises locales à Haïti

HAWG | Les engagements des institutions financières internationales envers Haïti Read More

Aid Accountability and Transparency, Gender & Human Rights, Housing, Uncategorized

HAWG 2 Year Recommendations

HAWG & Haitian & Diaspora Partners meeting with Haiti Program Heads for USAID, US State Dept & CDC

Haiti Advocacy Working Group 2 Year Recommendations

HAWG | Passage of the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act

HAWG | Gender-Based Violence in Haiti

HAWG | Land and Housing

HAWG | Procurement

HAWG | International Financial Institutions

HAWG | Civil Society Consultation Key Principles and Best Practices

HAWG | US Government Aid to Haiti Reporting Recommendations Read More