From HAWG member Center for Economic and Policy Research comes the public release of this critical report.
Washington, DC — Twelve years after the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) examines US aid failures in Haiti, identifies several core reasons why US aid has not resulted in measurable and lasting improvements, and proposes several reforms that could be made to how the US Agency for International Development (USAID) operates in Haiti. The report, “Capacity Development for Whom? An Agenda for USAID Reform in Haiti,” by Jake Johnston and Annee Lorentzen, identifies several institutional and systemic problem areas relevant to USAID’s operations beyond Haiti, and is based on 12 years of investigation into USAID operations in Haiti and on interviews with development experts, leaders of Haitian organizations, individuals working with USAID contractors, USAID officials, and congressional staff.
“Twelve years ago, the US government vowed to ‘build back better’ in Haiti,” paper coauthor Jake Johnston said. “But the US response is now remembered for diverting millions of dollars to Beltway-based contractors while bypassing Haitian organizations, for its lack of transparency, and for promises undelivered while people in Haiti suffered.”
The report identifies several key problems in USAID operations that have persisted despite efforts at reform.