Farmers who once relied on food aid, and were too poor to buy seeds, are once again farming remote parts of Tajikistan.
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Haiti
Haiti: UN reconstruction and recovery projects win approval
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19 August 2010 – United Nations projects in health, education, job creation, rubble removal, reproductive health and improving access to food have been approved for Haiti as the poor Caribbean country continues its effort to rebuild after January’s catastrophic earthquake.
The Interim Haitian Recovery Commission (IHRC), which was set up in April to coordinate and oversee the recovery and reconstruction campaign, announced yesterday in Port-au-Prince, the capital, that it will back $220 million worth of UN projects.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) reported that it has received approval for a $65 million project to rehabilitate infrastructure, building on earlier cash-for-work projects that have given more than 120,000 jobs since the quake.
IMF Executive Board Concludes 2010 Article IV Consultation with Haiti
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Public Information Notice (PIN) No. 10/112
August 6, 2010 - Public Information Notices (PINs) form part of the IMF's efforts to promote transparency of the IMF's views and analysis of economic developments and policies. With the consent of the country (or countries) concerned, PINs are issued after Executive Board discussions of Article IV consultations with member countries, of its surveillance of developments at the regional level, of post-program monitoring, and of ex post assessments of member countries with longer-term program engagements. PINs are also issued after Executive Board discussions of general policy matters, unless otherwise decided by the Executive Board in a particular case.
Reconstruction Grant Supports Urgent Needs of Haitians
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WASHINGTON DC, August 5, 2010 - The newly-approved $30 million Haiti grant will go a long way towards financing critical government expenditures but, perhaps just as importantly, will also help build up confidence between the government and the Haitian population by addressing their most urgent needs, the World Bank said today.
As the Emergency Development Policy Grant helps the government close its budget gap and address accountability in the public sector, it will send strong signals to the Haitians as well as the international donor community that the government is tackling the country’s critical needs in a transparent manner, said World Bank regional vice president Pamela Cox.
IFAD ramps up lending to Dominican Republic and Haiti
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Over US$48 million in new funding signals commitment to long-term solutions for island neighbours
Rome 28 July 2010 – While the two nations of the island of Hispaniola – the Dominican Republic and Haiti – may have different languages, histories, cultures and economic situations, their futures remain unbreakably intertwined.
In an effort to provide lasting poverty-reduction solutions for both countries, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently announced a series of new grants and loans that aim to create job opportunities and ensure food security in Haiti, and provide lasting mechanisms for rural development in neighbouring Dominican Republic.
Haitian farmers need more support, says UN agency
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15 July 2010 – Although swift food aid and agricultural supplies helped to ward off a post-earthquake food crisis in Haiti, funding shortfalls for farmers is hampering efforts to boost food production six months after the disaster, a United Nations agency cautioned today.
“Most of the response has been focusing on the urban aspect of the crisis, but the international community must not neglect rural areas if they want to overcome the massive effects of the earthquake in the country,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordinator for the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Haiti: World Bank Urges Donors to Meet Pledges
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, July 14, 2010 - Six months after Haiti’s earthquake of January 12 tragically impacted the lives of thousands of Haitians, the World Bank has urged donors to deliver on their aid pledges in order to keep the reconstruction momentum going.
As fiscal agent for the Haiti Reconstruction Fund (HRF) the Bank has so far received formal confirmation for $98 million of the $500 million promised following the United Nations donor conference of late March where $5.3 billion were pledged to help Haiti recover from the catastrophe. Typically, trust fund contributions account for 10-15 percent of overall commitments, with the vast majority of pledges going through bilateral aid.
Five Countries Receive Food Security Support Through Multi-Donor Fund
June 23, 2010—In Rwanda, one of the world’s most densely populated landlocked countries, farmers face an uphill battle – literally – to get the best they can from the soil.
Land in Rwanda is scarce. But the major problem confronting those who work the land is that almost 90% of arable land is on hillsides. Torrential rain on more than half of the slopes causes erosion and subsequent flooding and silting in the valleys beneath. Erosion costs the country 1.4 million tons of fertile soil each year.
Haiti: Food Assistance Rebuilds Lives
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As Haiti raises itself from the rubble of the January earthquake, WFP is helping survivors start again by giving them cash and food in return for work to rebuild the country. Johnny, who lost his family, and Florence, who dreams of starting a business, are among those reclaiming their lives. Watch the clip
PORT-AU-PRINCE, 9 June 2010 – When the earth shook beneath Haiti five months ago, Johnny’s wife, two children and sister were among the victims. One of thousands of bereaved survivors of the quake, Johnny is now hard at work to rebuild the life he lost.
World Bank Announces Total Cancellation of Haiti’s Debt
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Press Release No:2010/439/LCR/CFP
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2010 -- The World Bank today announced that the remaining US$36 million of debt owed by Haiti to the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, has been cancelled. Haiti now has no further amounts payable to the World Bank.
“Relieving Haiti’s remaining debt is part of our effort to pursue every avenue to help Haiti’s reconstruction efforts,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. “We will continue to work in close cooperation with the Haitian government and our international partners to support the country’s recovery and longer-term development.”
IFAD launches US$2.5 million project to improve food security in the Haitian countryside
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Rome, 21 May 2010 – They are the essential elements of agriculture – water, soil, seeds – but since January’s devastating earthquake, it’s been difficult for rural farmers in the West and Nippes Departments of Haiti to come by these necessities.
With this in mind, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has provided a US$2.5 million grant – $2 million of which was provided by the Swedish government – to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for a locally-managed 18-month program designed to create jobs and ensure food security for the hard-hit Haitian countryside.
