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Haiti

IFAD launches US$2.5 million project to improve food security in the Haitian countryside

Repairing irrigation systems and strengthening community organizations at the quake's epicentre generates new employment opportunities

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.

Following the earthquake an estimated 600,000 people migrated from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to the rural provinces, severely straining the resources and infrastructure for the farmers living there.

"While the initial flood of migrants from Port-au-Prince has subsided, food security is still a critical issue. We've seen many people returning to the capital to look for work, but they've left their children behind," said Josefina Stubbs, Director IFAD's Latin America and the Caribbean Division. "We need to find a long-lasting solution to improve food security. And the only way to do that is by giving these farmers the jobs, tools and training they need."

The new project - the Haiti Post-Earthquake Support Programme for Food Security and Employment Generation in Affected Rural Areas - is designed to do just that, and is slated to repair some 13 irrigation systems, rebuild approximately 12km of rural roads, help build 300 community and family gardens, and provide around 9000 households with seeds and tools. According to IFAD officials, the project - being implemented by local women's groups and community organizations - will also help build social capital by offering over 250 training courses on marketing, agricultural production, gender issues and organization building.

"Most importantly, we are estimating that this project will generate around 200,000 days worth of employment. And, as we know, without a job, it's quite tough to feed your family," said Stubbs. "Aside from that, we also have incorporated a green aspect into the project, and are looking to create soil conservation and reforestation projects. The key here is not just to provide immediate relief for the rural people, we also need to provide sustainable solutions that will allow Haiti to rebuild itself over the next five, 10, 20 years."

The IICA program comprises just one part of IFAD's short-term earthquake response. In April, the IFAD Executive Board set up a US$50 million debt relief program for the nation, and in February, the United Nation's rural poverty organization signed a grant agreement of US$5.66 million to support agricultural production in some of the poorest regions located in the north of the country.