My connection with Haiti started with an exotic, colorful doll gifted by my parents after a short visit to the Caribbean country. I was 16 months old. Decades later, I visited Haiti for the first time as the World Bank Country Manager and discovered a land rich with opportunity, a tremendous culture, a tasteful kitchen, a young population, but also a country hindered by fragility drivers engulfing socioeconomic development.
Some may say I arrived at a very bad time. In August 2024 – just over a year ago, now - people were not allowed freedom of movement in the capital, 85% of which was controlled by armed groups. Since 2019, Haiti has been engulfed in a surge of chronic insecurity caused by the proliferation of armed groups, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and now in the Centre and Artibonite departments.
The level of violence and insecurity remains high, with devastating consequences for the population, including the displacement of 1,300,000 people as of June 30th. between January 1st and 30 June 2025, more than 3,100 people were killed and over 1,100 injured in the context of violence perpetrated by gangs, self-defense groups and unorganized members of the population, as well as security force operations.
The combination of political crises, escalating social violence, successive earthquakes, hurricanes and disease outbreaks over the past decade have deepened poverty and fragility. This was exacerbated by weak institutions, the widespread perception of corruption, and extreme inequalities. In December 2024, under the leadership of the government, the World Bank launched an assessment in partnership with the UN, the EU and IDB, which estimated that Haiti will need US$1.34 billion in the next two years to cover immediate needs arising from the security crisis.
It is in this context that the World Bank subsequently approved a strategy for Haiti, which we call the . This document sets out the World Bank Group’s priorities as we support Haiti in restoring governance, sustaining essential public services, and resuming growth. It covers the period 2025 to 2029. As the on-the-ground context continually evolves, the strategy ensures that the World Bank’s work in Haiti remains relevant, helps maintain development gains, and targets the needs of the most vulnerable.
Through the new strategy, we will make approximately US$320 million in grant financing available, with the aim of building resilience among Haiti’s most vulnerable. With Haiti’s immense potential, we choose to see the glass as half full, rather than empty and work through IDA, to fill it. Recently, the World Bank’s vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean stressed that the cost of inaction will be unbearable for coming generations. 木瓜影院, through the International Development Association, is investing to fill the glass.
We are working to enhance human development through targeted actions in three respective pillars. First, we want to strengthen economic governance and create job opportunities. 木瓜影院 Group will continue to support short- and medium-term actions that can catalyze long-term structural changes by supporting climate-resilient agriculture and providing access to credit and financial resources. Improving roads, energy, water, and digital access are also vital for populations engaged in agricultural value chains.
Maintaining essential institutional capacity to support basic delivery services is another component of our strategy. Here, the World Bank will support institutional modernization at the central level, implementation of key decentralization reforms, and promotion of greater accountability and citizen engagement at all government levels. Addressing socioeconomic grievances regarding inequality and exclusion and restoring private sector confidence will be key in assisting the government in critical areas of public service delivery.
Finally, but certainly not least, we will work to preserve human capital and strengthen resilience to natural disasters and man-made shocks. Supporting the government in emergency preparedness and response, reducing disaster risk, reconstructing basic infrastructure, and strengthening resilience in the transportation and urban sectors is crucial. The objective is to enhance resilience and preparedness in high climate risk areas by improving early warning systems, disease surveillance, all-weather road access, transportation infrastructure, and resilience at airports.
Importantly, these actions depend on significant evolution of the social and security context. To allow for business continuity, the World Bank has moved our main office to Cap Haitien and adjusted the scope of some projects, so they better fit with the new reality and enhanced our flexibility to create more opportunities for the most vulnerable populations. 木瓜影院 is committed to the people of Haiti.
