Oxfam America

The Rice Value Chain in Haiti

jedwards — 2013-05-01T14:55:28Z

Trade liberalization in 1995 led to a surge in rice imports in Haiti, and today, foreign rice accounts for 83 percent of the supply of this main staple of the Haitian diet. This costs Haiti some $200 million annually, and leaves Haitian consumers vulnerable to spikes in volatile global prices. A substantial increase in local production is needed to reduce import dependence. But Haitian rice yields have stagnated for over two decades due to limited irrigation and poor maintenance of existing networks, poor soil and water conservation, lack of drying and milling facilities, limited government support for research and extension, and other problems.

This paper proposes a comprehensive new national rice policy, aimed at boosting farmers’ productivity and incomes. To bolster these investments, the paper proposes a price stabilization system that ensures that imported rice sells at a minimum entry price, with a variable tariff that rises when the price of imports falls below the minimum level. This system would not have a high impact on either producer or consumer prices.

Viv Tankou Moun

mhart — 2012-12-13T19:38:13Z

From a peak of 1.5 million, the number of displaced people remaining in the camps that came into being after Haiti’s devastating earthquake of January 2010 has dropped significantly to around 358,000 nearly three years after the disaster. Despite the official end to the emergency phase of the crisis, conditions in the camps are deplorable and the people who remain are by and large those who are the least able to get back on their feet. This study was commissioned by Oxfam in order to gain a better understanding of the problem, particularly in the 16 sites in the commune of Delmas where Oxfam has provided water and sanitation services.

Salt in the Wound

mhart — 2012-12-13T19:38:40Z

As the third anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake, which brought so much destruction to Haiti, approaches, this briefing note highlights the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Haitians still living in camps and still without adequate housing. Against this backdrop, displaced Haitians now face persistent and worsening threats of, often violent, eviction from landowners eager to get their land back. It is vital that national and international attention be brought to bear on this serious problem, so that the rights of displaced people can be properly protected.

In the wake of Sandy, Oxfam distributes cholera kits and steps up prevention

cmccabe — 2012-12-13T19:27:48Z

When Hurricane Sandy hit Haiti, the strong winds and torrential rains that accompanied it brought new waves of hardship and worry for many families still trying to recover from the earthquake that destroyed their homes nearly three years ago. And not the least of their concerns is cholera—the deadly waterborne disease that broke out on the heels of the quake and continues to spike during periods of heavy rain.

Around the capital city of Port-au-Prince and in the Region des Palmes, Oxfam has been distributing hygiene and cholera kits to people in need, while continuing to provide information on how to prevent the spread of the disease. In Artibonite, a rural region to the north that was hit hard by cholera when the first outbreak occurred, Oxfam is stepping up its prevention activities. It’s providing equipment to cholera treatment centers, distributing cholera kits to hundreds of families, and collaborating closely with the local authorities.

“Unfortunately, cholera will likely, at a minimum, be endemic in Haiti for years to come,” said Thomas Mahin, a water quality adviser to Oxfam America. “The history of cholera cycles in other countries is that when the outbreak goes from an epidemic to an endemic situation, the number of cases decreases significantly but the percent of cases that are children less than 5 years old goes up. So, while the number of cases will decline eventually, the most vulnerable populations—infants, pregnant women, etc.—will still be at significant risk. So, the total number of cases only tells part of the story.”

The rain Sandy dumped isn’t only affecting the potential for a cholera outbreak. In some areas of the country, rainfall was equivalent to about 50 percent of the yearly precipitation and destroyed houses, bridges, schools, and roads.

In the South-East region, Oxfam is working with local partners to evaluate damage to agricultural areas: Sandy was the third recent weather event to hit the region following, first, a drought and then tropical storm Isaac. The cumulative effects of these crises are devastating to small farmers. Oxfam has launched cash-for-work initiatives for more than 1,000 families. The income from that work can help people meet their basic needs.

Hurricane Sandy lashes Haiti; Oxfam aims to prevent cholera outbreaks

cmccabe — 2012-12-13T19:27:23Z

As Hurricane Sandy threatens to feed into a “perfect storm” that could wreak havoc on the east coast of the US, countless people in Haiti—many of them still homeless following the 2010 earthquake--are already weathering the worst. Heavy rain has lashed the steep ravines and low-lying communities, causing flooding and the possibility of new spikes of deadly cholera.

Oxfam is gearing up to respond to the flooding and potential for disease outbreaks.

“We are mobilizing all local organizations trained in cholera prevention to prepare a large campaign in the coming days,” said Oxfam’s Amelie Gauthier. “Oxfam is supporting local authorities—the Civil Protection Agency and the National Direction for Water and Sanitation in various localities in the Region des Palmes—providing them with transport, logistics and equipment for now. We are preparing hygiene kits, cholera prevention kits for distribution for some temporary shelters.”

Oxfam is launching an assessment in the department of Nippes—much of it affected by the heavy rain. At least two other departments have also been hit badly by the storm: Grande Anse and South. As of Friday, the country remained under a state of alert across all of its 10 departments.

“In one area in Croix-des-Bouquets (near the capital of Port-au-Prince), we spoke to several families who now live with 160 families—more than 500 people in a fire station,” said Gauthier. “There are pregnant women and young children as part of that one shelter.” She added that many homes have been flooded and families need basic relief items such as plastic sheeting and hygiene kits.

A lack of access to drinkable water and safe sanitation in some urban and rural areas is also cause for worry. Oxfam is monitoring some of those areas closely.

“We’re also concerned at initial reports of destruction of agricultural crops caused by Hurricane Sandy in the south,” Gauthier said. “The south of Haiti is already food insecure because of the drought and impacts of tropical storm Isaac. We’re following the situation closely as this will affect thousands of farmers for the planting season as well as school nutrition programs.”

Donate now to Oxfam's Haiti fund.

Haiti Rice Value Chain Assessment

nhailu — 2012-11-01T17:20:23Z

The paper provides an assessment of the Haitian rice value chain, including an exploration of areas for improvement. Total rice production has not grown significantly over the past 35 years, despite significant financial and technical assistance provided in some geographical areas. The market share of nationally produced rice has shrunk dramatically in the face of competition from inexpensive, subsidized commercial and food aid rice imports from the United States, which have become dominant in national diets, increasing the risk of long-term food insecurity in an era of global food price volatility.

Widespread suffering from hurricane Isaac, Oxfam plans cholera prevention work

Ablejwas — 2012-08-30T21:14:38Z

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Tens of thousands of people in Haiti were hit by flooding, landslides, and wind damage as tropical storm Isaac passed through the Caribbean country late Friday night.

Oxfam's Country Director, Andrew Pugh, said: "The worst hit areas are in the east and southeast of the country, but we're recording damage across the board. Isaac didn't deliver the devastating body blow we expected on Friday, but we're still seeing widespread suffering for it's poorest people."

The picture emerging from Oxfam's emergency team assessment is a long list of minor impacts throughout the country that add up to giant setbacks for its most vulnerable citizens.

Oxfam Communications Officer Stephania Musset, said: "For thousands of families, Isaac is still a horrible ordeal. I saw busloads of children without parents still arriving at shelters, and heard from a woman who lost her child as they ran terrified from their flooded home in the middle of the night."

The international agency continues to plan needs assessments in different parts of the country to tailor its response to needs, and ensure it is supporting government-led efforts. Oxfam is also planning a comprehensive cholera prevention push in several areas to reduce the risk of outbreaks such as those that have plagued the country since the earthquake in 2010.

Oxfam Program Director, Yolette Etienne, said, "We're worried that people without clean water are drawing from contaminated rivers. We're also seeing people staying in homes with waist-high water. If steps aren't taken now—including clean water, latrines, and health promotion—the impact of this storm could prove deadly."

Many of those worse affected by the storm are among the 400,000 still living in tent camps, two and a half years after the earthquake that leveled Haiti's capital.

Oxfam Program Director, Maurepa Jeudy, said: "If you're living in a tent, it only takes a puff of wind to blow your house down. Many people who already had little once again lost all. Now they need basics such as soap, toothbrushes, sheets, and blankets, but what they really want is a lasting solution in place of more flimsy tents. This storm is a chilling reminder that Haiti's recovery has a long way to go."

Oxfam is supporting a citizen's watch group that is monitoring Haiti's reconstruction effort and calling for urgent solutions for the 390,000 people still exposed to storms like Isaac that regularly visit Haiti.

Haiti dodges eye of storm, but camp dwellers still at risk from flooding and cholera

Ablejwas — 2012-08-30T21:16:09Z

Thousands of people living in refugee camps in Haiti remain at risk from flooding and disease, according to international aid agency Oxfam, despite the Caribbean island appearing to have avoided the worst of tropical storm Isaac.

Initial assessments of the aftermath of the storm, which cleared the island’s landmass in the early hours of Saturday morning (25^th August), suggest the damage has not been as great as was feared.

There have been media reports of four deaths, but there is no evidence at the moment of major damage to infrastructure or significant casualties.

Camps in the capital Port-au-Prince, such as Jean Marie Vincent, have been flooded, as well as towns in the south of the island, including Les Cayes, Jacmel and Nippes. There are reports of electric pylons collapsing and power outages and some disruption on the roads.

However, with exceptionally heavy rainfall forecast in the wake of the storm and with nearly 400,000 Haitians still living in refugee camps after the massive earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince in 2010, people remain highly vulnerable to the threat of flooding, landslides and water borne diseases, especially cholera.

Oxfam emergency teams are now heading out to the affected areas of the island as soon as possible, allowing workers to carry out more in-depth assessments and to provide aid to those who need it in the form of clean water, hygiene kits and public information about sanitation.

Jane Cocking, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Director, said: “The storm may have passed but living conditions in Haiti remain so challenging for so much of the population that it’s far too early to say the threat is over. People in Haiti have so little that they are incredibly vulnerable to the risks posed by flooding and disease. They remain in desperate need of our help.”

The aid agency is accepting donations to help support its emergency work in Haiti, which is often cited as the poorest country in the western hemisphere with four in five of the population living on less than $2 a day.

Haiti land rights, land tenure, and urban recovery

nhailu — 2012-08-06T17:46:13Z

More than two years after the earthquake in Haiti, hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain in tents and informal settlements in the earthquake zone. The reasons for this vary, but land rights and land tenure are central.

Hygiene promotion: determining what works

Elizabeth Stevens — 2012-04-27T13:21:52Z

In 2011, we engaged the Swiss research institute Eawag to study the relationship between Oxfam hygiene promotions and safe hand-washing practices in Haiti in the wake of the earthquake and cholera outbreak of 2010.

Oxfam America hosts NGO gathering with PM of Haiti

jingari — 2012-02-28T17:28:20Z

OXFAMExchange, Winter 2012

Oxfam America — 2012-09-20T14:59:45Z

Oxfam's work is about structural change—a long, slow process. How slow? Well, we generally think about our field programs as approximately 15-year investments. In other words, a development program requires almost as much time and commitment as it takes to raise a child.

A shorter commitment won't get the job done. It takes time to help people build skills and infrastructure, to get policies changed, and to ensure that governments spend their money more effectively.

Smart development demands monitoring and evaluation. Organizations should be accountable to report not only what they do, but also how they measure it. Don't believe stories that guarantee long-term impact after one or two years' investment; that's barely time to lay some groundwork.

We all crave the easy answer, the quick solution, but if eradicating poverty were simple, people living in poverty would have sorted it out long ago. They may lack resources like land, but they certainly don't lack intelligence or insight. Poverty is a global challenge—one that we can overcome together, but listening and learning from people living in poverty, and developing solutions with them, takes time and sustained effort.

This issue of OXFAMExchange includes inspiring stories, but they are just snapshots from a family album: moments in a long journey together. Each story is ultimately about perseverance and the need for long-term commitment.

Haiti Progress Report 2011

mhart — 2012-01-12T21:25:41Z

It is now two years since the most powerful earthquake in Haiti in 200 years struck the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding metropolitan area. In a matter of a few violent minutes the city was devastated. More than 220,000 people were killed, 300,000 were injured, and 1.5 million were made homeless. The earthquake was followed the same year by a cholera outbreak and then by Hurricane Thomas, making already severe conditions even worse.

This report demonstrates what Oxfam has achieved during this past, challenging year. Although this is still in many respects a humanitarian situation we are also working on innovative longer-term programs – involving existing and new partnerships with local organizations – to help in the wider reconstruction effort.

Haiti: a grain milling operation offers an economic lifeline for women

Caroline Gluck — 2012-02-13T19:01:16Z

“Unemployment is the only thing we have here,” declared Dumel Deralus, smiling grimly as he sat in the shell of a concrete building that will soon be a new and expanded home for the Organization for Community Development in Thomazeau, or ODECT. He is the coordinator of the organization, which is an Oxfam partner working to improve economic and social conditions in the town, about a two-hour drive northeast of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.

Thomazeau—home to about 52,000 inhabitants—is a rural community in western Haiti, surrounded by mountains and little-touched by the earthquake two years ago. In fact, it was an area that saw a large influx of arrivals from the capital immediately after the quake. But it is also economically deprived.

Most people here are “planteurs”—small-scale farmers living off their land and selling what crops they can. But poor roads are a major problem in getting goods to markets. And, as Dumel pointed out, there are few economic opportunities available in the community.

That’s also true across Haiti, where an estimated 75 percent of the population is not in salaried employment, and jobs are scarce.

Finding work is especially challenging in rural areas, where even the most casual of jobs are hard to come by. This was a major issue in Haiti, as much before the earthquake as now, and it is hampering people’s ability to rebuild their lives.

According to an Oxfam survey last year, finding work is the top priority for most Haitians. And that’s why a project which Oxfam supports in Thomazeau is raising the hopes of many women.

The women have their own section within ODECT known as RAFARE. That stands for Rassemblement des Femmes pour l’Accès aux Ressources Économiques, or Rallying Women to Access Economic Resources. Its goal is to try to improve the economic status of women. The group owned one milling machine and earned money processing grain brought to the center by farmers and merchants. Oxfam hired RAFARE after the earthquake to help provide milled cereals which formed part of food kits that were distributed in the outdoor camps where people had sought shelter.

Oxfam is now helping the women again—with funds and training, including enlisting the help of expatriate Haitian experts with specific skills. The group is modernizing its service center and expanding its operation.

The small building where they’re currently located will double in size, allowing the women to have storage facilities where they can stock processed and unprocessed grains and market milled cereals. Oxfam has helped them to purchase two new grinding machines and is providing training and other equipment. The goal is to enable the women to run their operation as a full-fledged business. They will buy and sell locally produced grain throughout the year, rather than just seasonally; and during lean times, in between the harvests, they can sell surplus stocks in the local market.

“It will bring more economic opportunities here. There will be more jobs and more money coming in,” said Marie-Claude Estenfile, general secretary of RAFARE. “There was always a shortage of grains being sold in the local markets from April to June, but we will be able to provide processed grains during that period.

It means people won’t have to travel an hour or more to some of the markets, like in Croix des Bouquets, 24 kilometers away, to buy what they need. It will be easier to purchase food locally and we will help to strengthen the supply chain. The markets will be busier; the money will benefit the local economy.”

Having proper storage facilities and being able market their own cereals will enable the women to work all year round, and not just stay open for business during the busy harvest period.

“It will guarantee people’s food security here,” said Dumel, adding that it will also create new jobs. “During the lean periods, people would have to buy imported rice and grain from other places. But we will have stocks to sell and supply to the local markets.”

RAFARE’s members are excited about the project.

“It gives me hope for the future,” said Hermircie Alfred, 40. “I hope we can buy and sell the grains locally all year round; and we can make more profits.”

“There are very few job opportunities here,” Alexina Augustin, 45, a mother of eight. “The only jobs we can really find are selling cereals and this project will help us. I lost my home and land a few months ago during flooding and now I can’t send my children to school. This will be a lifeline for me,” she said.

In need of a better WASH: Water, sanitation, and hygiene policy issues in post-earthquake Haiti

nhailu — 2012-05-25T19:13:56Z

This research initiative examined Haiti’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector before and following the January 12, 2010 earthquake, and the work of the WASH cluster following the earthquake, in the context of effectiveness, equity, and accountability.