Haiti is exposed to geological natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding. For 30 years, Haiti has faced major political crises which have negatively impacted the country’s socio-economic situation. About 70% of the active Haitian population is unemployed or underemployed, and the poverty rate is 76%. In spite of the destruction caused by the earthquake and the cholera epidemic, Haiti still has a lot of potential to develop in several sectors, such as inagro-industry and tourism.
Two years after the earthquake, more than 420 000 Haitians still live in tents and under tarps in more than 600 camps* around the earthquake zone. There are still serious challenges for the Haitian government: reconstruction of the urban area of Port-au-Prince and surrounding cities, and insuring affected people have access to decent homes. The cholera epidemic has affected more than half a million people and caused more than 7,100 fatalities, mostly because of the lack of access to clean water, improved sanitation infrastructures and public health centres. Many Haitians’ food supplies are not secure.
