Cablegate: Usaid-Supported Cash-for-Work Activities

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DE RUEHPU #0198/01 0552356
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FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0156
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0395
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE
INFO HAITI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000198

AIDAC
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PINR PREL PREF HA
SUBJECT: USAID-SUPPORTED CASH-FOR-WORK ACTIVITIES

1. Summary. The January 12 earthquake in southern Haiti destroyed
household assets and income generating opportunities. USAID-funded
cash-for-work (CFW) programs mitigate the economic impact of the
earthquake through targeted interventions, including clearing of
debris to create safe living spaces, rubble removal, canal
clearing, soil conservation, and flood mitigation. Done in
cooperation with local authorities, CFW programs strengthen local
governments and restore livelihoods. End Summary.

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OVERVIEW

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2. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck southern Haiti on
January 12 destroyed household assets and caused significant job
loss. CFW programs mitigate the economic impact of the earthquake,
enabling beneficiaries to resume livelihoods in a dignified manner
and rebuild their communities. USAID-supported CFW projects have
multiple, mutually reinforcing objectives, including community
renewal, injection of cash into the local economy, and enabling of
earthquake-affected populations to replace damaged items or to
purchase necessities.

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Coordination

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3. Various operating units in USAID are supporting CFW activities.
The offices coordinate in order to avoid duplication and ensure
guidelines are aligned with the Early Recovery Cluster.
USAID-funded activities provide 200 gourdes, or USD 5, for seven
hours of productive labor. In addition, employees must be at least
18 years of age and the workforce should comprise 40 percent women.

4. USAID programs target specific populations and aim to
facilitate larger goals. USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster
Assistance (USAID/OFDA) aims to create safe living spaces through
CFW activities that meet emergency humanitarian needs and bridge
emergency activities to early recovery interventions. USAID's
Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) programs include
community-prioritized CFW activities-such as rubble removal, canal
clearing and restoration of public spaces-to support local
authorities and promote community stabilization in neighborhoods of
Port-au-Prince. USAID/Haiti CFW programs build on longstanding CFW
activities and engage community members in multiple areas of the
country to rebuild livelihoods and infrastructure.

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Creating Safe living space

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5. USAID/OFDA CFW programs target interventions to create safe
living spaces for earthquake-affected households. At present,
USAID/OFDA is supporting CFW activities in Port-au-Prince and other
earthquake-affected areas through eight NGO partners.

6. For example, USAID/OFDA has provided nearly USD 21 million to

CHF International to support the community livelihoods and economic
assistance through rubble removal and shelter (CLEARS) program. The
CLEARS program targets 12,000 CFW beneficiaries with short-term
employment opportunities for removal of dangerous remnants of
buildings, homes, and other infrastructure, while increasing access
to space where families can construct shelters or restart
livelihood activities.

7. USAID/OFDA has also provided nearly USD 20 million to World
Vision's integrated community assistance recovery effort (IRAP),
which incorporates CFW activities into site clearing and
preparation for shelter construction. World Vision's CFW
activities target more than 10,000 individuals to level and clear
land in preparation for shelter installation. CFW programs engage
individuals in some shelter construction activities, and also
include daily pit latrine cleaning and maintenance to ensure
adequate sanitation at newly constructed sites. In total, World
Vision plans to construct 5,000 shelters on the cleared sites.

8. In hosting communities, an influx of families displaced by the
earthquake is overwhelming already resource-poor households. To
help sustain relationships between displaced families and host
communities and prevent the return of displaced persons to unsafe
dwellings in Port-au-Prince and other affected locations,
USAID/OFDA plans to support income-earning opportunities to offset
the economic impact on hosting households. CFW activities will
provide an immediate source of income while improving living
environments, ensuring displaced families do not overwhelm
infrastructure and mitigate perceptions that the presence of
displaced families is decreasing the health and well-being of the
overall community.

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strengthening local governance

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9. USAID/OTI is working in cooperation with local officials and
community leaders to identify priority CFW projects, including
debris clearing from roads, schools, health clinics, and other
public spaces. In addition, USAID/OTI is supporting CFW activities
to clear drainage canals that could potentially cause flooding in
areas where people are residing, field hospitals are established,
or other key social infrastructure is located.

10. USAID/OTI supports CFW activities through two implementing
partners, Development Associates Inc. (DAI) and Chemonics. On
February 22, USAID/OTI-funded activities employed more than 2,000
individuals at 36 sites in seven communes of Port-au-Prince,
including Tabarre, CitCBC,B) Soleil, Turgeau, Carrefour, Delmas, and
PCBC,B)tionville.

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restoring livelihoods

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11. USAID/Haiti CFW activities build from longstanding
partnerships with non-governmental organizations CHF International
and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which
implement complementary programs in Port-au-Prince and outlying
areas.

12. Following the January 12 earthquake, USAID/Haiti redirected

existing resources to support earthquake-related CFW recovery
activities. In the earthquake-affected areas of Port-au-Prince and
Petit GoCBC,B"ve, CFW crews are engaged in demolition and rubble removal
from priority public spaces such as roads, schools, and government
buildings. Mission partners utilize a combination of high
intensity manual labor and heavy machinery. Outside of
earthquake-affected areas, USAID/Haiti augmented existing CFW
programs that fund activities, including the construction of gully
plugs to mitigate flooding and prevent soil erosion while creating
fertile land for planting. Other activities include rehabilitation
of irrigation and drainage canals, as well as rural roads and small
bridges.

13. Since the earthquake, USAID/Haiti has reallocated USD 3.5
million to CHF International and more than USD 11 million to IOM to
support CFW activities. On February 22, USAID/Haiti-supported
activities employed nearly 11,000 individuals at nearly 270 sites
in Port-au-Prince, Cap-HaCBC,B/tien, Gonaives, Saint-Marc, Les Cayes,
and Petit GoCBC,B"ve. CFW activities outside of Port-au-Prince are
critical to creating economic opportunity for those displaced as a
result of earthquake as well as the communities receiving displaced
populations.

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conclusion

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14. The January 12 earthquake has had significant economic impact
in Haiti, which USAID is mitigating through CFW activities. CFW
projects inject cash into the community by providing temporary work
opportunities for affected populations. The CFW activities aim to
stimulate longer-term asset and livelihood restoration for direct
CFW beneficiaries and their communities.

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