USIP's Haiti team organizes a group of top experts to produce analysis and draw attention to isues facing Haiti, and works in country on issues that include legal reform, criminal violence and conflict resolution.
On January 12, 2010, Haiti suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that destroyed much of the capital city of Port-au-Prince and caused up to 200,000 casualties. This was the greatest natural disaster in the country’s history. The presidential palace and the parliament were among the buildings damaged or destroyed. Among the victims of this tragedy were the Head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission and 150 members of the U.N. staff, who were trapped in the collapse of the U.N. headquarters building. The magnitude of the destruction, human and material, will pose extreme challenges for the U.N. and the U.S.-led international recovery effort. USIP will work to assist the recovery effort as it moves from the emergency response to the reconstruction phase.
Haiti Devastated by Major Earthquake
In the wake of the January 12 earthquake, the U.S. Institute of Peace continues to provide its deep knowledge, skills and other resources to help the Caribbean nation.
Analysis
News Releases
Multimedia
Prior to the earthquake, Haiti had been on a path toward stability and economic progress, led by the government of Haiti and strongly supported by the international community. In 2009, former President and U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton and his deputy Paul Farmer, were appointed to assist in advancing the country's economic and social development. These recent appointments, a successful international donors conference in April, and a series of visits to Haiti by the U.N. Security Council, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, comprised an unprecedented international commitment to progress in Haiti.
The earthquake has demonstrated the need for ongoing, conflict-sensitive development in Haiti's infrastructure as well as immediate humanitarian relief.
More from USIP on Haiti:
[3]
Haiti's progress and the situation immediatly prior to the earthquake are described in recent USIP reports:
Prospects for Haiti's New Government [8]
Peace Brief by Robert Maguire, January 2010
What Role for the United Nations in Haiti? [9]
Peace Brief by Robert Maguire, November 2009
Haiti after the Donors’ Conference: A Way Forward [10]
Special Report by Robert Maguire, October 2009
USIP's Haiti Working Group [12] holds monthly, public meetings to discuss current events in Haiti. These discussions feature experts exploring the roles of NGOs [13], the U.N. [14], donor countries [15], the diaspora, and the Haitian government in bringing peace and stability to Haiti. Audio recordings and written summaries of these discussions are available. You can learn more about the Haiti Working Group [12] and sign-up to join our mailing list [16].
USIP is supporting Haiti's effort to reform its legal code. Haiti's criminal laws have not been amended since the 1860’s and are inadequate to deal with drug trafficking, organized crime, and corruption. This legal reform project utilizes USIP's Model Codes for Post-Conflict Justice [17]. You can read a report on Haiti's legal code [18], a trip report [19], or learn more about the Model Codes project in Haiti [20].
USIP is working with Haitian civil society organizations, police officers, female judges, and the Haitian diaspora [21] to provide training on peaceful dispute resolution. You can learn more about USIP's Education and Training Center - International [22].
Contact us to learn more [23] about USIP's work in Haiti.
Links:
[1] http://www.usip.org/resources/haiti-after-the-earthquake
[2] http://www.usip.org/newsroom/news/united-states-institute-peace-offers-experts-haiti
[3] http://www.usip.org/newsroom/news/united-states-institute-peace-offers-haiti-experts-comment
[4] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122651537
[5] http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=39344
[6] http://www.garageband.com/mp3player?|pe1|WdjZPXLrvP2rYVezYGFiBg
[7] http://www.usip.org/events/haiti-quake
[8] http://www.usip.org/resources/prospects-haiti-s-new-government
[9] http://www.usip.org/resources/what-role-the-united-nations-in-haiti
[10] http://www.usip.org/resources/haiti-after-the-donors-conference
[11] http://www.usip.org/resources-tools/latest?filter1=**ALL**&filter0=61&filter2=**ALL**&filter3=**ALL**&filter4=**ALL**
[12] http://www.usip.org/programs/initiatives/haiti-working-group
[13] http://www.usip.org/events/haiti-republic-ngos
[14] http://www.usip.org/events/what-role-the-un-in-haiti
[15] http://www.usip.org/events/haiti-will-diplomats-and-donors-bring-economic-recovery
[16] http://www.usip.org/newsletter-signup
[17] http://www.usip.org/programs/initiatives/model-codes-post-conflict-justice
[18] http://www.usip.org/resources/building-the-rule-law-in-haiti-new-laws-new-era
[19] http://www.usip.org/in-the-field/dispatches-port-au-prince-haiti
[20] http://www.usip.org/programs/projects/model-codes-post-conflict-criminal-justice-in-haiti
[21] http://www.usip.org/in-the-field/conflict-management-workshop-haitians
[22] http://www.usip.org/education-training/international
[23] mailto:lpanarelli@usip.org?subject=Haiti Program