Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) Report: Efforts to Build Haiti Back Better are Well Underway with $3 Billion in Approved Projects Ready for Implementation

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic 7.2 earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010, there are signs of strong progress with the first phases of rebuilding well underway, according to a 40-page report issued today by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), the coordinating body for the recovery and rebuilding efforts. The IHRC, a unique – and unprecedented – forum for donors and Haitian representatives to work collaboratively, is co-chaired by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The IHRC report, 'Haiti One Year Later: The Progress to Date and the Path Forward," takes a candid, realistic look at the 365 days since January 12, 2010, evaluating the nation's progress against the beginning point of destruction and emergency conditions existing following the earthquake.  Communicating a clear vision for the next stages of rebuilding, the report outlines the IHRC comprehensive cross-sector plan for Haiti's recovery through October 2011, the end of the IHRC mandate.

"One year after the earthquake, we can certainly say that we've made progress despite the setbacks of a threatening hurricane season and a devastating cholera outbreak," said Mr. Clinton.  "But we know that in many ways, the true work has just begun.  At the end of our mandate, the success of the IHRC will be determined not by how many projects we review or how many pledges donors fulfill, but by the number of people who can see tangible results in their own lives."  

Of the hundreds of projects submitted to IHRC since the Commission became operational in June 2010, 74 have been approved with a $3 billion budget; from the State University Hospital to a debris removal and crushing site in Carrefour Feuilles, from reinforcement and rehabilitation of homes in viable neighborhoods to new agricultural credit mechanisms for Haiti's farmers.  In full alignment with government sector plans for the long-term, approved projects have already impacted the lives of thousands of Haitians, and will continue to do so over the coming months, through job creation, improved education and healthcare services, housing and infrastructure construction and community enhancements.  

According to the IHRC report "Haiti One Year Later", one third of the more than 1.5 million Haitians displaced by the devastating earthquake, have departed the shelters to return to their homes or relocate to safer, sturdier transitional housing.

Of the $2 billion in approved programs, slated to be disbursed in 2010, $1.2 billion (63%) was disbursed by December, a substantial improvement from the 19% that had been disbursed as of early July, said the co-chairs at a press conference to present the report.  

"Because of the complexity of the situation in Haiti, the road to recovery is long and hard," said Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive. "We are moving as quickly as possible with our reconstruction efforts on all fronts and, while much of the work that has been done may not be readily visible to outside observers, we're making significant progress under the circumstances and based on human priorities."

Progress to Date

Cash-to-work programs, for example, have employed 350,000 Haitians, injecting $19 million into local economies. A sampling of other projects/programs from the report shows:

• Almost half of those who were displaced are now out of the tent cities, and the 800,000 who wait will go home to sturdier, safer buildings than before—part of the long term plan, and national priorities.  
• In the healthcare sector alone, projects valued at $202.4 million have been approved and are in progress, including the reconstruction of Port-au-Prince's only University Medical Center and an innovative health facility slated to open next year in Mirebalais.
• Initiatives to create jobs are gaining momentum.  Private sector projects approved and in the pipeline include an industrial park that will generate 60,000 direct, full-time jobs
• A debris removal and crushing project in Carrefour Feuilles valued at $17 million is demonstrating the feasibility of rubble removal and its processing for new uses
• As of December, 2010, nine projects, valued at approximately $192 million have been approved for the housing sector. 

Priorities for 2011: Pledges must be re-allocated to short-term reconstruction priorities

The IHRC was created on April 21, 2010 in response to the immediate need for efficient coordination of recovery efforts and transparent governance during Haiti's time of crisis. Operating under government mandate, the IHRC serves as a centralized coordinating body to expedite the myriad recovery efforts and agencies involved in the monumental task of rebuilding Haiti.  The Commission became operational in June 2010.

The challenges for that rebuilding remain immense.  Of the $2.01 billion programmed by donors for 2010, only 63.6 percent ($1.28 billion) had actually been disbursed by November 2010.  "We must realize that no plan can move faster than its funding," said Prime Minister Bellerive.  "Most importantly, funding must be allocated to short-term reconstruction priorities, which are in the best interest of the Haitian people. The IHRC is here to oversee that what Haitians expect and downright deserve, actually takes place."  

To achieve targeted goals, the IHRC estimates that $990 million must be re-directed to short-term priorities.  While all projects approved by the IHRC are worthy, the report states, they do not necessarily address the most urgent needs. To provide further perspective on the pressing need for pledges to be fully honored, in the debris sector alone, Haiti needs an additional $160 million to clear 40% of the remaining debris from Port Au Prince by October, far more than the $52 million committed thus far by donors. 

The IHRC is urging foreign governments to close the gap between current funding from international donor sources, aimed mainly at long-term projects, and the funding need identified by the Haitian government for short-term projects.  To illustrate the situation, the report asks readers to consider that a combined $500 million is committed to education and transport infrastructure, far more than the roughly $350 million committed to the following three sectors: debris removal, housing and health combined.

When asked why this is taking place, Prime Minister Bellerive said, "Partly because of donors' internal approval processes; partly because only $20.1 million of the nearly $200 million available in the HRF is truly unrestricted (the rest is preferenced by contributors to certain sectors or activities); and partly because the work of debris removal is simply not sexy in the eyes of donors. The IHRC will continue its campaign of recent months to achieve the necessary resource allocation adjustments by mutual agreement with the donor community."

By the end of its 18-month mandated term, the IHRC plans to build on current progress with the following results:

• 400,000 additional Haitians relocated from camps to more permanent shelter
• 4 million additional cubic meters of rubble cleared
• 10 hospitals/clinics built
• 30 hospitals/clinics under construction
• 50 percent of population with access to safe drinking water and sanitation

With the foundations for a stronger, more resilient Haiti in place, and the administrative back-work done, the report calls on donors, investors, and implementers to help expedite rebuilding efforts through accelerated funding of existing projects; developing new projects in line with the nation's strategic targets and by providing in-kind assistance through staff and technical expertise.

"As we approach the one-year anniversary of the earthquake, donors have yet to fulfill all their pledges," said the co-chairs.  "Rubble removal and housing remain top priorities---and people still need jobs. We thus implore the international community to make good on their pledges now and to direct those pledges to Haiti's priority short-term needs:  housing, debris removal, water and sanitation, healthcare and education.  We should expect that people will make good on their promises and not turn their backs on Haiti at this critical time in Haiti's future."

"Haiti One Year Later: The Progress to Date and the Path Forward," as with all the IHRC's work on the recovery, is public and available for viewing and downloading at www.cirh.ht.  Those interested in a hard copy version of the report are invited to contact Denis Dufresne, IHRC Communications Director at [email protected].

About the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) was created by presidential decree on April 21, 2010, in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The mission of the IHRC is to undertake the expeditious planning, coordination, and facilitation of development projects and priorities, including reviewing and approving projects and programs funded by bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs and the private sector. The IHRC is co-chaired by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and President Bill Clinton and is guided by a Board, which includes Haitian and non-Haitian stakeholders in reconstruction efforts.

SOURCE The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission