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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
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE

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. 
 
 
 
 
 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
MERTEN