Welcome! In this new year, I am pleased to share the highlights of USAID/Haiti's program with you. The U.S. Government, principally through USAID, has been Haiti 's largest bilateral donor of foreign assistance for over thirty years. U.S. foreign policy objectives, in line with the Government of Haiti priorities and coordinated with all international donors, are to: increase security and stability, strengthen Haitian democracy, foster broad-based economic recovery, while protecting the natural resource base; and address critical humanitarian and social service delivery needs. I would like to encourage you to explore the “Our Programs” section of this website for more details about our ongoing programs in Haiti .

In 2008, an unprecedented series of tropical storms and hurricanes—Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike—that passed across or close to Haiti during the three week period of August and September caused a series of particularly disastrous floods, badly affecting eight out of ten of Haiti's departments, destroying many key bridges, interrupting access to basic services, and creating widespread agricultural destruction. In response, the USG provided over $30 million to meet immediate needs and to help with early recovery efforts. In order to accelerate recovery, USAID has worked with the Government of Haiti and other donors to identify priority needs that could be met with USG assistance. The result is the $96 million Haiti Integrated Growth through Hurricane Emergency Recovery (HIGHER) program that will provide Haiti vital recovery assistance while building the country's capacity to both mitigate and respond to potential future disasters. The program will reach thousands of disaster-affected Haitians by restoring and repairing public services, providing assistance to regain lost livelihoods and assets, and ensuring the most vulnerable families have essential social support. HIGHER will also support Haitians' capacity to prepare for future disasters. This new program will begin implementation this year in addition to current, ongoing activities.