Haiti signed the Agreement of Paris (COP21)
On Friday, provisional President Jocelerme Privert signed the Paris Agreement (COP21) on behalf of the Republic of Haiti. The President was back in the country on Sunday. It should be noted that 175 countries signed this agreement. These countries represent 55 % of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Haiti - Diaspora
Within the theme “Ann rekonstwi Ayiti ansanm- Se la pou la” the ministry of Haitians Living abroad (MHAVE) chose to commemorate the National Day of the Diaspora. For this occasion, an evening celebration brought together former officials of the ministry, members of the diaspora, representatives of the MAHVE and other government officials.
To respond to the complaints of the diaspora regarding the lack of information available, the MAHVE has put at their disposal an office within the customs bureau of Port-au-Prince, which will only address questions related to the diaspora. Also, from now on at the airport, there will be a Diaspora Lounge where administrative files and complaints can be addressed.
Mrs. Jessie C. Petit Frere, current ministry of Haitians Living Abroad, did not hesitate to mention the situation Haiti is presently experiencing and the necessity for Haitians to unite for the sake of the country. "The contribution of the diaspora allows us to avoid irreparable tragedy," said Petit Frere, who encourages the diaspora to invest in all the areas.
For his part, Minister of Tourism Guy Didier Philippe called on the members of the diaspora to be ambassadors of positive images of the country because, according to him, the country suffers from a negative image.
Mr. Smith Joseph, the mayor of North Miami, spoke on behalf of the diaspora, to request the integration of this sector into the internal affairs of the country.
"We of the Diaspora, we are the most authentic ambassadors of Haiti, we are not only senders of money, we are brains, visionaries, investors and tourists" said the mayor.
THE CUSTOMS OFFICE OF BELLADERE WAS PLUNDERED
Vandals plundered the customs office of Belladère on Monday, April 18th, 2016, according to the on-line AlterPresse agency.
The criminals knocked over furniture, broke windows and welded the front door before leaving.
No police officer was able to prevent this break-in, according to a source.
In December, 2015, the customs office of the border city of Thomassique (18 km from Hinche) was burned by angry suspects, following the shooting death of two truck drivers.
In October, 2015, unidentified individuals also set fire to the customs office of Anse-à-Pitres (Southeast of Haiti), not far from the border point with Pedernales (Dominican Republic), following to the interception of a flour truck by Haitian customs.
Ten Caribbean Nations More Dangerous Than The U.S.
By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 22, 2016: When it comes to murders worldwide, there is no denying that the Caribbean has been blighted by a rise in homicides in recent years. NAN compared murder rates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for every 100,000 people in top Caribbean nations to the U.S. and found that in several nations, a U.S. national’s chance of being murdered is higher than in the U.S.
Here are the top 10:
1: Belize
You are 11.9 times more likely to be murdered in Belize than in the U.S. Forty-five in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Belize compared to about 4 in The United States according to the UN data.
2: Jamaica
You are 11.3 times more likely to be murdered if living in Jamaica than in the U.S. Forty-three in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Jamaica compared to about 4 in The United States.
3: St. Kitts/Nevis
You are 8.8 times more likely to be murdered in St. Kitts and Nevis. Thirty-three in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in St. Kitts and Nevis compared to about 4 in The United States.
4: Trinidad & Tobago
You are 7.9 times more likely to be murdered in the oil rich nation of T&T. some 30 people in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Trinidad and Tobago compared to about 4 in The United States.
5: The Bahamas
You are7.8 times morelikely to be murdered in the Bahamas than in the U.S. Twenty-nine in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Bahamas compared to about 4 in The United States.
6: Puerto Rico
You are 7 times more likely to be murdered in Puerto Rico. Twenty-six in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Puerto Rico compared to about 4 in The United States.
7: St. Vincent & The Grenadines
You are 6.7 times more likely to be murdered in St. Vincent & The Grenadines than in the U.S. Twenty-five in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in St. Vincent and the Grenadines compared to about four in The United States.
8: The Dominican Republic
You are 5.8 times more likely to be murdered in the DR. 22 in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Dominican Republic compared to about 4 in The United States.
9: St. Lucia
You are 5.7 times more likely to be murdered. Twenty-one in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in St. Lucia compared to about four in The United States.
10: Guyana
You are 5.1 times more likely to be murdered in Guyana than in the U.S. 19 in every 100,000 people are murdered annually in Guyana compared to about four in The United States.
Haiti is not included.
US Government Scales Up Response to Drought in Haiti
Nearly $22 Million in Emergency Relief
Port-au-Prince. April 15, 2016
The US Embassy announced more funding for the ongoing needs of Haitian households suffering from the effects of the El Nino-induced drought, bringing US contributions to $21.9 million USD over the last six months.
US Ambassador Peter Mulrean reiterated that: “The US stands steadfast with Haitian families to provide for their emergency food, nutrition, and water needs. We also continue to work to strengthen Haiti’s future capacity to prepare for and withstand shocks, including by boosting agricultural production and closing food gaps for those most vulnerable to weather, political and price shocks.”
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) began working to mitigate the risks of drought-induced hunger and malnutrition in October 2015. To date the U.S Government has provided $21.9 Million USD to address emergency needs for food, nutrition, and water in all the drought-affected departments of the country: North-East, Artibonite, Centre, West, and South-East. This includes
$7.4 million to the World Food Program (WFP) for cash and food transfers to 100,000, and $1.2 million to UNICEF to treat 37,800 children who could be diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition.
Emergency food aid funding of $11.8 million to partners CARE, Accion Contre la Faim, and World Vision aims support at over 135,000 people, additional to the 102,000 already served by the USAID and Government Kore Lavi social safety net program, through which participants receive cash for assets, cash for work, and food vouchers to purchase locally sourced, nutritious food.
For water, sanitation, and hygiene, $1.3 million is increasing clean water supply and sanitation in the South-East department, one of the hardest hit by drought, migration from the DR, and recent cholera outbreaks. This sum includes: $900,000 to Solidarités International, $250,000 to UNICEF, and $160,000 to International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Finally, the US contributed $200,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) for drought, migration, and cholera response coordination across and among all organizations and the government.
Food Security Situation
Haiti is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 35 years, made worse by the El Niño event. According to the Famine Early Systems Network (FEWS NET), supported by USAID globally, severe dryness due to the 2015 El Niño resulted in national crop production that was less than 50 percent of the five-year average, while local food prices remain above average. From now through June-July 2016, communes in Sud-Est, Ouest, Nord-Ouest, upper Artibonite, Centre, Nord-Est Departments and on the Southern Peninsula will remain in Crisis (IPC level 3) food insecurity,(signifying that households may suffer high or above usual acute malnutrition or deplete their livelihood assets to meet minimum food needs).
Haiti imports approximately 50 percent of its food and, with half of population living on less than $1.25 per day and three quarters of the population living on less than $2 per day, it is extremely vulnerable to the cost of food and price spikes in the global food market. In addition, the current drought and election crisis have negatively impacted the Haitian economy; the Haitian gourde has been steadily depreciating since June 2015.
Driven by crop losses and reduced farm labor opportunities, FEWS NET reports that many poor households are becoming increasingly reliant on non-agricultural income sources including petty-trade, labor migration, remittances and other more severe coping measures, such as charcoal production.
“GARR” DENOUNCES THE POOR TREATMENT INFLICTED ON HAITIAN REPATRIATES
The support group for repatriates and refugees (GARR) denounced the ill-treatment imposed on Haitian repatriates at the border of Belladère, in a release transmitted to AlterPresse.
A dozen Haitian nationals, who arrived at the border of Belladère on April 19th, 2016, were victims of ill-treatment.
Arrested in Santo Domingo in the morning of Monday, April 18th, 2016, these migrants were kept, for the most part, in a detention center for Elias Piña where they spent one night without eating anything, before being driven to Haiti the next day.
One of the repatriates reports to have spent several hours on the bus before arriving at Elias Piña without any food.
The repatriate “Johnny” said he was abused by the Dominican military officers at the time of his arrest.
"The Dominican soldiers tore up all the documents which I had in my possession. I wanted to protest [but] they threatened to hit me," he exclaimed.
Johnny who worked in the farming sector in the Dominican Republic, was very upset about his wife and children whom he left on nearby territory, according to GARR.
Disappointed to have been returned to Haiti, Johnny intends to use all available means to find his family.
The migrants were repatriated without any due process and in violation of human rights. This is contrary to the draft agreement on the mechanisms of repatriation signed by the two nations on the island, denounced GARR.
Anthonal Mortimé