Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 21 février 2018

 A Haitian author swipes "Nobel" of litterature in the USA

The American-Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat was named winner of the 2018 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, considered as the Nobel of literature in the USA. The announcement was made in November during a reception at the University of Oklahoma, according to NewsOk.

Highly respected within the literary community for its recognition of excellence, the Neustadt Prize is often referenced as the “American Nobel” for its reputation as a lead-up to the Swedish Academy’s annual selection. Any living author writing from anywhere in the world is eligible for the Neustadt prize. The jury is comprised of acclaimed international authors, and that fact helps to keep external pressure from booksellers, publishers, and others who may have interest in influencing the outcome.

Winners are awarded $50,000, a replica of an eagle feather cast in silver and a certificate. A generous endowment from the Neustadt family of Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Watertown, Massachusetts; ensures the award in perpetuity.

Born in Port-au-Prince in 1969, Edwige Danticat immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 to join her parents who were i in Brooklyn. She is an author of stories, essays, travel documentaries, movie scripts, and novels. Among her publications we can quote: “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” “Krik? Krak!” and “Brother, I’m Dying.”

Her work was honored several times with prestigious awards. Among them are the Pushcart Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in fiction. Edwige Danticat was also named a MacArthur Fellow in 2009, and she holds two honorary degrees.

Missionary Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse in Haiti

Federal authorities say a self-proclaimed Christian missionary from Virginia has pleaded guilty to traveling to Haiti and engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Federal authorities say a self-proclaimed Christian missionary from Virginia has pleaded guilty to traveling to Haiti and engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

Prosecutors say 40-year-old James Daniel Arbaugh pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of traveling in foreign commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18. Sentencing is set for June 13.

Officials say Arbaugh admitted that, in 2016, he engaged in illicit sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12 by touching the child's genitals.

Arbaugh was arrested last year after allegedly telling a counselor in Virginia that he had sexual contact with minors in Haiti.

The counselor reported Arbaugh to authorities, who claim he later told investigators that he groomed or had sexual contact with at least 21 boys.

Sexual scandal at Oxfam

Desmond Tutu resigns from his role as ambassador.

The South African Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu gave up his role with the NGO (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION), after revelations of a sexual scandal involving staffs of Oxfam in Haiti.

The shock wave of the Oxfam scandal hasn’t stopped spreading. Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his pacifist fight against apartheid in South Africa, decided to give up his ambassador's status of the NGO which has been tainted by a sexual scandal.

The Oxfam abuse scandal in Haiti shines light on a dark side of the international aid industry

TE NATIONAL

Reputations can take decades to build but be destroyed in hours. More scrutiny and transparency in the aid sector is long overdue

February 15, 2018

Updated: February 15, 2018 09:36 PM

     https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/the-oxfam-abuse-scandal-in-haiti-shines-light-on-a-dark-side-of-the-international-aid-industry-1.704866">  

A woman walks past an Oxfam sign in Corail, a camp for displaced people of the 2010 earthquake, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti / Reuters

Few people in the aid sector will be greatly surprised by the allegations surrounding the conduct of Oxfam staff in Haiti.

But what has shocked and angered many is the fact that the charity apparently concealed the findings of a 2011 inquiry into the behaviour of their senior aid workers.

This issue is not about to evaporate any day soon, nor should it. It will shine a glaring flashlight into the darkest corners of not only Oxfam but the multi-billion dollar aid industry and its practices, historic and current.

The allegations are certainly not unique to the aid sector but they throw up many pressing questions as to the very nature of development and how such large organisations are governed.

The Haitian ambassador to Britain, Bocchit Edmond, said the handling of the case was “an insult” to his country – and he is right to be indignant.

I worked for a similar sized NGO to Oxfam – Plan International – for five years. I completed two deployments to Haiti, including one as part of an emergency response team a day after the devastating earthquake in 2010.

We were among the first international support teams to get in and start emergency aid on the ground. Many, many other organisations followed, leading Haiti to be sardonically dubbed "the Republic of NGOs". But the reality (as with all disasters) is that it is the local people who are first on the scene, the first to drag their loved ones, alive, maimed and dead from the rubble, often hours or days before any foreign aid arrives.

The Haitian earthquake was unexpected. The country does not experience regular earthquakes and it came at a time when it was trying to pull itself up from its knees and shake off a reputation as the "basket-case" of the region, a failed state rocked by political instability, poor trade and endemic poverty.

It was a seismic kick in the teeth. The situation on the ground was horrific. An estimated 220,000 killed, several hundred thousand were injured and some 1.5 million were left homeless. It is as vicious a demonstration of cruel fate inflicted upon a people as I have witnessed.

The 7.0 magnitude quake was indiscriminate, wiping out senior members of both the UN mission, national government and security forces. It broke open the prison in Port-au-Prince, spilling hardened criminals onto the capital’s streets in a time of chaos and insecurity.

The international aid response to Haiti was as heartfelt as it was unwieldy. The streets cleared to cut paths through the canyons of rubble in the capital were quickly clogged up with the 4x4s of NGOs. Demands for undamaged buildings pushed rents through the roof. It’s the same thing that happens in cities where the international aid community descends en masse, from Juba in South Sudan to Kabul in Afghanistan.

Aid is a messy, complex business. It operates in countries which are often dangerous, insecure and corrupt. Money (both publicly donated and grants) goes missing, misappropriated by militant groups, mafia or through staff fraud. Money can also be wasted. It is an accepted norm that a percentage of aid is written off in this way. All organisations aim to keep this to a minimum as much as possible, obviously.

And, like any sector with hundreds of thousands of workers, you will always have a few "bad apples". What you don’t expect is that they will be at the top of the tree – and are kept there with impunity.

Dealing daily with victims of major disasters (especially those involving children) is traumatic and exhausting. Western aid workers are lucky. We are there by choice; we can leave. Years after the earthquake, tens of thousands of people are still living in makeshift tented camps, vulnerable to hurricanes, diseases and other threats.

Haitians have good reason to be mistrustful of international aid and the United Nations.

The UN’s peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) lowered its blue flag in October after 13 years. Its legacy is mixed. Although credited with improving stability and security, it also eventually admitted – under great duress – to one of its bases being the source of a cholera outbreak which killed more than 9,000 people after the earthquake.

In addition, international UN peacekeepers (from countries such as Pakistan, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Nepal) were implicated in sexual abuse scandals in Haiti after arriving. This included an organised child-sex ring and young women and girls coerced into "transitional sex" in exchange for food and money.

This wasn’t an anomaly; we have seen the same violations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic and Chad, where Oxfam’s former country director in Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, had previously been posted and was similarly alleged to have been involved in procuring prostitutes there too – possibly minors.

This brings us to the question of such country directors. Many NGOs have tried to move away from their old models of foreign aid workers being drafted in, preferring sustainable models of building capacity and skills with local staff and working with major corporate employers.

While I never personally witnessed or heard any allegations of wrongdoing while working in Haiti – and it was high on my radar –Van Hauwermeiren was typical of a certain kind of senior figure often seen in the field. While NGOs more commonly employ local staff, usually senior hires such as country directors are brought in above them. Ironically, the reason often cited is to avoid local corruption or political pressure. However, they are often middle-aged white men who are veteran aid workers. They live in secure villas, sometimes with domestic staff and drivers. After their contract ends, they often move on to another country directorship and live a transient life. The inherent risk is that the by-product is a neo-colonial network of well-remunerated men who are removed from the communities which they are there to serve and who are answerable to very few.

Does that excuse the behaviour of Van Hauwermeiren? Never.

The one thing everyone in aid is acutely aware of is that people in conflict and post-disaster situations are extremely vulnerable. Children and women are particularly at risk of exploitation, trafficking and violence.

The duty of care you have towards them is paramount, which is why Van Hauwermeiren’s behaviour is a double betrayal of the trust put in him.

While working in Haiti, I heard concerns about petty pilfering of aid or contract squabbles – but nothing like the allegations Van Hauwermeiren is now facing.

The vast majority of aid workers I was proud to work alongside were selfless, professional and immensely conscientious. They don’t choose the work because it’s well-paid, glamorous or are seeking a healthy work-life balance. They do it because they want to help people and improve lives.

Most of their ideas of rest and relaxation was being able to get to a beach for a day or finding somewhere with proper running water for a shower and a decent bed for a night.

Aid is not perfect. Writers such as Dambisa Moyo and Linda Polman are right to question its worth and methods. It will be – and should be – subject to more scrutiny and more transparency. That is long overdue.

Only the senior leadership of Oxfam know why they chose not to properly report the abuses and potential crimes; why they chose the protection of their brand over the rights of Haitian women and girls.

The organisation has a great heritage and does some fantastic work but as is often cited, reputations take decades to build but can be destroyed in hours.

I only hope that positive lessons can be salvaged from this dark chapter.

Stuart Coles is a public relations advisor and former head of media of the NGO Plan International

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 6 mars 2018

 Haitian and Salvadoran TPS holders sue Trump administration

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

February 22, 2018

Updated February 22, 2018

Eight Haitian and Salvadoran immigrants living in the United States with temporary protection from deportation have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that its decision to end their Temporary Protected Status was based on racism and discrimination that violates their constitutional rights.

Also joining the lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Boston is Centro Presente, a community organization that advocates for TPS beneficiaries in Massachusetts. The suit was filed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, which previously challenged the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting sanctuary cities.

This is the second TPS-related lawsuit filed in recent weeks. Last month, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in a suit asked a federal judge in the U.S. District Court of Maryland to reverse the decision to end the humanitarian protections for nearly 60,000 Haitian immigrants. That suit argues that Acting Homeland Secretary Elaine Duke’s November decision to end TPS for Haiti as of July 2019 is “irrational and discriminatory” and influenced by President Trump’s “public hostility toward immigrants of color.”

Ambassador's 'Diplomacy By Design' Fashion Event Aims to Change Haiti Narrative

February 27, 2018 6:00 PM

• Sandra Lemaire

WASHINGTON — 

Haiti’s ambassador to Washington, Paul Altidor, has been on a mission to show his native country’s best and brightest side since mid-January, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported disparaging remarks about Haitian immigrants.

Trump's reported use of a vulgar term to describe Haiti and African nations angered the Haitian-American community, sparking rallies in Port-au-Prince, New York, Palm Beach and Boston to denounce racism. Altidor said the comments about Haiti "hurt the country."

“So for those who think Haiti is a sh**hole country, let me tell you, my country is a beautiful country,” Altidor exclaimed to applause and cheers in his opening remarks to the large crowd of Washington locals, Haitian-American celebrities, dignitaries and fashionistas at a recent "Diplomacy by Design" event at the Haitian embassy.

The runway show, held during DC Fashion Week, featured the collections of four of Haiti’s top designers — Victor Glemaud, Prajje Oscar, Azede Jean-Pierre and Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss.

“The eyes and ears of the world have been focused on Haiti during the last few weeks,” Altidor noted. “Most of the world has a singular view of our country that we are looking to reshape.”

Haitian flare

Veteran designer Victor Glemaud’s colorful knitwear line in eye popping reds, blues, orange, yellows and fuschia, mixed with black and white separates, were up first. Female and male models turned heads as they strutted down the embassy’s long, winding, red carpeted staircase and into the various rooms where seated guests responded with oohs and aahs.

Glemaud, a Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) graduate who moved to the United States at age 3, began his love affair with knitwear after cutting up his father's old sweaters.

He was one of the 2017 finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, an annual competition hosted by the non-profit Council of Fashion Designers of America with the goal of cultivating "the next generation of emerging American design talent."

Glemaud worked for Paco Rabanne, Versace, Marc Jacobs and Helmut Lang before starting his own line.

Women’s wear designer Azede Jean-Pierre, whose fashions were worn by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, did not present a runway show but had a few outfits on display in a special room set up by the embassy for guests to see.

"I’m thrilled to be here at the embassy to participate in this event and to show a different Haiti," Azede told VOA Creole. "I know everyone’s talking about Haiti these days, but we want to show that we have a beautiful country and that there are people who are doing great things."

Azede, who emigrated to the United States at age 5, said in the fashion world, designers who are unique are sought out, and being Haitian gives her an advantage.

We asked how she came to dress Michelle Obama.

“I sent her a few messages, and then she accepted for me to make her something. I had 10 days to do it," she said cryptically. "And I completed the outfit, and she liked it. And then she invited us to the White House to talk to children. And I had a second opportunity to dress her, and it was a great experience.”

Showstopper

The night’s showstopper was women’s wear designer Prajje Oscar,who wowed the audience with his Ezili collection. Elegant hand-beaded floor-length gowns, sexy pantsuits, jumpsuits and knee-length skirts in reds, pinks, whites and turquoise were presented, as traditional Haitian rara music filled the room.

Prajje, who was adopted by a French couple when he was 12 years old and reared in the U.S., has been described as one of Boston's "most promising young designers." The Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduate, who holds a degree in fashion design, said he always remained connected to his Haitian roots and wanted to honor that with this collection, which bears the name of the voodoo priestess of art, romance, love and sex.

When Altidor heard about Prajje's concept for the collection, he said, “You have to make it happen,” the designer recalls.

“This is a way to show that Haiti is not what Donald Trump called us. Perhaps Haiti doesn’t have a Bill Gates - I mean, not people who will say openly they are [as rich as] Bill Gates - but we know there are a lot of rich people in Haiti."

Prajje said he was in Haiti when the ambassador asked him to participate in the fashion event.

“He asked me, 'Do you want to [participate]?' And I said yes. Whatever you’re doing, I support you, Mr. Ambassador. I’ll be there.”

Haitian-American NFL star player Pierre Garcon was one of the ambassador's celebrity guests. The former Washington Redskin, who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers, said he was happy to attend the fashion show.

“I was in Miami when I got the call, and I told the ambassador, 'You know I’ll support you.' So, here I am.”

Garcon graciously declined to name a favorite among the designers. “I’m not really good at that kind of thing. Just give me a team uniform to wear. That’s the fashion I know best,” he said.

A Nigerian-American guest at the embassy, who identified herself as Kydele, acknowledged she was impressed by the show.

“It was fascinating. It really gave you an earful and an eyesight into what Haiti’s all about. And I thank God that DC was able to host that,” she told VOA Creole.

Kydele also spoke about Altidor’s stated goal at the beginning of the evening - to change the Haiti narrative.

"The ambassador has brought on a different perspective about what government is about," she said. "He’s so open-minded and has his arms open to everyone coming to Haiti. He’s very approachable, so I believe he’s letting us know Haiti welcomes you. Haiti wants you to come, and we’re all one. So, I really felt that with his spirit tonight."

IMF Staff Reaches Staff-Level Agreement with Haiti on a Staff-Monitored Program

February 25, 2018

An International Monetary Fund staff team led by Chris Walker, IMF Mission Chief for Haiti, visited Port-au-Prince from February 20-25, to carry out discussions with the Haitian authorities on a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP).

At the conclusion of the mission, Alejandro Werner, Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, met with President Jovenel Moïse, Minister of Economy and Finance, Governor of Central Bank and Senior Officials to mark the accord and discuss Haiti’s development strategy and continuing engagement with the IMF. Mr. Werner hailed the agreement as an important sign of commitment to improving the living conditions and increasing the economic opportunities of the Haitian people.

President Moïse shared his vision for development of Haiti with the IMF delegation. He asked the IMF to play a leadership role in bringing together the country’s development partners to support his reform and development plans, including strengthening the social safety net.

Mr. Walker issued the following statement at the end of the visit:

“Following extensive discussions, the IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the authorities on an SMP covering the period of March-August, 2018. The government of Haiti, under the leadership of President Moïse and Prime Minister Lafontant, and with support of the Minister of Finances and the Central Bank Governor, is committed to carry out economic and structural reforms to promote economic growth and stability, and alleviate poverty, in Haiti. The international community and key donors welcome the government’s resolve to implement reforms to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.

“Under the SMP, fiscal policy will focus on mobilizing revenues and rationalizing current expenditure, to make room for critical public investment in infrastructure, health, education and social services. This will include measures to improve tax collection and efficiency, and to eliminate excessive subsidies, including on retail fuel. Other reforms will focus on stemming the losses of the public electricity company (EDH), which in recent years have amounted to a sizeable portion of the public deficit, by improving the efficiency of billing, and by reforming contracting practices. Fiscal reforms also aim to increase the transparency of public accounts. These reforms are to be accompanied by a substantial package of mitigating measures to protect the most vulnerable members of society.

“The Central Bank of Haiti (BRH) will continue to protect international reserves and preserve exchange rate flexibility, while acting as necessary to contain disorderly market conditions. Under the SMP, the authorities will limit recourse to monetary financing of the government deficit, and BRH will align monetary policy to keep inflation in check, while maintaining an adequate flow of credit to the private sector.

“IMF staff will work closely with the authorities to monitor progress in the implementation of their economic program. The IMF will also continue to provide technical assistance to support Haiti’s capacity-building efforts and structural reform agenda. The SMP is designed to help the authorities build a credible track record, and successful implementation of the program will catalyze critical flows from development partners as well as support a future request for an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement.”

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: RAPHAEL ANSPACH

PHONE: +1 202 623-7100EMAIL: Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 15 mars 2018

 LAW Airline suspends Chile-Haiti flights

The Santiago Time

SANTIAGO – The Chilean airline, LAW (Latin American Wings) has temporarily suspended the flights between Port-au-Prince and Chile, after Haitians have been declared illegal or unqualified by the Chilean authorities to enter or remain in Chilean territory.

In 2017, more than 100,000 Haitians arrived in Chile with a valid 90-day tourist visa but reports suggest more than 80% remained illegally in Chile beyond this time, to escape economic problems and lack of work in Haiti. A situation that had already been discussed with Jovenel Moïse by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet during her official visit to Haiti.

The flight suspension, which started on Monday, will be valid for a period of 15 days.

LAW says it has always acted responsibly in Haiti, informing passengers of their duties, rights and documentation required to travel and stay in Chile. “However, since massive declaration of inadmissibility of foreign citizens causes inconvenience for both the airport and the agencies that sold the tickets, we consider that this measure will help mitigate these effects…” the airline said in a statement.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

oag.dc.gov

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

CONTACT:       Rob Marus, Communications Director: (202) 724-5646; Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

Marrisa Geller, Public Affairs Specialist: (202) 724-5448; Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

District Residents Can Seek Compensation from $586 Million Western Union Fund for Fraud Victims Until May 31

Fund Related to Separate Settlement D.C. and States Reached Over Fraud-Induced Transfers

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced today that District residents who were deceived into sending payments to scammers using Western Union’s wire transfer service have until May 31, 2018 to apply for compensation from a $586 million fund administered by the Department of Justice’s Victim Asset Recovery Program.

This fund is the result of a multi-state settlement between the District, all 50 states and Western Union that was first announced in 2017. District residents may be eligible to receive compensation if they were a victim of a fraud-induced transfer using Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017.

“Our office is committed to protecting consumers from the multiple methods that scammers use to obtain their funds,” said Attorney General Racine. “In this case, Western Union failed to oversee its agents with sufficient care. That made it easier for scammers posing as family members in need -- or offering fake sweepstakes prizes and job opportunities -- to swindle consumers in the District. I’m pleased that District residents can now apply to recover some of the funds they lost.”

District residents who have already reported to Western Union, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or to the D.C. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) that they had been the victims of a scam using Western Union will receive a form in the mail from the claims administrator, Gilardi & Co. The form will have a Claim ID and a PIN number to use when filing a claim online via the FTC’s website here. Gilardi was hired by Justice Department, which is responsible for returning victims’ money as part of its settlement with Western Union.

Filing a claim is free, so consumers should not pay anyone to file a claim on their behalf.  No one associated with the claims process will ever call to ask for consumers’ bank account or credit card number.

If you did not receive a claim form in the mail but believe you may have an eligible claim, please visithttp://www.westernunionremission.com or call 1-844-319-2124 for more information on how to file a claim. All completed claims forms must be mailed back to the settlement administrator by May 31, 2018.

Protecting Consumers from Fraud

If you are a District resident and think you may have been the victim of any kind of fraud, call OAG’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (202) 442-9828, send an email to Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser., or submit an online consumer complaint via this webform. To learn more about how to protect yourself from multiple kinds of frauds and scams, visit OAG’s Consumer Protection Library athttps://oag.dc.gov/consumerprotection.

###

Double whammy for humanitarian aid in wake of Oxfam scandal

By Aline Robert | EURACTIV.fr | translated by Freya Kirk

EU aid for the health sector in the Dominican Republic could be called into question following the Oxfam scandal in neighbouring Haiti. 

EURACTIV.fr reports.

In the Ramon Matias Mella hospital in Dajabon, a small town in the north of the Dominican Republic, close to the border with Haiti, the medical services largely relies on international donors, especially by way of projects.

These projects span several years and work with local partners – in this case the ministry of health – to try to prioritise the poorest areas of the country, notably next to the border with Haiti.

Following the September 2017 hurricanes, and droughts caused by El Nino, the country now fears “the big one”, an earthquake which seismologists predict in the north of the country and that will probably cause a large-scale tsunami that could largely destroy the tourist infrastructure in the east and south of the country.

“We can not fund the upgrading of our hospitals ourselves. We need to find funding abroad,” said Dr. Jose Luis Cruz Raposo in charge of risk management at the Dominican’s Republic Health Ministry.

The Safe Hospitals programme, a WHO project funded by the European Commission (DG ECHO), and then taken over by the Spanish development agency (AECID), aimed at organising the resilience of hospitals facing natural disasters, has ended two year ago.

The WHO and European logos have now  disappeared in Dajabon. However, cross-border cooperation has remained: keeping the relationship between the two countries somehow cohabitating on the island, is the top priority for international donors, who are also hoping that trade can promote the development of the country.

Here, the Dominican hospital compensates the lack of medical services on the other side of the border. In Ounaminthe, medical care is free regardless of the patient’s nationality, Haitian women account for 80% of births. If it wasn’t for this hospital on the other side of the river, these women would have to drive 4 hours to reach the nearest hospital on their side of the border.

Despite a capacity of only a few beds, the hospital also handles traffic accidents, dengue and malaria cases, but also 403 HIV-positive patients,  a third of whom follow antiretroviral treatment. Staff training and the involvement of the entire local community under the framework of the aid programme has allowed this small hospital to better organise itself in the event of a natural disaster.

“For example, in the emergency room patients are classified according to urgency: a red label is a vital emergency, yellow or green means it can wait, and black means that the patient has died,” summarised Gregorio Gutiérrez of the Health Ministry.

Cross-border cooperation – a priority

Some twenty to thirty meters from the hospital, the Dajabon River is both a porous border and an open-air wash-house, despite its muddy water.

More than half of Dominicans and three-quarters of Haitians don’t have access to running water and sanitation, creating a melting pot for epidemics. Following the 2011 earthquake in Haiti, cholera spread well beyond the border.

A little further south of the Monte-Cristi Province, the Mao regional hospital is handling more and more leptospirosis cases, a disease spread by rats (the  incidence of which has increased because of global warming).

Here too, the hospital has significantly benefitted from the Safe Hospitals programme, allowing the hospital to improve its resiliency rating.

“Before, we had sanitation problems. We redid the plumbing, installed air conditioning and redesigned the patient reception,” said Aristides Bernard, the hospital’s director.

Of the 110 patients treated every day at the hospital, 17% are from Haiti, even though the facilities are situated 60km from the border.

Most of the emergencies result from motorbike accidents, so much so that the hospital now has specific designated area for those patients. The renovation also allowed the construction of a specific building reserved for AIDS patients and is currently caring for 1,500 of them.

The importance of international Institutions and NGO’s

European Humanitarian aid totalling €2 billion per year is based half on international and national institutions and the other half on NGO’s. “ These are key actors on the ground, we would not be able to do anything without them,” said Hilaire Avirl, in charge of DG ECHO’s communication for South America.

Part of this funding is now at risk in the Dominican Republic. Oxfam is currently the main partner of EU humanitarian aid, and focuses on the prevention and management of disasters and climate risk.

Its neighbour Haiti, has already decided to sever ties with the NGO after the revelation of cases of sexual exploitation on its territory by members of the NGO. In the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere, the EU as the main donor is pondering its future ties with the organisation and others concerned by the same problem.

EU warns charities after Oxfam sex scandal

The EU on Monday ordered Oxfam to explain itself over a 2011 prostitution scandal in Haiti, warning charities that the bloc would cut their funding if they breached ethical standards.

“The problem is that Oxfam did not warn us” of cases of sexual exploitation, said Gianluca Grippa, head of the EU delegation to the Dominican Republic.

But faced with destitution and the real risks to the population, the Caribbean is one of many areas prompting the development sector to defend the NGO.

“Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater: it is essential to renew our (vigilant) trust towards an actor as essential on the world scale as Oxfam, particularly against inequality,” stated Gaël Giraud, chief economist at the French Agency for Development, on Twitter.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 21 mars 2018

 The American Ambassador in Haiti, Michèle J. Sison, visited the Northern part of the country

The American Ambassador in Haiti, Michel J. Sison, on Tuesday, February 13, toured the Northern Department, where she visited the Caracol Industrial Park, which opened in 2012 and is financed in collaboration with the United States and the Inter-American Development Bank of the Haitian government. Following her visit to the park to inquire firsthand about the day to day operations and see the progress, she made a stop at the campus of Henry Christophe University in Cap Haitian where she made a speech.

The following is an exert of her speech:

“…Haiti is leading its own development journey, designing and implementing solutions to its own unique challenges. And we, the U.S. Embassy, are here to work together with Haiti to support a prosperous and democratic future for all Haitians.

We are proud that U.S. assistance is helping advance economic opportunities for Haitians; develop a comprehensive food security strategy; provide access to basic health care and water and sanitation services; strengthen institutions and governance; and improve educational opportunities for youth.

Haiti has held a very special place in my heart. I began my diplomatic career in 1982 as a young diplomat in Port-au-Prince, and I have always remembered the warmth of the Haitian people, the country's great natural beauty, and Haiti's unique culture.

… I always wanted to return to Haiti, and I am so happy to be here with you today.

Haiti and the United States share a strong commitment to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

We also share a long history, and our futures are closely linked through the nearly one million Haitian-Americans who contribute to prosperity in the United States and to the economic growth of Haiti.

The United States has a tremendous amount of respect for the Haitian people, and we are very proud of our partnership with Haiti.

When I think back to my first diplomatic assignment to Haiti, in the 1980s, it was clear even in those days that Haiti needed strong State institutions, good governance, and transparency to ensure prosperity and economic growth.

This is also true today.

Today, after a period of political impasse, Haiti has a democratically elected government in place. The United States and the international community have a long-term partner with whom we can engage to help the country build a promising future. We continue to work hard to support the goals and vision of the Haitian government and the aspirations of its people.

Effectively, we are working together for Haiti's bright future.

Our partnerships with Haiti reflect our respect and admiration for the Haitian people, a population that has demonstrated dignity and resilience even during the most difficult of times such as the 2010 earthquake and recent hurricanes.

…The Caracol Industrial Park is the largest modern facility of its kind in the Caribbean, and it directly supports the Government of Haiti's goal of creating centers of economic activity outside the capital of Port-au-Prince by encouraging decentralization and promoting job creation.

During my visit to the Caracol Industrial Park yesterday, I was very impressed by the results of this key partnership between the United States, the Government of Haiti, and the BID.

Since its launch in 2012, the Caracol Industrial Park has created close to 13,000 jobs in Haiti's northern corridor, and its power plant provides reliable and affordable electricity to thousands of individuals and small businesses. The anchor tenant, Sae-A Trading, has become the largest private sector employer in Haiti. That is truly impressive!

This really represents a cascade of income for people, and I believe this successful model could certainly be replicated elsewhere in the country.

Job creation is a priority for our U.S. Embassy, and I know it is a priority for you and for the Haitian government as well.

The question of local economic growth here in Haiti is of critical importance—we all agree that the Haitian State must generate revenues through customs and taxation, so the State can fulfill its responsibilities to the people in supporting health, education, and other social services. And I know we all agree that the only way to succeed in doing that is by creating economic growth, and by creating additional economic opportunities.

I just can't emphasize this enough. It is important to work together on this.

The private sector of course has a big role to play in this. I was glad to visit yesterday the Royal Caribbean cruise lines site at Labadee, where thousands of Americans and foreigners visit each month. What a beautiful place. And I know that H.E. President Moise recently inaugurated the Labadee road, a key piece of infrastructure which will boost the tourism sector in northern Haiti.

… [In the agricultural sector] some 70,000 farmers have increased incomes thanks to U.S. programs in support of the Haitian government's agricultural sector priorities, while the U.S. government has also introduced improved seeds, fertilizer, irrigation, and other new technologies to over 118,000 farmers.

We are proud to contribute to Haiti's national agricultural production and we believe that H.E. President Jovenel Moise, with the special attention he brings to agriculture under the Caravan of Change, is also committed to increasing opportunities for the Haitian people to bolster national agricultural production.

Here in Cap-Haitien, with support from USAID under the Feed the Future initiative, the University of Georgia is helping Haitian farmers grow peanuts more profitably and partnering with the NGO "Meds & Food for Kids" to produce high-quality, nutritious foods, known locally as "Medika Mamba."

…According to the latest studies, many of Haiti's health indicators continue to improve. Through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USAID, and PEPFAR, the United States has worked with the Government of Haiti and partners to combat HIV/AIDS, improve the delivery of basic health care services, maternal and child health, nutrition, labs, and public health research.

… In support of rule of law, the bilateral cooperation between our two countries also supports the Haitian National Police, improving its institutional capacity and growing its ranks to better serve the Haitian people.

We started this work together more than 20 years ago, and it is a critical cornerstone of our bilateral engagement with Haiti.

Haiti now has a trained police force of 15,000 officers; a professional force that is trained to respect human rights and protect the Haitian people.

One of my key goals as the new U.S. Ambassador to Haiti is to work to ensure strong coordination between the Haitian government and our U.S. assistance projects in all of these crucial sectors.

It is also important for us to keep in mind the many important factors working in Haiti's favor, including its young and energetic population, its vibrant civil society, and its active and independent media.

So, to sum up, before we move to a question and answer session:

We look forward to continuing to work with Haiti to strengthen the rule of law, enhance food security and health services, and create jobs and greater economic and educational opportunities for the Haitian people. All of this, of course, is in support of Haiti's own development objectives and priorities.

I can promise you that I will do my best to promote this vibrant U.S.-Haitian partnership.

Coast Guard repatriates 201 migrants by sea to Haiti

A total of 201 Haitians were returned to Haiti Wednesday by the U.S. Coast Guard, the agency said, after two overloaded boats were intercepted near the Bahamas.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter spotted a 50-foot freighter Sunday, 30 miles east of Great Inagua Island. The 86 migrants from that freighter were picked up by the Coast Guard cutter Tahoma. The next day, the Tahoma gathered 115 migrants from a 50-foot sail freighter three miles east of Sunday’s pickup.

Migrants get food, water and medical attention when picked up by Coast Guard cutters.

“The waters of the Caribbean and Florida Straits are dangerous and unforgiving for migrants on illegal voyages, in overloaded vessels with little or no safety gear, needlessly placing lives at risk,” said Rear Adm. Peter Brown, commander of Coast Guard 7th District. “The Coast Guard and its partner agencies continue to maintain a strong presence along our maritime border and will continue to interdict and rescue those who embark on these illegal and ill-advised voyages in these unsafe vessels.”

The Coast Guard says about 1,040 Haitian migrants have been caught trying to illegally enter the United States by sea since Oct. 1. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 1,869 Haitian migrants were caught attempting to do so.

David J. Neal

Haitians in South Florida, New York latest to sue Trump over TPS

A group of South Florida Haitian immigrants are among the latest plaintiffs challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status, which — until recently — has shielded them from deportation.

In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in the Eastern District of New York, the plaintiffs argue that Trump and the Department of Homeland Security “employed an invalid and unauthorized process to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation irrespective of the statutory criteria for review enacted by Congress.”

The plaintiffs include three South Floridians, seven New Yorkers, the weekly Brooklyn-based Haitian newspaper, Haïti Liberté, and a Miami-based Haitian rights advocacy group, Family Action Network Movement, or FANM, an organization previously known as the Haitian Women of Miami.

“People are afraid to go to the supermarkets. Businesses are suffering ...We’ve definitely seen an increase in the level of services requested from families as a result of the termination of TPS and it’s not only within the Haitian population. Immigrant families in general are suffering,” said Marleine Bastien, FANM’s founder and executive director. “Family members are keeping children away from schools because of the fear.”

Steve Forester, immigration policy coordinator with the Boston-based Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, noted that one of the plaintiffs is a New York man with cerebral palsy whose caretaker died in the 2010 Haiti earthquake and now is dependent on his brother, a U.S. citizen, for his personal and medical care.

“What is supposed to happen to this man?” asked Forester, who lives in Miami. “The human dimension of this should not be forgotten.”

Asylum Seekers Sue U.S. Government Over Prolonged Detention

March 15, 2018, at 12:01 p.m.

BY READE LEVINSON

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A group of migrants seeking asylum in the United States sued the Trump administration on Thursday, claiming the government is unfairly keeping them in custody while they pursue their cases in immigration court.

The class-action lawsuit on behalf of nine plaintiffs, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and immigrant rights groups and filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., alleges five U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices have detained virtually all adults seeking asylum at a port of entry.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said it does not comment on pending litigation and the Justice Department declined to comment.

President Donald Trump promised during his 2016 campaign to clamp down on illegal immigration and keep immigrants who contest deportation locked up during the process.

Under a 2009 ICE directive, border-crossers applying for asylum and having a "credible fear" of persecution or torture in their home countries can be released from detention on a case-by-case basis for humanitarian reasons.

The lawsuit said in 2013, 92 percent of asylum seekers found to have credible fear were promptly released from custody in the five field offices. Today, the lawsuit says, few are released.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said the asylum process has been "subject to rampant abuse and fraud" and that releasing immigrants as they pursue asylum claims created "incentives for illegal aliens to come here and claim a fear of return."

The practice of releasing asylum seekers is "still in place on paper" but "is effectively a dead letter" in practice, ACLU attorney Michael Tan said in an interview.

A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court found asylum seekers who crossed the border illegally do not have a right to a bond hearing in immigration court, making the need for ICE's policy of humanitarian parole all the more urgent, Tan said.

The lawsuit alleges that ICE offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, El Paso, Texas, and Newark, New Jersey, are violating the U.S. Constitution and the agency's own policy guidelines by refusing the release most immigrants. The five offices oversee the detention of about one-quarter of the agency's average daily population of detainees.

The lead plaintiff is Ansly Damus, 41, an ethics teacher who fled political persecution in Haiti. He was twice granted asylum by a judge, according to the suit, but has remained locked up in Ohio for more than 16 months while the government appeals his case.

(Deletes extraneous word "them" in lead paragraph.)

(Reporting by Reade Levinson; Editing by Bill Trott)

Business

Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores

Toy store chain Toys R Us is planning to sell or close all 800 of its U.S. stores, affecting as many as 33,000 jobs as the company winds down its operations after six decades, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The news comes six months after the retailer filed for bankruptcy. The company has struggled to pay down nearly $8 billion in debt — much of it dating to a 2005 leveraged buyout — and has had trouble finding a buyer. There were reports earlier this week that Toys R Us had stopped paying its suppliers, which include the country’s largest toymakers. On Wednesday, the company announced it would close all 100 of its U.K. stores. In the United States, the company told employees closures would likely occur over time, and not all at once, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations.

All 6 Victims Recovered in FIU Bridge Collapse

By MAHITA GAJANAN, ABIGAIL ABRAMS, and ELI MEIXLER Updated: March 18, 2018 4:23 PM ET | Originally published: March 15, 2018 by Time Magazine

Police have recovered the remains of all six victims who died in the Florida International University bridge collapse.

The new 950-ton pedestrian bridge was designed primarily to allow students to safely cross Southwest Eight Street in order to reach the business district in the City of Sweetwater. It was installed at FIU on Saturday, March 10^th, and it collapsed a few days later, on the afternoon of Thursday, March 15^th, onto Southwest Eighth Street. In addition to the six people killed by the bridge collapse, several others were hospitalized.

Authorities said late Saturday that all six people who died were recovered. Five people were killed when the bridge fell, while the sixth person died at the hospital, the AP reports stated.

Police said while they believe all the victims from the bridge collapse were recovered, they would continue the search and rescue.

Three of the victims were found Saturday morning in two vehicles. A third vehicle was extracted from the collapse later on Saturday, though police did not say whether there was a body inside.

Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said the bodies may need to be identified through DNA, fingerprints or photos. Eight vehicles were trapped under the bridge when it fell.

Federal and state law enforcement are still investigating the cause of the bridge collapse after first responders spent hours on rescue and recovery efforts, according to the AP.