Remittances in crises: a haiti case study hpg background Papers Discussion papers

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Remittances in crises: Haiti

HPG BACKGROUND PAPER

themselves in economic conditions almost as bad as those in

Haiti, with additional debts associated with their passage. The

Bahamas and the Dominican Republic still attract Haitian

migrants from Gonaives, most of whom reach these

destinations illegally, and usually with disappointing outcomes.

The young people, predominant among the migrants, rarely

send money back or do so irregularly. Those with family still in

Haiti reportedly do manage to send something, until they are

able to join them. 

The exodus from the once prosperous agricultural land that has

ceased to support the population that lives there is especially

troubling. As it stands, Haiti grows only a fraction of the food

that it consumes and exports are minimal. In the region visited,

farmers were still growing fruit, rice and vegetables, but at

levels far below those prior to the storm because of the loss of

irrigation systems and other agricultural inputs. Rain has been

scarce in 2005. NGO projects have helped, but not enough to

rescue the land. As farmers now abandon the land and join the

masses in the inhospitable cities of Haiti or become unwelcome

migrants in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, not only

do they lose out, but the country as a whole suffers. They will no

longer be contributing to the Haitian economy as before; the

country will need to import more food and will lose potential

export income. Groups in three rural communities reported the

largest exodus in their memory.

discuss/paper haiti  25/4/06  4:55 pm  Page 11

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An HPG background paper