Haiti: Conditions & Reconstruction

Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Haiti has struggled to overcome its centuries-long legacy of authoritarianism, extreme poverty, and underdevelopment. During that time, economic and social stability improved considerably, and many analysts believed Haiti was turning a corner toward sustainable development. Unfortunately, Haiti’s development was set back by a massive earthquake in January 2010 that devastated much of the capital of Port-au-Prince and other parts of the country. Poverty remains massive and deep, and economic disparity is wide: Haiti remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere. This book discusses Haiti’s current conditions and congressional concerns under President Martelly; USAID infrastructure projects; testimonies from a hearing on the U.S. aid effectiveness; Haiti 2012 human rights report; and the Haiti 2012 international religious freedom report.