Evaluation of DG ECHO Financed Actions in Haiti

From 2nd May to the 4rd June 2005, at the request of the European Commission’s
Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO), a team of two external consultants
(WatSan Expert Anton Rijsdijk and Public Health Expert Dr. Michael Andreini), evaluated DG
ECHO financed actions in Haiti for 2004. The consultants discussed the projects with both DG ECHO’s staff, representatives of DG ECHO partners, as well as beneficiaries. As a result of this close cooperation, the evaluation visited nearly all the field project sites in Haiti.
 

Haiti, one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world, has suffered from a
series both man-made and natural disasters in recent years. In December 2003, Haiti suffered from floods. In January 2004, a revolt against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was forced into exile at the end of February, caused a great deal of disturbance and violence in the country. In May, torrential rains in the south of the island destroyed about 5,000 homes and killed more than 2,000 people. On top of this hardship, Haiti was struck a few months later by hurricane Jeanne, which caused extensive flooding, and left 3,000 people dead in Ennery and Gonaïves. At present, Haiti has an interim government and the UN force MINUSTAH provides its security.
 

DG ECHO, with a budget of nearly EUR 13 million (the second largest donor of
emergency relief funds for 2004), supported a wide variety of projects ranging from water and
sanitation to agriculture, health and nutrition, and communications and co-ordination. This
approach was well justified in view of the complex emergency in Haiti.