u.s. - Haiti Observer Blog

Haiti is experiencing an imminent food crisis, which has at its core the destruction of rice farming. The agricultural sector of Haiti, made up of subsistence farmers, cannot compete in an international market overrun with poor quality imports, especially rice, Haiti's number one staple.

Back in the 1970s, rice cultivation was a thriving industry, requiring no foreign imports to meet domestic needs. But that changed at the start of the 1990s. An attempted coup against then-President Aristide set off global trade embargos, stifling Haiti's export market. At this juncture, cheap imports from abroad came in droves. Haiti, a desperately poor country, has needed development banks' aid. They drove a hard bargain, enforcing a lower import tariff, from 50% to 3%. This negatively impacted the economy, because it became more affordable to import U.S. rice than to farm it domestically.

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U.S. Agency for International Department (USAID) started a program that aimed towards boosting up the economy of Haiti through targeted loans to Haitian business units. It has been found in an audit that program failed as the intended targets did not receive the loans, workers were not trained properly and there was no systematic record maintenance. The Office of Inspector General of USAID released the audit report towards the end of February. The aim of this audit was to find out whether areas like waste management, handicrafts, tourism, construction and agriculture were benefited through the promotion of lending practices.

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Navassa, an uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea, is part of mainland Haiti. Between two- and three-square miles, it sits approximately 100 miles from Guantanamo Detention Center.

Founded in 1504 by sailors, its status during the next 300 years is mostly unclear. But between its founding and U.S. acquisition of the island, marine forces occupied it until it was turned over to the U.S. in the 1850s. For four decades, the U.S. mined the island for the phosphate, guano. Foreign and domestic conflicts brought mining to a halt by the end of the century.

The completion of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s raised Navassa's profile again when a lighthouse was constructed on the island. But in 1996, Navassa became abandoned when its lighthouse operations ceased.

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United States President Barack Obama's recent re-election has been welcomed by the Haitian government. President Michel Martelly congratulated Obama, who defeated Republican Mitt Romney. Martelly wished Obama the best of luck in running the United States for the second term. He also expressed hope that the two countries would continue their strong ties and that bilateral cooperation would strengthen even more.

Haiti is seen as one of the Caribbean nations that were probably relieved by Obama's victory. However, Interior Minister Rosnard Saint-Cyr said before the U.S. election that whoever wins the race does not really matter because the U.S. policy towards Haiti will not change. This was somehow opposed by some critics who believe that an Obama victory would be better for Haiti than a Romney leadership.

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The City of Miami named the $37 million dollars soccer park after Emmanuel Sanon

The idea for a Soccer Park in Little Haiti was an ambition from the late Miami Commissioner Arthur E. Teele who understands that soccer is the national sport of Haiti and very popular among the Haitian Diaspora living in South Florida.

The park offers a a green field, wide open spaces for the youth in the community to exercise and play their favorite sport. Emmanuel Sanon Soccer Park in Little Haiti also offers a playground for children in the neighborhood to run freely in nearly nine acres of grass covered field. This park represents one of the few real place for relaxation in Little haiti in Miami.

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A total of $25 million is allocated to be invested in Haiti Health Care. With a plan to rebuild University Hospital of Haiti, the governments of Haiti, France and the U.S. agreed to form a partnership in order to improve the overall health in Haiti.

Is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship to provide needed health care to the Haitian population?

I believe that this relationship was formed as a result of a need to improve the health care system in Haiti. For too long, the country has been left by itself to solve its own health problem. It's like telling a sick person who is unable to get off the bed to go find the medicin in the medicine cabinet. As the President Rene Preval would say: "Nage pou nou soti".

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U.S. first lady, Michelle Obama, made an unannounced visit to Haiti. The visit of the U.S. First Lady was meant to underscore to the Haitian people and the Haitian government the enduring U.S. commitment to help Haiti recover and rebuild, especially as we enter the rainy and hurricane seasons.

Shortly after arriving, Michelle Obama took a helicopter tour of Port-au-Prince, where buildings are in ruins and many earthquake survivors live in sprawling tent cities.

Michelle Obama, with President Rene Preval of Haiti, and his wife, Elisabeth Debrosse, at the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince.

Accompanied by Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, Mrs. Obama entered a play area set aside to provide therapy to children now living in a giant squatter camp in Port au Prince.

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