Haiti
In Haiti, Oxfam's focus is on disaster preparedness, gender equality, sustainable livelihoods, and helping people have a say in the decisions that affect them.
Emergency update: Hurricanes in Haiti
In the eye of the storm
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It has been plagued by political unrest for most of its history and natural disasters frequently sweep the nation.
- 80 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line
- Literacy rates stand at just 52 per cent
Situated in the middle of the hurricane belt, Haiti is subject to regular and severe storms from June to October each year. The country also suffers from occasional flooding, earthquakes, and periodic droughts.
How Oxfam is helping
We seek to reduce communities' vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters through training and awareness-raising.
I came [to Oxfam's workshop] because I have personally been affected by natural disasters. Today I have learned some things to help me to be better prepared.
Mother of four, Gonaïves
Clubbing together for a decent wage
Two-thirds of Haiti's population depends on agriculture to make a living. One of the country's few exports is coffee. But since the collapse in world coffee prices, farmers have been selling at a loss.
Without a decent wage, many farmers aren't able to afford to buy enough food for their families or to send their children to school.
How Oxfam is helping
We help set up co-operatives that enable producers to sell their coffee at a decent price. Oxfam also trains growers in marketing methods so they can sell their speciality coffees to the international market rather than relying on middlemen who profit from the growers' labour.
Now with the co-op we're getting something back. Now the coffee is worth something. Before, we didn't get anything, even after the harvest.
Julien Mistidor, Co-operative Sainte Helene Carice
Other development work
- Helping people, especially women, influence decisions made at a national level that affect their lives
Hurricanes in the Caribbean – 2008
Tropical Storm Hanna hit Haiti on Thursday 4 September, unloading massive amounts of rain to the already water-saturated country. This was the third storm to hit the country in three weeks.
The UN estimates that some 650,000 people nationwide have been affected by the storm.
Learn more about Oxfam's response the the hurricanes in Haiti
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