In a targeted push to expand and strengthen social safety net services for vulnerable communities, Haiti’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST) launched an official working mission across Artibonite Department and northern Haiti starting April 24, 2026. Led by MAST Minister Marc-Elie Nelson, the delegation included top leadership from two of Haiti’s key social assistance bodies: Jhonny Raphaël, Director General of the Social Assistance Fund (CAS), and Kesner Romilus, Director General of the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES). The mission’s first stop was the commune of Saint-Michel de l’Attalay, located in Haiti’s central Artibonite region.
The visit to Saint-Michel de l’Attalay delivered multiple tangible improvements to local social services, kicking off the mission with measurable progress. To address longstanding gaps in public service access, Minister Nelson formally inaugurated a new, purpose-built headquarters for the local CAS directorate. The upgraded facility is designed to cut wait times and improve service delivery for residents seeking social support across the commune. In a move to boost on-the-ground operational capacity, more than 10 newly hired local social services technicians received their official assignment letters during the event, bringing much-needed additional staffing to the under-resourced region. Additionally, local authorities confirmed they would begin outreach to identify nearly 1,000 eligible new beneficiaries, who will receive official CAS membership cards granting them formal, sustained access to the fund’s support programs.
A core priority of the mission’s first stop was addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of people displaced by ongoing insecurity in nearby Marchand-Dessalines. Hundreds of residents have fled escalating violence in Marchand-Dessalines and its surrounding areas, seeking shelter in Saint-Michel de l’Attalay. To meet their immediate food needs, the delegation announced that an off-site community soup kitchen has already been established, which will serve up to 300 hot meals daily to displaced people and other vulnerable local residents. Recognizing that the majority of the 800 displaced people currently residing in on-site accommodation lack regular access to cooked meals, Minister Nelson also confirmed plans to open a second community restaurant directly on the displacement camp site in the near future. To ensure future support is tailored to actual needs, the government has launched a comprehensive, on-the-ground assessment of living conditions among displaced populations, which will inform both emergency relief efforts and longer-term structural support programs.
On the sidelines of the social protection and humanitarian activities, Minister Nelson held a working meeting with leadership from the Saint-Michel de l’Attalay local police department. During the discussion, he publicly recognized and commended the local police force for their consistent commitment to maintaining public safety and protecting vulnerable residents amid widespread regional insecurity.
Following the completion of the first phase of the mission in Saint-Michel de l’Attalay, the delegation will travel to Gonaïves, Haiti’s historic birthplace of independence, for the next leg of their outreach. After wrapping up activities in Gonaïves, the mission will continue north to Cap-Haïtien, where officials will roll out additional social protection expansions and assess community needs across the northern department.