标签： Haiti

Against the backdrop of the 2026 IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, a high-stakes strategic meeting unfolded between Haiti’s top planning official and leadership from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), marking a key step forward in the Caribbean nation’s push for coordinated international support amid ongoing stabilization efforts.

On April 16, Sandra Paulemon, Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, sat down with a CDB delegation headed by bank President Daniel Best to outline the Haitian government’s core national priorities and map out pathways to deepen bilateral development cooperation. The gathering underscores Port-au-Prince’s formal commitment to streamlining external assistance delivery and building durable, mission-aligned partnerships that directly advance Haiti’s long-term sustainable development goals.

During the discussions, Minister Paulemon praised the CDB for the impact and relevance of its existing work across Haiti. She outlined the Haitian government’s immediate on-the-ground priorities, noting that authorities are rolling out targeted frameworks and community-focused projects to cut widespread poverty, support the safe return of displaced households, and help vulnerable communities reestablish dignified living conditions. In laying out this work, Paulemon emphasized that meaningful progress depends on robust technical and financial backing from international partner institutions.

Paulemon reaffirmed the three non-negotiable priorities laid out in Haiti’s National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections: restoring widespread security across the country, driving inclusive economic and social recovery, and successfully organizing national elections. She stressed that all international development interventions must be closely aligned with these national priorities to deliver meaningful, measurable change for Haitian people.

For the CDB, the delegation presented a full update on its current portfolio in Haiti, which totals nearly $200 million in active projects, including roughly $50 million in newly approved funding commitments. President Best reaffirmed the bank’s long-standing commitment to supporting Haiti’s development, and made clear the institution intends to expand its footprint through high-impact, community-centered projects that address the country’s most pressing needs.

CDB leadership also expressed strong support for the Haitian government’s three priority agenda, noting the bank is ready to scale up assistance to advance these goals. The institution’s overarching aim is to maximize the effectiveness of its support to contribute directly to Haiti’s stabilization and long-term sustainable growth. Moving forward, Best added, the CDB plans to expand its work in building Haiti’s economic, social, and environmental resilience, while also boosting the country’s domestic productive capacities — with a particular focus on the critical agricultural and energy sectors.

Minister Paulemon for her part pushed for a more robust, results-focused partnership between Haiti and the CDB, outlining key priorities including expanded access to low-interest concessional financing and grants, targeted budget support to shore up government operations, investment in institutional capacity building for Haitian public agencies, and the creation of faster, more flexible funding disbursement processes that cut red tape for on-the-ground project delivery.

In a move to build local expertise, the CDB delegation also announced plans to hire dozens of young Haitian professionals across key priority sectors including agriculture, education, and energy, to strengthen national institutional capacity and embed local leadership in the bank’s development work across the country.

By the end of the meeting, both sides reached a consensus to hold a follow-up gathering in May 2026. That upcoming session will include a detailed breakdown of upcoming projects, formal confirmation of priority intervention sectors, and a review of projected funding amounts to be secured for Haiti’s development agenda.

A new joint United Nations report released in 2026 has formally acknowledged significant operational progress made by Haiti’s national police force (PNH) in its ongoing campaign against armed gang violence, even as it issues a stark warning that hard-won security gains could be reversed without consistent international backing and continued political commitment from Haitian leaders.

The PNH has publicly welcomed the UN assessment, which highlights the tangible on-ground efforts and incremental advances achieved by the force amid one of the world’s most complex and volatile security environments. The police institution expressed particular satisfaction that the report gives long-overdue international recognition to the work of its specialized tactical units and every rank-and-file officer serving across the country. PNH officials noted that this formal recognition will help international stakeholders gain a clearer, more accurate understanding of the daily operational risks and structural challenges the force confronts as it works to restore state control over gang-held territory.

According to the PNH, the progress documented in the UN report stems directly from the strategic vision and unwavering institutional support provided by Haiti’s national government, whose firm commitment to stabilizing national security has allowed the police to secure the resources needed to expand and strengthen its presence across all regions of the country. Beyond counter-gang operations, the force has also ramped up internal anti-corruption measures and crackdowns on transnational kidnapping and weapons smuggling, leading to multiple high-profile seizures of illegal arms and ammunition at northern Haitian ports and along the country’s land borders, all conducted in strict adherence to international human rights standards, the PNH confirmed.

The joint 2026 report, produced by the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), outlines that intensified counter-gang operations led by Haitian security forces have successfully reclaimed significant swathes of territory in the capital Port-au-Prince, and have established a more visible, consistent police presence in previously gang-held communities. Even as it recognizes these advances, the report emphasizes that the progress remains inherently reversible without sustained international financial, logistical and political support, coupled with enduring political will from Haiti’s governing institutions.

Security forces including the PNH, the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H), the specialized Gang Repression Force (FRG), and Vectus Global – an American private security firm founded by former Blackwater head Erik Prince – have retaken pockets of territory from gangs, but heavily armed criminal groups still maintain control over most strategic supply routes that are critical to their weapons trafficking and extortion operations. The report confirms that intensified operations have put unprecedented pressure on gang networks, forcing these groups to adapt their criminal tactics to evade crackdowns. While the shifting pressure has created what the report calls “glimmers of hope” in some urban areas, gangs have responded by expanding their extortion and kidnapping operations into rural regions including the Artibonite and central Haiti, while retaining control or influence over key maritime and road routes that fund their activities.

In a formal statement responding to the UN report, the PNH reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to carrying out its mandate with professionalism, dedication and a steadfast sense of duty, prioritizing the safety of the Haitian people and the restoration of lasting national peace above all other objectives.

In an official presentation hosted at Port-au-Prince’s Montana Hotel on April 16, 2026, Haiti’s National Food Security Coordination (CNSA) released updated Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) data that paints a deeply concerning picture of the country’s ongoing food crisis, even as it notes limited, localized progress. The new analysis projects that between March and June 2026, Haiti’s annual lean season, more than 5.83 million people – equal to 52% of the population evaluated in the study – will experience acute food insecurity severe enough to qualify as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or higher. Compared to the CNSA’s September 2025 projection, which estimated 5.91 million people would fall into these high-risk phases, this marks a small improvement. Similarly, the number of people projected to face the most severe Phase 4 (Emergency) conditions has fallen slightly from 2 million to 1.9 million, or 16% of the analyzed population. However, CNSA analysts warn that these marginal gains are far too small to reverse the overall downward trajectory of food security across the Caribbean nation. The limited improvements can be traced to three key factors: a slowdown in Haiti’s rampant annual inflation, generally favorable growing conditions during the winter agricultural cycle, and improved access to movement along a small number of key roadways. Inflation has cooled from 31.9% in September 2025 to 22.1% as of February 2026, but global market shocks have erased much of this progress. The recent outbreak of conflict in the Middle East and subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have sent major disruptions rippling through the global food supply chain, with immediate, negative consequences for Haiti, which relies heavily on imported food staples. When compared to the most recent six-month period from September 2025 to February 2026 – when 5.7 million people faced Phase 3 or higher food insecurity – the upcoming lean season will bring a clear net deterioration in conditions for Haitian households. Two primary drivers are fueling this deepening crisis: escalating armed violence across the country and lingering damage from last year’s major hurricane. Today, armed non-state gangs control approximately 90% of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Chronic violence has crippled Haiti’s already fragile economy, blocked the movement of critical food supplies and civilians, and pushed thousands of vulnerable Haitians into desperation, with many forced to join armed groups just to secure enough food to feed their families. In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southern Haiti, bringing catastrophic torrential rain, widespread flooding, and deadly landslides that destroyed homes, infrastructure, and cropland across the Grand Sud region, portions of the west coast near Petit-Goâve and Port-au-Prince, and the southeastern department. The ongoing economic collapse has compounded hardship for communities still recovering from the storm’s damage. Of the 30 administrative areas evaluated in the latest IPC analysis, 10 remain classified as Phase 4 Emergency. These high-risk zones include two districts in the Northwest Department, three zones in the Artibonite Department outside Gonaïves, the Lower Plateau, all internally displaced person camps, the island of La Gonâve, the Belle-Anse district in the Southeast Department, and the low-income neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince including Cité Soleil. Every other region of the country is projected to remain in Phase 3 Crisis for the March-June 2026 period. In response to these findings, the CNSA has outlined three core priority actions for national and international stakeholders. First, emergency life-saving interventions are immediately required for all Phase 4 areas. These responses must prioritize supporting the poorest and hardest-hit households to meet their basic food needs, close critical consumption gaps, and prevent the total, permanent loss of household livelihoods. Second, targeted support to rebuild livelihoods is critical to strengthen long-term resilience. Successive climate and economic shocks have eroded household ability to recover from crises, so rapid support to restore productive assets – including the distribution of agricultural inputs, livestock support, rural credit, direct material aid, and cash transfers – is essential to support the 2026 spring planting season and help families restore their independent income streams. Finally, the CNSA emphasizes the urgent need to connect emergency food response to long-term development and peacebuilding efforts. Chronic limited access to basic services and long-standing governance gaps continue to worsen food insecurity for Haitian households. Tying together emergency relief, development programming, and peacebuilding work is the only way to create sustainable, transformative improvements in food and nutrition security and build lasting stability in the country’s most affected regions.

In a landmark high-level working session held on April 17, senior diplomatic delegations from Haiti and the Dominican Republic reached a key agreement to reopen shared airspace between the two Caribbean nations, marking a major step forward in bilateral cooperation after years of restricted cross-border air travel. The talks, which built on a nine-point bilateral framework laid out in a 2021 joint declaration signed by Haiti’s late former President Jovenel Moïse and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, brought together top foreign affairs officials from both sides to advance dialogue on core shared priorities for the neighboring states.

The Haitian delegation, led by that country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Raina Forbin, included several senior diplomatic representatives: Haiti’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic Emmanuel Fritz Longchamp, Chief of Staff Winnie Hugot Gabriel, Director of Political Affairs Jean-Claude Lappé, and Director of Dominican Affairs Yves Rody Jean. The meeting underscores the current Haitian government, led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, has made strengthening constructive bilateral dialogue a top priority, with a stated commitment to approaching all shared issues through a lens of mutual respect for national sovereignty and collaborative problem-solving.

Heading the Dominican Republic’s contingent was that nation’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Álvarez, joined by Vice Minister of Multilateral Foreign Policy Rubén Silié, Vice Minister of Bilateral Foreign Policy Francisco Caraballo, Dominican ambassador to Haiti Faruk Miguel, Director of Strategic Studies and Analysis Emil Chireno, Legal Director Boni Guerrero, and Counselor Jatzel Román. Over the course of the working session, both sides held open, constructive exchanges on three core topics at the top of the bilateral agenda: cross-border security cooperation, migration management, and bilateral trade. The talks centered on refining joint mechanisms to strengthen border control and surveillance while advancing practical, mutually beneficial solutions to the two nations’ most pressing shared challenges.

The most significant outcome of the meeting is the formal agreement to reopen airspace between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which will restore scheduled commercial air links between Cap-Haitien International Airport and all participating Dominican airports starting May 1, 2026. Officials from both sides noted the policy shift is designed to ease cross-border movement of people, stimulate stagnant economic ties between the neighbors, and deepen people-to-people connections that have been limited by years of airspace restrictions.

Beyond the airspace agreement, delegations from both nations publicly thanked the international community for its ongoing support for efforts to stabilize Haiti’s security landscape, specifically highlighting the role of the United Nations and the French Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in actions aimed at restoring public security and institutional stability to Haiti, which has grappled with widespread gang violence and political upheaval in recent years.

To wrap up the session, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to keeping open communication channels active, and framed continuous bilateral dialogue as the primary path to resolving future areas of disagreement or shared concern. The talks will be followed up with future high-level technical working groups to advance the understandings reached during this session, all within a framework of mutual respect, good neighborliness, and adherence to international law.

On April 17, 2026, the remote southwestern border town of Pedernales in the Dominican Republic opened the 14th edition of Diaspora Week, a flagship community initiative organized by the Zile Foundation designed to foster cross-border dialogue, advance peaceful coexistence, and deepen connections between the neighboring nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The opening gathering drew local government officials, grassroots community leaders, and a large cross-border delegation from the Haitian town of Anse-à-Pitres, headed by that community’s mayor, Harry Bruno. In his opening remarks, Bruno underlined the irreplaceable value of these collaborative forums, noting that diaspora communities are the backbone of stronger, more resilient bilateral bonds between the two countries.

Serving as the event’s guest of honor, former Haitian Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant delivered a keynote address that called for a renewed approach to Haiti-Dominican relations, rooted in pragmatic realism and a shared forward-looking vision. He stressed that no physical border can undo the deep interconnectedness that binds the two nations, arguing that the shared border region should be framed as a catalyst for collective prosperity rather than a dividing barrier. Céant also reiterated that Haiti’s ongoing reconstruction efforts depend heavily on the contributions of its global diaspora, which he described as a vast reservoir of professional talent and a powerful, far-reaching global influence network.

The official launch ceremony opened with a solemn minute of silence to honor the lives lost in the recent tragedy at Haiti’s Citadelle Laferrière, which claimed more than 50 lives. Following this moment of collective reflection, attendees gathered for a fraternal communal lunch blessed by two local faith leaders: German Ramírez, parish priest of Pedernales, and Julin Acosta. Roughly 140 guests from both sides of the border shared the meal in an atmosphere marked by mutual respect and warm neighborly solidarity.

This year’s opening gathering aligns with the observance of Dominican-Haitian Fraternity Day, a formal occasion established under Dominican Law 11-05. Edwin Paraison, executive director of the Zile Foundation, closed the opening event by extending sincere gratitude to the initiative’s core sponsors—Western Union, VIMENCA, and Sunrise Airways—as well as the Dominican government for its critical logistical support. A full slate of community and collaborative activities will run through April 20, reaffirming the Zile Foundation’s longstanding core mission: to build lasting bridges of peace and cross-cultural cooperation between the Haitian and Dominican peoples.