Country Information

The population of Haiti is approximately 8.3 million (2006). About 95% of Haitians are of African descent. The rest of the population is mostly mulatto, or mixed Caucasian-African ancestry. A few are of European heritage. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority professes. Some have converted to Protestantism (Adventist, Baptist, Pentecostal etc). Others consider themselves atheist or practice traditional spiritual beliefs.

Political and Economic Environment

Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history since its independence from France more than 200 years ago. In February 2006, Haiti held its first democratic presidential elections in six years. René Préval was elected President and entrusted to lead Haiti out of economic hardship and poverty for the next 5 years. Though the election period was fraught with violence and controversy, Préval gained 51% of the vote needed to be admitted into office. The new administration has set about the urgent task of disarming rebels and street gangs. Following Préval’s inauguration, political violence declined for the first time since the riots that began when former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was exiled in February 2004.  However gang violence continues to plague residents of the capital Port-au-Prince and its outlying slums.

Prior to the 2006 elections, the interim government, led by Boniface Alexandre and Gérard Latortue, were unsuccessful at maintaining the security of Haiti. The Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force - were demobilized though they still had a constitutional existence. The interim government, during that period, relied heavily on foreign military assistance to disarm the rebels and the pro- and anti-Aristide gangs. A UN peacekeeping operation, MINUSTAH, replaced the U.S-led operation in Haiti in 2004. MINUSTAH is now working with Préval’s government to implement Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programs for gang members.  

The economy of Haiti is still largely underdeveloped, with 80% of the population living in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which remains vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country’s widespread deforestation. More than two-thirds of the labor force does not have formal jobs and the average annual income is around $390-450, 15% under the Latin American average. The new political circumstances in Haiti may lead to renewed aid flows. However, any growth in Haiti will now have to overcome the rampant corruption, high rate of inflation, lack of investments and a severe trade deficit.

Humanitarian Situation

In addition to political flux and general insecurity, Haiti’s continued instability and lack of sustained development have socio-economic origins.  Haiti's underdevelopment makes the country vulnerable to rapid deterioration in a complex emergency especially in areas such as food security, water and sanitation, health, and nutrition. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), both the capital and outlying areas are suffering from the paralysis of public services due to security reasons. Many humanitarian organizations face an inability to deliver assistance to those in need because of continued instability.  

Haiti is at the top of the list in number of kidnappings world-wide.  In addition, drug-trafficking contributes to Haiti’s security problems and fuels gang violence.  The Haitian National Police force is undergoing reform and mass recruitment to meet the needs of the new administration. The judicial system requires a complete overhaul, but does the political will exist to carry out the needed reforms? The responsibility for security in Haiti ultimately rests on the President and the Haitian people.

Since the elections there have been minimal mass migrations, but the number of Haitians dispersed throughout the Americas is significant.  In the past, the U.S. has responded to Haitians seeking asylum by intercepting vessels at sea and forcing passengers to return to Haiti with poor or no screening, and no guarantee for their safety. Such responses risk the involuntary return of bona fide refugees, a violation of the principle of non-refoulement.  The Commonwealth of the Bahamas continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees fleeing economic privation and political instability.

Conditions in Haiti have forced unknown numbers of people to leave their homes in search of safety in other parts of the country. In some communities, anywhere from one third to one half of the population is internally displaced. Some families leave their homes at night and return during the day; others seek sanctuary in clinics or churches. Haitian deportees from the Dominican Republic and the U.S. exacerbate the problem of internal displacement.

Large numbers of Haitians continue to cross unregulated into neighboring Dominican Republic, where there is better security and they have greater economic opportunities.  However the Dominican Republic does not recognize the majority of Haitian migrants as residents, and denies citizenship to those born in the country of Haitian descent, effectively rendering them stateless. 

Updated February 2007