The Inter-American Development Bank today announced it has approved a $200,000 emergency grant to help Haiti in the wake of the massive floods caused by tropical storm Jeanne.
The deluge killed more than 1,000 people and left hundreds missing and tens of thousands homeless in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
At a meeting of the IDB Board of Executive Directors, President Enrique V. Iglesias expressed solidarity with the Haitian people and reaffirmed the institution’s long-term commitment with development in Haiti, which earlier this year suffered a crippling political crisis.
In order to provide the Haitian government with more resources to face this emergency, the IDB is also reviewing its Haiti loan portfolio to determine what financing could be reoriented to address urgent repairs and reconstruction efforts.
The IDB’s loans to Haiti support programs in education, health, water and sanitation, rural roads, basic infrastructure, agriculture, community development and public finances reform. Its portfolio of soft loans currently has some $337 million in undisbursed funds.
Working closely with other international agencies and donor countries, the IDB is helping Haiti strengthen its institutional capacity and governance. Iglesias added that the IDB continues to support the Haitian transition government’s social and economic goals and the strengthening of democratic rule in the beleaguered Caribbean nation, for the benefit of its poorest people.