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Remittances in crises: a Haiti case study

The role of the diaspora in the face of disaster in Haiti

Authors: P. Fagan
Publisher: Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI, 2006

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This study examines the role of remittances to Haiti’s third largest city, Gonaives, after it was destroyed by the September 2004 tropical storm Jean. The author finds that:

  • migrant remittances make up a ‘chain of solidarity’, from neighbours, relatives living in other parts of the country, international humanitarian agencies, and overseas relatives. All these links in the chain still remain essential
  • remittances to the people in Gonaives however, only yield small improvements in the quality of life and do not relieve poverty
  • although the informants of the study did not cite the Haitian government as an important player in the relief and/or recovery efforts, local officials claimed that they worked hard to complement and coordinate activities of international agencies and NGOs in Gonaives.

The author outlines a few steps that could be taken to facilitate remittance flows, and that should be considered in planning for future disasters:

  • communication is essential for the distribution of remittances from families to victims of a disaster
  • given the role of remittances from family members, donor and relief agencies could direct some resources in the hands of those with relatives in the affected zones, and help nearby relatives to reach these zones
  • donor governments with large Haitian populations could improve disaster response through closer collaboration with organised migrants who want to send relief home
  • while funds to recover victims livelihoods was essential for recovery, the amount of remittances and humanitarian assistance was inadequate, leaving the nation as a whole impoverished.

The author concludes that the Haitian diaspora provides a lifeline to its compatriots, but cannot address the larger problems confronting Haiti in normal times, and even less so in the face of disasters. The author blames the limited recovery of Gonaives on the inadequate international humanitarian assistance and the corrupt Haitian government.