©️Stéphane Daïley Lubin
Port-au-Prince, July 21, 2025.- The Haitian Government has begun a large-scale relocation operation of more than 10,000 households living in 17 makeshift camps in Port-au-Prince, in accordance with the commitment of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. Cheques are already being distributed on several sites, with the support of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST), the National Migration Office (ONM), the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) and the Directorate-General for Taxation (DGI). Objective: to restore State authority, free occupied public spaces and provide decent economic support to internally displaced persons.
The Haitian Government has officially launched a large-scale effort to relocate thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in makeshift camps across the capital. This operation is part of the stated desire of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé to guarantee all citizens a decent home, while restoring state authority over public buildings occupied for years.
Under the coordination of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST) and the National Migration Office (ONM), with the logistical and financial support of the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), the relocation process is now underway. More than 3,000 cheques, worth 100,000 gourdes, are already beginning to be distributed to families identified at eight of the 17 sites concerned, in the first phase of this programme.
According to Jean Négot Bonheur Delva, general manager of the ONM, this first wave of relocation targets sensitive areas such as Carrefour-Feuilles and Decayette, with priorities given to currently occupied school buildings and public institutions.
The households concerned completed a pre-identification form. The results are clear: 99% of IDPs say they are prepared to leave, provided they receive economic support. A portion wishes to return to the province, while a minority plans to rent another unit.
In order to facilitate the identification of beneficiaries, the Directorate-General of Taxes (DGI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), has issued a tax registration number (NIF) to displaced persons, a necessary condition for receiving cheques.
A detailed timetable has been drawn up for the gradual distribution of financial aid on the various sites:
Wednesday 23 July : site Colbert Lochard
Thursday 24 July: Caroline Chevreaux
Friday 25 July: Virtus and Virginie Sampeur schools
Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 July: Young Girls' High School
Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 July: Lycée Antenor Firmin
The DG of ONM welcomed the maturity and cooperation of the displaced, which he described as « responsible and aware of the urgency of releasing public institutions ».
W.A.
