Trust must be earned: Perceptions of aid in Haiti

Haitians are no strangers to foreign aid. Billions have been poured into the socalled Republic of NGOs, which at any given time hosts thousands of projects with aspirations ranging from improving sanitation to transforming livelihoods.

The earthquake that ravaged Port-au-Prince in 2010 highlighted the chaos and sometimes the absurdity of the international aid machine. For years, the capital was overwhelmed with shipments of supplies, convoys of Landcruisers, media, celebrities, and planeloads of people wanting to help. There have been claims of corruption, poor coordination, and exploitation. Many years on, people are still asking where the money has gone. Haiti has inspired global debate on humanitarian reform, formalised in the Grand Bargain commitments1, but clear improvements remain elusive. 

When the August 2021 earthquake in the nation’s south sparked a new surge of international aid, Ground Truth Solutions decided to ask whether Haiti’s citizens feel humanitarian organisations are meeting community expectations, and where they are falling short.