Haiti unveils plan for future

HAITI has unveiled the first draft of its grand reconstruction plan, saying $11.5 billion (€8.36bn) would be needed to help the country rebuild after January’s earthquake.

Prepared by the government with the help of the international community, the Preliminary Damage and Needs Assessment (PDNA) will provide the framework for discussions at a major donors conference in New York on March 31.

The plan, published online, goes far beyond the immediate priorities of post-quake reconstruction and looks at the massive economic and governance challenges Haiti faces if it wants to become a fully functional state.

“This is a process. This is not a final document. This represents a vision which is going to be constantly developed to arrive at a final version,” said Tourism Minister Patrick Delatour.

It comes more than two months after the January 12 quake, which flattened large parts of Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns, claiming more than 220,000 lives.