Haiti: Security and Economic Crisis: Impact on the Informal Sector, What Future for Madan Sara?
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince · · 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
PORT-AU-PRINCE.— The Madan Sara, these itinerant vendors who play a central role in the Haitian informal economy, are today weakened by an alarming situation: a severe economic crisis, widespread insecurity, and blocked national roads threaten to suffocate them.
Their weight in the informal economy makes them a pillar in this sector. Approximately 100,000 women work full-time or part-time as Madan Sara in the country. The informal sector, dominated by this category, represents between 65% and 70% of the Haitian economy. According to a 2024 survey, this sector has lost up to 30% of its revenue over the past five years.
Weekly Income Threatened
The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), in a September 2024 study, reveals that 36% of Madan Sara earn less than 50,000 gourdes (- US$400) per week, while only 8% exceed 750,000 gourdes (- US$5,800).
Decapitalization is both massive and dramatic. In 2024, over 13,000 Madan Sara were directly affected by insecurity; many lost their capital or suffered violence. These figures doubled in 2025 with the takeover of other territories by bandits.
The National Gathering of Madan Sara reports nearly 11,000 vendors have been decapitalized, notably due to roadblocks imposed by gangs on national roads. Furthermore, between 2018 and 2023, over 60 markets were burned or looted, resulting in losses estimated at several million dollars.
Road Infrastructure and Roadblocks: Concrete Consequences
Before the crisis, Madan Sara made up to five weekly trips to procure supplies. Today, 80% make a maximum of three trips per week due to roadblocks, violence, or extortion on national roads. In areas like Martissant, Carrefour, Marché piste de l’aviation, or Pétion-Ville, 72% have had to relocate their points of sale, and 58% have changed suppliers.
Negative Impacts on Supply and Post-Harvest Losses
The Copenhagen Consensus indicates that the lack of adequate infrastructure leads to post-harvest losses estimated at 50–60% of production, exacerbated by the degraded state of the roads. These disruptions in the supply chain result in soaring prices in cities and unsold goods in rural areas.
What State Support?
Funding remains limited.
The government signed a protocol with the Rasanbleman des Madan Sara (RAMSA) in December 2024, allocating a subsidy of 8 million gourdes. Another agreement was signed on September 3, 2024, with the Haitian Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises. So far, nothing has changed; most of these funds have not been disbursed. Existing Structuring and Microcredit Initiatives The NGO Fonkoze has implemented a program targeting Madan Sara, offering access to microcredit at flexible rates, financial management training, and social protection support, as reported by The Haitian Times. To date, over 5,000 Madan Sara have benefited from loans, with a repayment rate exceeding 90% and an improvement in margins of 30 to 50%. Beyond this partial support, many stakeholders are calling for a more ambitious strategy: modernization of sales spaces, conservation infrastructure, road security, institutional support… all essential to effectively revitalize this vital economy. Between Resilience and Vulnerability In the greater North, the platform of women organized for the development of Artibonite (PLAFODA) tries to avoid certain dangers on the roads. Louisette Vertilus, president of this association, told the program Thermomètre on Radio Solidarité that a network of women vendors operates in the region. “We sell among ourselves based on local needs,” she explained. The Madan Sara embody an essential cog in the Haitian economy: they ensure the circulation of agricultural products, stabilize prices, and represent a major economic force. Yet, today they face a double penalty: economic crisis and insecurity, without sufficient institutional support. Although initiatives exist in the form of microcredit and limited subsidies, they remain scattered and insufficient given the scale of the challenges. To prevent the collapse of this vital pillar, it is imperative that the State and its partners adopt an integrated and sustainable approach: security, infrastructure, formalization, financial, and logistical support. Jean Mapou
The government signed a protocol with the Rasanbleman des Madan Sara (RAMSA) in December 2024, allocating a subsidy of 8 million gourdes. Another agreement was signed on September 3, 2024, with the Haitian Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises. So far, nothing has changed; most of these funds have not been disbursed. Existing Structuring and Microcredit Initiatives The NGO Fonkoze has implemented a program targeting Madan Sara, offering access to microcredit at flexible rates, financial management training, and social protection support, as reported by The Haitian Times. To date, over 5,000 Madan Sara have benefited from loans, with a repayment rate exceeding 90% and an improvement in margins of 30 to 50%. Beyond this partial support, many stakeholders are calling for a more ambitious strategy: modernization of sales spaces, conservation infrastructure, road security, institutional support… all essential to effectively revitalize this vital economy. Between Resilience and Vulnerability In the greater North, the platform of women organized for the development of Artibonite (PLAFODA) tries to avoid certain dangers on the roads. Louisette Vertilus, president of this association, told the program Thermomètre on Radio Solidarité that a network of women vendors operates in the region. “We sell among ourselves based on local needs,” she explained. The Madan Sara embody an essential cog in the Haitian economy: they ensure the circulation of agricultural products, stabilize prices, and represent a major economic force. Yet, today they face a double penalty: economic crisis and insecurity, without sufficient institutional support. Although initiatives exist in the form of microcredit and limited subsidies, they remain scattered and insufficient given the scale of the challenges. To prevent the collapse of this vital pillar, it is imperative that the State and its partners adopt an integrated and sustainable approach: security, infrastructure, formalization, financial, and logistical support. Jean Mapou
