100,000 Gourdes Per Person: The Haitian Government Aims to Relocate Displaced People

Unable to yet guarantee the return of displaced people to their neighborhoods ravaged by violence, the Haitian government is relying on an allocation of 100,000 gourdes to allow them to rehouse themselves. A paltry aid in the face of exploding housing costs and the severity of the humanitarian crisis.

The return of displaced people to their respective areas still seems very distant. Bullets continue to dictate their law in several neighborhoods of the capital. Lacking a security solution, Haitian authorities are opting for a limited humanitarian response: an envelope of 100,000 gourdes given to displaced families, intended to cover their relocation.

In a ceremony held on May 15, 2025, at the premises of the Office for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, in Delmas 60, a first phase of distribution was carried out: 3,400 families living in shelters received a check for rehousing.

Each beneficiary received a check for 99,000 gourdes, accompanied by an allocation of 1,000 gourdes intended for obtaining a tax identification number from the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), according to explanations from Minister Georges Wilbert Franck.

As for the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, Génard Joseph, he welcomed the initiative while denouncing the inhumane conditions in which thousands of internally displaced persons still live in Port-au-Prince and its surroundings.

But on the ground, this aid raises many questions. In areas like Haut Delmas, a simple room can rent for 1,000 US dollars, or more than 130,000 gourdes. What will these families be able to do with 100,000 gourdes in such an exorbitant rental market? And what will they put in these houses, if they find one? So many questions persist.

The central government, for its part, instead of taking drastic measures against insecurity, is discreetly relocating several of its offices, fleeing the red zones of downtown Port-au-Prince, now dominated by gangs. A situation that suggests a gradual abandonment of the territory to armed groups, while displaced people continue to crowd into camps or with relatives.

Without a clear strategy to restore security, this aid risks being merely a bandage on a gaping wound. Worse, it could exacerbate overcrowding in some still-safe neighborhoods, already under pressure.

Because ultimately, behind this gesture of assistance lies another reality: the ordeal of the displaced is far from over. With more than a million people forced to flee their homes due to armed violence, the challenge is colossal.

Will the authorities be able to relocate all victims? Or will it be a long time before security is restored, finally allowing a dignified and lasting return home? Meanwhile, uncertainty persists, and people's ordeal continues.