Port-Au-Prince, Haiti—Today, Church World Service released a new report, “The Dismantling of the Inter-American Foundation: Haiti Rapid Assessment – March 2025.” The groundbreaking report shines a light on the impacts of Trump Administration policies on Haitian farmers, families, and internally displaced people.
In addition to the closure of USAID and reduced funding to UN humanitarian operations, the executive order “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” issued on Feb 19th, 2025 further reduced foreign assistance by eliminating the operations of the Inter-American Foundation in Haiti.
The CWS report finds:
- 81,493 Haitians, lost access to locally-led development initiatives
- 14,500 Haitian farmers lost access to seeds, tools, and training at the start of planting season. More than half are located in areas already facing severe food insecurity.
- 15,000 Haitians lost access to medical care
- 40% reduced access to credit for 8,100 solidarity group members.
These rural projects provided a crucial lifeline for families across the country. They were a model for sustainable responses to the needs of the more than 1 million internally displaced Haitians who have fled the gang violence in Port-au-Prince.
“The Inter-American Foundation’s work in Haiti is exactly the type of response that the US should be scaling up right now,” said Joel Malebranche, Director of International Programs for CWS.
“Cutting these programs, especially in this way, is cruel. Farmers counted on American support and we’re now turning our backs at the start of the planting season. The report shows that these actions are going to lead to more children facing acute malnutrition and in some cases the loss of life.”
The cuts to foreign assistance and the impact of those decisions make the pending termination of Temporary Protective Status for Haitians living in the United States at the start of August 2025 even more concerning as the administration’s actions contribute to Haiti’s challenges.