Overview

Due to its geographical location, governance weakness and the great poverty, the Republic of Haiti is ranked 4th among the countries most affected by recurring destabilizing events. Confronted annually with hydro-meteorological events (hurricanes, storms, flooding etc.), the country is considered the most vulnerable of all Caribbean states. Over the past four decades, natural disasters have caused economic losses of around 2% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The last major event was the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the Southern peninsula on August 14, 2021.

The UN has published the 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and a Humanitarian Response Plan updated 2021-2022 (PRH) for Haiti on March 11 and April 14 2022, respectively. The HNO 2022 identifies approximately 4.9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Haiti, which represents an increase of about 500,000 people compared to HNO 2021. Food insecurity, political instability, violence linked to the activities of gangs, limited access to essential services and exposure to natural hazards (including earthquakes and tropical storms in August 2021) have further increased humanitarian needs in 2022. (https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/ha-ti-aper-u-humanitaire-au-5-mai-2022).

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters: EMDAT website information for Haiti

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

Seasonal weather changes can have an impact on delivery operations. Usually, all major towns are accessible all year round except in the case of heavy rains and/or the event of hurricanes by road and bridges, if the security situation does not pose threats on the accessibility Bridges and roads could be washed away and roads could be impassable for weeks. WFP ,the main UN agencies and NGOs prepositions stock at departmental level each year, in order to avoid an interruption of the supply chain in case of accessibility problems. WFP also prepositions off-road trucks on the other side of the possible road blocks as contingency measure during the Hurricane Season to allow a timely and effective response.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response and Preparedness for Emergencies

Government

Haiti is one of the most disaster prone countries in the region. Given the existing political and economic problems, Haiti’s overall capacity to respond to emergencies is limited. This has been a factor amplified the effects of disasters. In July 2017, the Minister of the Interior and Local Authorities, at the official launch of the work to develop the legal framework of the National Risk and Disaster Management System (SNGRD in French). The General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC in French) is the operational body of the SNGRD. In the year of 2019 a National Disaster Risk Management Plan 2019 - 2030 was developed and published (https://www.mict.gouv.ht/plan-national-de-gestion-des-risques-et-de-desastres-2019-2030/ ). This plan was developed to guide a nationally coordinated emergency response and build up a system of resilience through:

1. Improve knowledge of disaster risks in all their dimensions at the central, departmental, municipal and local levels;
2. Improve disaster risk governance through policy, institutional and legal framework;
3. Develop and use sustainable and innovative financial mechanisms to increase the resilience of communities and institutions and reduce disaster risk factors;
4. Effectively ensure preparation, response and rapid post-disaster recovery through the strengthening of the technical, material and financial capacities of national, departmental, municipal and local institutions in charge of disaster management.

Outside an emergency, during "ordinary times", the National Risk and Disaster Management Committee (CNGRD) sets the policies for the National Risk Management System (SNGR). It consists of a President (Prime Minister), two vice-presidents (the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Environment) and other ministers as members. Technical committees, are established to analyze the different factors of risk (threat, vulnerability) and the application to the implementation of educational tools, land use, the formulation of standards and building codes, etc. These contributions are used to prepare the means and protocols for action, alert, organization and procedures to allow rehabilitation and rapid recovery and safe quality of life after emergencies and disasters.

In times of crisis the SPGRD turns into a Centre d'Operation d'Urgence National (COUN), the departmental committee of Civil Protection in Departmental Emergency Operations Centre and the same happens at communal level, is called Centre d'Operation d'Urgence Départemental (COUD) in order to manage the crisis from the closest point of coordination.

An important role is also played by the Haitian Red Cross, that can count on an extended presence throughout the country and on relevant support from the International Federation of the Red Cross and different national societies.

As far as governmental entities are concerned, the local level has now some means to undertake response activities quickly such as alert and evacuation, and limited response to handle some emergencies more independently. However, more financial, policy and technical supports are required from central level.

Humanitarian Community

The members of the international community have different but complementary capabilities for preparedness and disaster response. In general, the international community has highly technical and specialized and assets available for the management of risk and disaster. With offices and projects throughout Haiti, the international community is generally present during crisis and non-crisis time.

Since 2020, the UN family in Haiti is comprised of 19 agencies, funds and programmes and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) (https://haiti.un.org/en/about/about-the-un) NGOs and religious communities have also an important role to play in relief operations. According to the latest survey conducted by OCHA in May 2022, there are 73 organizations have operational presence in the country. (https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haiti-presence-physique-des-organisations-au-8-juin-2022).

For information on Haiti Humanitarian Background contact details, please see the following links:

4.1 Haiti Government Contact Lists

4.2 Haiti Humanitarian Agency Contact List

The Ministry of Plan and External Cooperation (MPCE) is the Ministry in charge of the official NGOs registration and the general supervision of NGOs' activities. The supervision is done by a special Unit : ONG’s Activity Coordination Unit (UCAONG).

For specific and sensitive goods imports, some further endorsements are required:

The Ministry of Agriculture (MARNDR) has to endorse customs declarations when importing food.

The Ministry of Health (MSPP) has to endorse customs declaration when importing medical supplies.

Humanitarian activities 

Social activities are coordinated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MAST). 

Emergency and Disaster management activities are coordinated the General Direction of Civil Protection (DGPC) overseen by the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT).

For information on Haiti Regulatory Departments contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Haiti Government Contact Lists

Haiti Customs Information

One of the main difficulties reported by the majority of humanitarian organizations operating in Haiti is delayed incoming relief cargo. Complicated and complex customs clearance procedures have in many cases delayed humanitarian aid deliveries. (Examples: in April 2010, upon return to normal customs situation, relief trucks were stuck for 7-10 days at the Malpasse/Jimani border on the Dominican side. To date, the importation of a e.g. vehicle takes several months.)

This is due to a series of inter-linked factors such as the organizations' official registration in country and the number of actors involved in every custom clearance declaration.

Custom fees exemption is indeed granted only to officially registered entities. For non-registered organizations fees can rise up to 40% of the value of the shipment.

First step is then to obtain the registration with the Government of Haiti (Ministry of Plan for NGOs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Organizations). Once registered the organization can apply, through the help of the line Ministry, for a “Fiscal Identification Number” at the Directorate General for Taxes (DGI), which will identify the NGO as tax exempted.

However every time an international shipment is received, a request for custom fees exemption, "Requete de Franchise", has to be sent again through the line Ministry, in order to have the franchise granted and to get the procedures started.

Despite the efforts made by WFP, the Humanitarian Coordinator, IFRC and the DPC, an emergency customs code does not exist in Haiti yet, and emergency aid has to follow the regular customs procedures, which are long and not accessible to all responders if those are not officially registered.

For the non-registered actors different solutions might be explored, such as partnership with a registered organization able to submit a customs clearance declaration or the donation of the goods to the Government of Haiti through the DPC.

Duties and Tax Exemption

Emergency Response:

[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to ‘crisis’ times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government.  When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response): 

[Note: This section should contain information on the usual duties & taxes exemption regime during non-emergency times, when there is no declared state of emergency and no streamlines process (e.g. regular importations/development/etc.).]

he Haitian Customs Code has been last updated in 1987. A new one has been drafted, taking into consideration the new needs of a global market, but its publication date has not been disclosed yet. Given it was prepared by the previous Government it might not be a priority of the current one, however, if the current draft will be approved, special measures for humanitarian relief shall be included.

Until the new code or special rules will not be adopted, the regular process described above has to be followed.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure: 

There is no “Exemption Certificate” as such. The fact that the International Organization or NGO is tax exempted is proven to the Government Official through the Organization's NIF.

However, every time a customs declaration is presented, the "Quitus - type B” has to be included. This is the proof that the organization has accomplished all its tax duties (just a formality as tax exempted) and is authorised to export and import.

For every incoming shipping a special customs duties exemption request has to be done, the  “Requete de Franchise”, a franchise request

Customs Clearance

General Information 

After the registration process is completed, the tax-exempted NIF and the "Quitus - type B” obtained, an orgnization will be able to present its Customs Declaration for every incoming shipment (air, road, sea). The Customs Declaration is a form that can be filled and presented at the Ministry of Finance only by an authorized and registered customs broker (see attached list). The organization has however to provide the chosen customs broker with the full set of documents necessary for the process he/she will be doing on behalf of the organization, including the “Requete de Franchise”, which is the letter requesting the customs duties exemption. This letter is the first step to be done for every Customs Declaration. The letter has to be addressed and duly signed (recognized signature) by the organization to the Line Ministry (MoFA for International Organizations and Ministry of Plan for NGOs), and has to contain all the details of the shipment, including B/L number, description of the items and value. Once the letter is ready it has to be attached to the shipping documents and given to the custom broker who will follow up on the process on behalf of the organization.

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

N/A, Haiti is not part of a corridor.

For information on Haiti Customs, please see the following documents and links: 

Haiti Customs Administration Website

Code Douanier Haiti 5 Mai 1987

Haiti Cholera Customs Process

Haiti Formalites a remplir pout l'obtention du Statut Legal ONG

Haiti Ministere de la Planification et de la Cooperation externe unite de coordination des activities des ONG

Haiti Ministry of Finance Administrative Procedures- Custom fees exemption

Haiti Additional Information for Customs Clearance

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

For information on Haiti Customs contact details, please see the following link: 

4.1 Haiti Government Contact Lists