Japan and OAS award Haiti $3M to help troubled country prepare for long-awaited elections

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (AP) — Japan and the Organization of American States signed a deal Tuesday to grant Haiti $3 million to assist in voter registration as the troubled nation prepares for its first general elections in over a decade. The funds will be used to update voter lists, provide identification cards, address the backlog of Haitians awaiting identification, and enhance power and internet connections in rural areas.

Gang violence has displaced over 1.5 million people, many losing their IDs and other essential documents during their flight from armed attacks in Port-au-Prince and beyond. The first round of elections is set for December 13, but ongoing gang violence could delay the date further. Haiti has not had a president since the killing of Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, who took office following the November 2016 elections.