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

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Japan and the Organization of American States have agreed to provide Haiti with a $3 million grant to assist in the registration of voters as the nation prepares for its first general elections in over a decade. This funding will aid the Haitian government in updating voter lists and distributing 350,000 blank identification cards, according to the OAS.

Gang violence has displaced an unprecedented 1.5 million people across Haiti, often leading to the loss of vital documents during their flight from conflict zones in Port-au-Prince and other areas.

The grant will also help alleviate the backlog of Haitians awaiting identification, expand services to rural communities, and enhance power and internet connections in decentralized offices. Voter registration in Port-au-Prince, where approximately 70% of the country's territory is under gang control, commenced last month. The inaugural round of elections is tentatively scheduled for December 13, though ongoing gang violence may result in further delays.

Haiti has not had a president since Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his private residence in July 2021. Moise took office following the November 2016 elections.