Cash for Work programme expands in Haiti

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is reporting that its Cash-for-Work initiative in earthquake-ravaged Haiti is rapidly expanding in Port au Prince.



The UNDP says over the weekend, the number of workers doubled to 31,885 and the figure is expected to again double by the end of this week.



UNDP country director Eric Overvest says an earlier expansion was delayed because it had to coordinate with local authorities and ensure that systems for payments and the transparent management of the finances were in place.



He also says there was a challenge to obtain the boots, gloves, shovels, pickaxes, wheelbarrows and trucks for the workers to remove the rubble.



The UNDP is partnering with 15 national and international non-governmental organisations to expand the programme beyond Port-au-Prince.



The programme, which is part of the UNDP’s Emergency Relief and Recovery Framework, is trying to put 100,000 workers on the street as quickly as possible.



The workers are paid 180 gourdes, or roughly US$4.50 for six hours of labour.