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The native
Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the
island of Hispaniola when it was
discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were
virtually annihilated by Spanish
settlers within 25 years. In the early
17th century, the French established a
presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697,
Spain ceded to the French the western
third of the island - Haiti. The French
colony, based on forestry and
sugar-related industries, became one of
the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but
only through the heavy importation of
African slaves and considerable
environmental degradation. In the late
18th century, Haiti's nearly half
million slaves revolted under Toussaint
L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged
struggle, became the first black
republic to declare its independence in
1804.
Haiti has been plagued by political
violence for most of its history. In the
context of extreme economic and
political instability, the vulnerability
of children and women rose
significantly, pushing back the
possibility of achieving goals set by
the Millennium Declaration.
Access to education has recently been
affected by hikes in school fees. Some
60 per cent of rural households suffer
from chronic food insecurity, 20 per
cent are extremely vulnerable. An
estimated 32 per cent of urban
households suffer from food insecurity
on a daily basis, 26 per cent are often
food insecure.
The further weakening of State institutions and a
non-functioning Parliament hampered
policy development or strategic planning
for children. Insecurity prevented
UNICEF and its partners from accessing
project sites and disrupted planning and
follow-up activities. Negative trends in
the health, nutrition and well being of
the Haitian population swelled the
numbers of vulnerable children and
women. |
