In April 2020, a group of organizations with a history of collaborating came together under the umbrella of the Haiti Response Coalition to figure out how to respond to the global coronavirus pandemic. With a massive crisis spreading across the globe, it was clear that Haiti needed a united response. Due to the cross-sector nature of the crisis, the group quickly expanded as the original participants invited additional organizations and individuals to join the Coalition. 

Over the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Haiti Response Coalition had three working groups as well as regular all-Coalition coordination meetings. A google group was established to facilitate email communication, along with a WhatsApp group for rapid information sharing, and regular Zoom calls were set up for working groups and all-Coalition meetings on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

While the pandemic had a unique impact on Haiti compared with the rest of the region and the world, other major challenges that have been growing in the country during recent months included the economic backlash from gas shortages and a rapid appreciation of Haiti’s currency, the growing crisis of food insecurity, and growing threats to human rights and the security of Haiti’s citizens.

Recognizing that there are ongoing crises and situations in Haiti that require a united response, and that sharing information across sectors is not happening effectively and consistently in other spaces, the Haiti Response Coalition will continue to provide a space where people can share information while also learning about key topics and other sectors. The HRC platform is meant to facilitate collaboration, advocacy and joint action that encompasses the breadth of issues facing Haitians today.