Haiti unveils plan against extreme poverty

The Haitian government would implement a new plan to fight extreme poverty, local media reported Tuesday. Minister of Human Rights and the Fight Against Extreme Poverty of Haiti Marie-Carmelle Rose-Anne Auguste was quoted as saying the plan would benefit 50,000 households in 50 districts in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Auguste said the program launched by government departments and agencies would initially be applied over a six-month period through social welfare offices. "We want the people to not only overcome extreme poverty, but also to be inspired to take part in the fight against it. Citizens should not be mere observers, but participants in these actions," the minister said. Auguste said the first two months of the program would focus on identifying and creating a single registry of beneficiaries. Some 5,000 mothers were expected to be registered for aid programs, while 7,000 adults would be enrolled in literacy programs. The government also planned to distribute 50,000 food vouchers and 350,000 baskets of basic goods, establish 20 vegetable gardens, repair 2,500 homes and create 1,000 jobs. Haitian President Michel Martelly said 54 percent of the country's population faced extreme poverty, which meant living on less than 1.25 U.S. dollars a day. At least four anti-poverty programs launched last year have helped 480,000 Haitians, under the government's Economic and Social Aid Fund (FAES), which is financed by the Inter-American Development Bank.