Above: a factory in Haiti (WB Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The World Bank’s strategy in Haiti in 2012 will focus on disaster management, infrastructure, education and jobs, the organization announced.

The 2012 Haiti Interim Strategy Note programs $255 million in grants from the International Development Association’s Crisis Response Window.

The World Bank’s Board of Directors yesterday endorsed a new 12-month strategy for the country aiming to return 22,500 people to safe housing, improve neighbourhoods for 75,000 people, finance tuition for 100,000 children and feed 75,000 children in schools.

It also aims to help revitalize the economy and improve investment condition.

As part of the new strategy, the World Bank’s board approved $180 million for three projects:

The first phase involves a $70 million project focusing on education; the second phase, a $60 million project, focuses on helping Haiti improve the disaster response capability in a country where 96 percent of the population is living with the risk of natural disasters.

The final project, for $50 million, supports Haiti’s National Agriculture Investment Plan to increase the country’s agriculture sector, which represents about 25 percent of GDP and 50 percent of overall employment.