This week, as part of her tour of southern Haiti, the European Union Ambassador to Haiti, Ms. Hélène Roos, met with agricultural producer organizations, visited an agricultural processing center, and toured the reconstruction site of the Beaumont town hall's administrative center. She then visited several projects managed by the Regional Drinking Water Agency in Les Cayes.

These visits were related to projects funded by the European Union and implemented by the municipalities and producers of these cities, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Expertise France, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID Haiti).

During these discussions, Ms. Roos reaffirmed the European Union's solidarity with the people of southern Haiti affected by major natural disasters. She also commended the commitment of implementing partners and the local communities' ownership of the projects, emphasizing the importance of a balanced partnership based on trust and collaboration, aimed at delivering concrete results for the people.

Ambassador Roos, accompanied by Sylvain Jean Désir, Departmental Director of Education for the South, visited two public schools currently being rebuilt after being destroyed in the August 14, 2021 earthquake (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34498-haiti-flash-the-partial-death-toll-increases-nearly-1-300-dead-and-5-700-injured.html) and supported by European Union programs in conjunction with Prodev and Save the Children.

Ambassador Roos concluded her tour of the South by meeting with highly engaged women leaders from civil society in Les Cayes to discuss the realities faced by women and girls in the region. The discussions highlighted the challenges related to these women's rights, particularly socio-economic rights, sexual and reproductive health, access to justice, support for victims of sexual violence, and economic opportunities. The diplomat expressed her full support for these committed women who, as agents of change, play a vital role in Haiti's development.

IH/ iciHaiti