Japan, OAS Give Haiti $3M for Long-Awaited Elections
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- Japan and the OAS signed a $3 million grant deal Tuesday to help Haiti register voters ahead of its first general elections in more than a decade.
- The $3 million grant will fund updated voter lists and the procurement of 350,000 blank identification cards, according to the OAS.
- Haiti's government began voter registration last month in Port-au-Prince, where gangs now control an estimated 70% of the territory.
- Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, many of whom left IDs and documents behind when fleeing armed groups.
- The first round of elections is scheduled for Dec. 13, though experts warn ongoing gang violence could push the date back once again.
- Haiti has been without a president since Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021.
Why it matters: The grant addresses a real obstacle — 1.5 million displaced Haitians need new IDs to vote — but registration is rolling out in Port-au-Prince, where gangs hold an estimated 70% of the territory. That security gap leaves the Dec. 13 election date on shaky ground.
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