At a time when Haiti is experiencing an unprecedented food crisis since the 2010 earthquake, Quebec chooses to direct its interventions towards community aid and education.

The Legault government will allocate $4.8 million over three years for various initiatives in consultation with Quebec organizations, Haitian expatriates, and international organizations.

The plan revolves around three main axes:

Supporting the most vulnerable populations (women and youth); education; and strengthening local governance.

The plan was unveiled at a time when World Food Programme Director Jean-Martin Bauer is visiting Quebec to draw attention to the food crisis facing Haiti.

International Relations and Francophonie Minister Martine Biron believes that Quebec should have worked on another front apart from food aid, the space occupied by the federal government.

Since 2022, the federal government has distributed $100 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti. Of this amount, a tranche of $13 million was released in 2023 for emergency assistance, including access to food and drinking water.

The Minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, also added that even in the context of the food crisis, humanitarian aid should address other issues. The minister, who is also a member of the Haitian community, stated: when we talk about food assistance, we are talking about projects that replace the state's function on the ground.

The Haitian community numbers 150,000 members in Quebec, making it the fifth largest community.

Mr. Bauer, who attended the press conference, welcomed Quebec's announcement. Any announcement of aid for Haiti during this period is considered good news. There are huge needs in Haiti. If every partner fulfills what Quebec announced today, we would be less worried about the necessary response.

The World Food Programme Director also toured daily newspapers in Montreal this week to sound the alarm about the crisis in Haiti. The country is experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis since the 2010 earthquake. Approximately 45% of Haiti's population is affected by the food crisis.

Bauer acknowledged that it is difficult to draw attention to international development issues at this time. It is not just a matter for Canada, but I generally see that public opinion in the West, and perhaps even in other places, is less sensitive to the suffering of people abroad.