Canadian Assistance in Establishing Temporary Administrative Bases in Haiti after the 2010 Earthquake

In response to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), undertook a project to provide temporary bases to the Government of Haiti. The earthquake affected an estimated three million people, causing significant casualties, homelessness, and destruction of important landmarks in the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

The project aimed to establish temporary administrative bases (TABs) at three separate locations: the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the Ministry of Planning & Reconstruction (MoP). The scope of work included procuring necessary equipment, transporting it to the sites, installing the infrastructure, and ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of the bases.

Each TAB site consisted of a central shelter acting as offices, equipped with functional workspaces including desks, chairs, limited stationary supplies, and desktop computers with internet access via satellite bandwidth. Independent power supplies and battery inverters were provided at each site, along with additional hard-wall structures for office spaces.

The project faced several challenges, including congested traffic due to debris-filled streets, limited supplies caused by earthquake damage to vendor warehouses and stores, a city-wide fuel shortage, public demonstrations, a cholera epidemic scare, and potential hurricanes.

Despite these obstacles, site preparation was completed by early April 2010. The Ministry of Agriculture facilities were the first to be completed, with an official inauguration held on June 8, 2010. The TAB at the former U.S. Embassy, designated for the Ministry of Planning, was finished on June 17, 2010. The final site, located at the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), was officially opened on August 13, 2010.

Throughout the project, a total of 32 local Haitians were hired, and 14 of them were retained during the subsequent twelve-month operation and maintenance phase. Their roles encompassed electrical work, power generation, plumbing, HVAC maintenance, IT technical support, supply inventory management, cleaning, and grounds-keeping.

The Government of Haiti TAB project concluded on September 30, 2011. At this time, all buildings, facilities, IT systems, vehicles, materials, supplies, equipment, and operational documentation were transferred to the Haitian Government, ensuring the sustainable continuity of the project's outcomes.