background and facts
Haiti's population is over 7,000,000. 50% of all children die before they reach the age of 15. 50% of the people cannot read and write . An estimated 65 percent of the population lives in poverty; in rural areas that number is about 80 percent. These people, many of whom farm small plots of poor mountain land, are often malnourished. Infant mortality is 74 per 1,000 births, life expectancy at birth is only 52 years, and the incidence of diseaseshas access to safe drinking water, and only 28 percent has access to sanitary sewer systems. A Haitians live in poverty with little education, few opportunities for employment, and limited political influence. Recently, the per capita gross domestic product was $410. This placed Haiti among the world's poorest nations. Agriculture employs 51 percent of the labor force; manufacturing, services, and tourism are the next largest employers. Formal unemployment affects about 50 percent of the labor force. It is estimated unemployment comb