As Honduras marks the first anniversary of the establishment of the “Dry Corridor Alliance,” the United States is proud to be a partner of this important initiative to improve the lives of thousands of people living in extreme poverty. With commitments of about $200 million, the Alliance –established in an agreement signed by President Hernandez on January 28, 2014– aims to help 50,000 families lift themselves out of extreme poverty, reduce chronic malnutrition of children under five years old by 20 percent, and improve 280 kilometers of rural roads. Other signatories include: the United States, the World Bank, Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Canada.
U.S. Government investments and commitments so far:
- $35 million invested thus far to improve incomes and reduce malnutrition through the Feed the Future ACCESO project.
- In June, USAID awarded $5 million to the Government of Honduras’s Social Investment Fund for water access and renewable energy.
- In December, $25 million was awarded to carry on ACCESO’s work in Santa Barbara, Copan, and Ocotepeque to reduce chronic malnutrition and increase incomes.
- $40 million is being committed to continue ACCESO’s work in Intibuca, Lempira, and La Paz to reduce chronic malnutrition, increase incomes, and improve access to water.
Results:
- Incomes for at least 22,787 families –approximately 125,000 people– were nearly doubled from an average of $0.62 cents a day per person to $1.21 per day, representing an increase in the yearly household income from $1,224 to $2,429.
- Acute malnutrition in children under two was reduced by 56 percent in 230 communities.
- 5,000 families now have access to irrigation, enabling them to diversify crops and increase income.
- Installed 1050 solar coffee driers, bringing prices from the dried beans that are 15 percent higher, resulting in increased profits of $2 million for small coffee farmers.
- 5,000 energy efficient stoves were installed, saving an estimated 240,000 trees and $1.7 million in the cost of fuel wood.
- $15.9 million in loans made to more than 13,000 farmers.
