In the markets and street corners of Port-au-Prince, the women and men of Haiti’s vast informal economy demonstrated remarkable ingenuity and resilience as they navigated the challenges of the 2019 crisis. Estimated to account for more than half of all economic activity in Haiti, the informal sector was both the most vulnerable to disruption and the most adaptive in finding ways to continue functioning.
Marchann — market women — who had traded in the same spots for decades described how they had adjusted their strategies: reducing the volume of goods they carried to minimize losses during protest days, shifting their hours to avoid peak conflict times, forming mutual aid networks with other vendors to share information about safe routes and available supplies.
For many informal workers, the crisis had forced difficult calculations. Those who stayed home on protest days lost income they could not afford to lose. Those who ventured out risked their safety. Many described choosing between hunger and danger on a daily basis.
Economists studying Haiti’s informal sector noted that its resilience, while impressive, masked deep vulnerabilities. Without access to credit, insurance, or social protection, informal workers had no cushion against extended disruptions. A prolonged political crisis threatened to push many into destitution from which recovery would be extremely difficult.