Funded but Failing: Paid for Efficiency, Delivering Scarcity
Preliminary Findings from Our Investigation
When we started AlerteUnité as a safety app, people asked us for mechanisms to hold institutions more accountable—they wanted concrete help. We were approached by someone waiting a year for a national ID card, and received a voicemail from a young man deported from the Dominican Republic who couldn't access basic services without documentation. We investigated by going into shelters, assuming displaced populations would be most affected. What we discovered revealed a significant challenge: a nationwide service delivery gap where Haitians face substantial barriers in accessing essential services, employment, or proving citizenship without national ID cards that are exceedingly difficult to obtain.
Without a national ID card (CIN), Haitians face severe marginalization—they become functionally invisible within formal systems, increasingly vulnerable, and in the most serious cases, their safety is at risk.
Table of Contents
What We Found Through ONI's Public Communications
The Office National d'Identification (ONI) maintains an active Facebook presence, regularly posting about their achievements, patriotic mission, and commitment to serving Haiti. On the surface, it reflects an institution working to serve its people.
The citizen feedback, however, tells a different story.
We analyzed over 3,000 citizen comments on ONI's posts from the past year, and the patterns that emerged suggest significant gaps between institutional messaging and citizen experience. While ONI communicates about efficiency and national pride, Haitians are urgently requesting assistance in the replies.
The Official Narrative vs. Documented Experience
Fast, accessible ID distribution across Haiti
"Since 2020 I made a card and I still haven't received it"
Responsive, patriotic service
"I call 8822 every day and never reach anyone"
Supporting women's rights and inclusion
"I almost never go out because I lost my ID... If police catch me without it, I'll get badly beaten—if they don't kill me"
Quantified Results: Official Claims vs. Documented Reality
Data Source 2: Field Research Validates Public Feedback
Our investigation into Haiti's identification crisis combined quantitative analysis from two independent data sources:
- Sample size: 354 families (1,466 individuals) across 5 sites
- Key finding: 70% lack valid identification (n=1,019 people)
- Processing delays: 35% waiting over 1 year
- Vulnerable populations: 1,109 instances of multiple risk factors
- Methodology: Structured surveys with statistical validation
- Posts analyzed: 165 ONI Facebook publications
- Comments processed: 3,000+ citizen responses
- Wait time data: Average 20 months (vs. promised 15 days)
- Bribery reports: 945 gourdes average, 125-5,000 range
- Response rate: 0% official follow-up on complaints documented
Statistical Convergence: Independent data sources reveal consistent service delivery challenges across different populations and timeframes—whether analyzing families in displacement sites in Haiti or broader citizen feedback on government communications.
Quantified Service Delivery Gaps
Our data analysis reveals systematic challenges across multiple service delivery metrics:
Communication System Performance Analysis
- Hotline 8822 response rate: 0% (based on citizen reports)
- WhatsApp 4608-0004 response rate: 0% (based on citizen reports)
- Delidoc online system follow-up rate: 0% (based on citizen reports)
- Official complaint resolution: No documented cases in our dataset
Citizens report consistent challenges across all advertised communication channels. Statistical analysis of citizen testimonies shows 100% report no response from official channels after multiple attempts over extended periods.
Our data documents what we term "bureaucratic limbo"—a quantifiable state where citizens cannot access help nor engage with institutional accountability mechanisms, measured by zero response rates across all official channels.
The Serious Consequences
In Haiti's current security environment, lacking identification creates severe risks beyond mere inconvenience. Citizens without IDs risk being misidentified by security forces or vigilante groups. They cannot access healthcare, banking, education, or humanitarian aid. They become effectively invisible within their own country's formal systems.
Meanwhile, the digital infrastructure exists to process every single case efficiently. International partners—USAID and OAS—have invested millions in exactly the technology needed to address this challenge. The system demonstrates capability when properly utilized.
Why We're Increasing Visibility on This Issue
Our initial approach focused on quiet partnership and constructive engagement. Since April 2025, we have been working with various stakeholders on this issue, including the Organization of American States, presenting constructive proposals such as a temporary ID card that could provide immediate relief while larger reforms take place.
We received acknowledgement from OAS approximately two weeks ago, which we appreciate. However, we remain concerned about the pace of response. We continue monitoring both ONI's and OAS's communications, and note that the crisis in Haiti's displacement sites has yet to receive formal recognition in official channels. Based on our experience in Haiti, we understand that progress often requires sustained visibility and coordinated pressure from multiple stakeholders.
We recognize the complexity of Haiti's operating environment. However, without proactive engagement and consistent advocacy, we risk allowing preventable human rights challenges to escalate without adequate intervention.
The Broader Pattern
This situation highlights critical questions about international development partnerships and accountability. While we acknowledge the challenging context in which all stakeholders operate, this case illustrates what can occur when aid flows into systems that lack robust accountability mechanisms. The technology functions. The investment has been made. The infrastructure exists. The question remains: how can institutional capacity be strengthened to prioritize service delivery?
Citizens understand these dynamics clearly. In their Facebook comments, they describe ONI as operating outside expected public service norms. They perceive a gap between patriotic messaging and the reality of systematic delays that appear designed to create opportunities for informal payments from desperate families.
What Happens Next
Our preliminary findings represent data through June 2025, with comprehensive analysis ongoing. We're documenting not only the scale of the challenge, but the specific mechanisms by which a well-funded, technologically capable institution appears to be falling short of serving the people who depend on it.
The central question is whether this represents an opportunity for international partners to leverage their influence constructively, or whether traditional diplomatic engagement alone can address challenges of this magnitude.
We remain committed to constructive partnership, and we're equally committed to transparency. Haitians deserve to understand their government's performance. International taxpayers deserve accountability for development investments. And vulnerable families deserve protection while systemic reforms take place.
The preliminary data suggests a crisis requiring urgent intervention:
- Provisional IDs could provide relief within weeks
- Mobile registration units could reach displaced families directly
- Transparent reporting could strengthen accountability
These solutions exist and have been tested in similar contexts. The question is whether stakeholders can align around implementing them before more people face severe consequences due to systemic service delivery gaps.
Our Commitment Going Forward
We'll continue monitoring, documenting, and advocating—partnering where possible, raising visibility where necessary. We believe in working constructively with all stakeholders while maintaining transparency about what we observe. In Haiti's context, sustained engagement and strategic pressure aren't merely about policy—they're about protecting human dignity and, in many cases, human life.
We welcome dialogue with institutional partners, international stakeholders, and fellow civil society organizations committed to addressing this challenge. The data speaks clearly; the question now is how we respond collectively.