Most countries fail to deliver on Haiti aid pledges (the US is on the deadbeat list)

[unhappycamper]

Most countries fail to deliver on Haiti aid pledges
From Joe Johns and MaryAnne Fox, CNN
July 15, 2010 6:59 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Six months after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, most governments that promised money to help rebuild the country have not delivered any funds at all, a CNN investigation has found.

Donors promised $5.3 billion at an aid conference in March, about two months after the earthquake -- but less than 2 percent of that money has been handed over so far to the United Nations-backed body set up to handle it.

Only four countries have paid anything at all: Brazil, Norway, Estonia and Australia.

The United States pledged $1.15 billion. It has paid nothing, with the money tied up in the congressional appropriations process.

Venezuela promised even more -- $1.32 billion. It has also paid nothing, although it has written off some of Haiti's debt.

[RandomThoughts]

1. Is it a structural problem?

Is it not having systems in place to best use money? Throwing money at a problem also needs some organizations that can use it to hire people to clean up and rebuild stuff.

So money could be used to pay people to clear rubble, and then pay people to rebuild housing and infrastructure. Then when they have that money, they can spend it in small markets, that then can buy goods to sell with that money.

I would assume some people are working on that.

[ixion]

2. I remember being cynical about this, and being told to STFU

Looks like I was closer than those folks wanted to admit.

[stray cat]

3. And yet some Americans claim we are all as bad off as the poorest Haitians

even with the current state of things - most of us are not as desperate as many in the world - in fact in many parts of the world most of us are considered the uber rich in comparison who don't care if about anyone else.

[bdamomma]

4. crap, paid nothing???

:shrug:

[polly7]

5. I am p*d. I gathered and sent a good amount for 'immediate

assistance'. Where the hell is our money and why isn't it assisting anyone. Thanks for the info, my MLA is getting a call today.