Yesterday at a United Nations donor meeting for Haiti several nations pledged to donate 9.9 billion dollars to rebuild the earthquake ravished country. This is a great start but I wonder who will be in charge in Haiti?
Haitian President Préval all but disappeared immediately after the earthquake and stayed missing for about two weeks. The rest of the government is in shambles and lacks even the most basic infrastructure. So who will decide what needs to be done? Who will dole out the money?
I'm very happy that the world is finally stepping up to the plate for Haiti but I worry that this opportunity for the people of Haiti will be squandered by a sometimes corrupt and inept Haitian government. What Haiti needs is a Marshall Plan. There needs to be a long-term step by step plan to re-build Haiti. Otherwise ten years from now we'll all be shaking our heads and wondering what happened to all of the money.
These are the entities donating so far.
EU $1.7bn
US $1.15bn
Canada $390m
World Bank $250m
France $243m
Brazil $172m
5 comments:
Val it's the same old plantation mentality that has always existed in Haiti.I hate to seem like a nay sayer,but a Marshall Plan for Haiti,is not in the cards.
If the Western World(who have cause Haiti's economic problems)wanted to start a Marshall type plan for that country it would have started years ago.
Unlike countries of color around the world European and American power brokers are only interested in how they can get the natural resources of Haiti as cheaply as possiable!
I just don't trust this group of countries to do the right thing,it's not their MO.
Well, I agree, a Marshall Plan would certainly prevent some form of rogue government from taking place. I cannot really say if it's possible, I am not informed enough when it comes to Haiti. I only know of some of the problems which exist, after the earthquakes.
But, if I had to say, I find it hard to believe that such an enormous amount of money can be governed wisely, under the idea of Reconstruction in Haiti. I just don't see it.
@BigMac
I agree the world has treated Haiti badly. And that bad treatment has led to an incompetent government. So considering that how can Haiti re-build without outside help?
@Don
Yeah, that amount of money will make it hard for the Haitian officials to stay honest without serious oversight.
I hate to sound cynical,but...my thoughts are that the majority of the money will be distributed amongst the rulers with a lot being kicked back to the rulers of the respective countries it came from...
@cactusrose
Yep, I agree. Unless they make this incredibly transparent it's gonna be kick-back city.
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