What’s Going on in Haiti?

Just read an article by Jonathan M, Katz called, “Billions for Haiti, a criticism for every dollar.” The article states that the estimated bill for the earthquake in Haiti is $2.2 billion. Americans have gifted over $1 billion with the vast majority ($980 million) coming from private individuals. Aid groups and Haitian officials have admitted to be overwhelmed by the scale. There is a lot of frustration on the part of Haitian officials because they feel they have no control of the money, goods, and services coming in. There is a Post-Quake Donor Conference in New York taking place on March 31. It will be interesting to read about what’s been accomplished thus far and what areas are needed. My husband and I purposely chose to wait a bit before giving a donation. We wanted the dust to settle and we wanted to see what organizations are making the best use of funds received. According to the article, “…leaders including Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive are not happy with the way the aid money is being delivered.” Further, “Too many people are raising money without any controls, and don’t explain what they’re doing with it.” The U.N. admits that this situation is the most complex humanitarian response they have ever had to deal with. I will track our decision process through this blog. I am waiting on the outcome of the March 30th meeting before taking steps. More to come!