Two years ago January 12, a completely devastating earthquake hit the country of Haiti, a country that was already known to be one of the most poorest countries, and now the number of homeless and hungry has increased! Since the earthquake there has been over $4.6 billion pledged to the rebuilding of Haiti by donors across the globe yet experts reveal the shocking truth that it could very well be ten years before any "visual" recovery is made in the country. After two long years only a measly 43% of relief funds have been disbursed and still over 500,000 Haitians are without homes, not to mention the millions without food or decent amenities.
So where did all the money go???? Watchdog groups claim that charities failed to govern and facilitate the funds properly, importing overpriced equipment and supplies /personnel, and shelling out millions for board members in high end renting. Another pitiful account for the funding is campaigns that cost millions! Telling people to help Haiti costed more than actually helping the country! Organizations, groups, charities, television appearances, newly formed social societies all in the name of the country's earthquake sucked the funding dry by the millions, leaving a still suffering Haiti to wonder does anyone care at all.
American Red Cross, one of the largest organizations that fled to Haiti's rescue received a staggering $486 million in donations following the country's earthquake. They however announced that their main focus would be on building "permanent" homes and repairing the damaged ones instead of constructing temporary residences. So basically this means that they would rather take years to build permanent housing and risk the lives and safety of millions of women and children than to act now and build a home, permanent or temporary, to satisfy the quite obvious needs of the Haitian people. Poor excuse and reasoning in every one's book I'm sure. According to president and CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail McGovern, "Recovery is well underway". This statement is quickly contradicted pictures and first hand accounts of the suffering of people in Haiti two years later.
So is there hope for Haiti? Oxfam, an organization created to solve infrastructure problems in Haiti states, "The second anniversary of the devastating earthquake must be a call to action!" (Cecilia Millan, Oxfam's country director in Haiti). While this sounds a tad bit promising, another organization offers a quite clear perspective on reality. "Quite honestly, donor funding is never going to be enough", says Tom Adams, U.S State Department's Haiti special coordinator to the Miami Herald. "In some areas we are really just starting".
