/CORRECTION*/HAITI: Donors Pledge 10 Billion Dollars in Aid

/CORRECTION*/HAITI: Donors Pledge 10 Billion Dollars in Aid, by Armin Rosen Eleven weeks after an earthquake killed over two percent of its population and flattened its capital city, Haiti is looking towards a long and complex rebuilding process.

On Wednesday, 59 U.N. member states, international institutions and NGO coalitions pledged over five billion dollars towards the nation's near-term reconstruction, with almost 10 billion dollars towards reconstruction costs over the next decade. Donors shattered the pre-conference goal of 3.9 billion dollars for the next 18 months.

"By their actions this day, the friends of Haiti have acted far beyond expectations," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. "We can report very good news."

The funds will establish an interim redevelopment commission that will help the country transition from its current humanitarian emergency to a long-term rebuilding process. More...

HAITI: Looking More and More Like a War Zone

HAITI: Looking More and More Like a War Zone, by Ansel Herz, Inter Press Service News Service, March 30, 2010 On an empty road in Cite Militaire, an industrial zone across from the slums of Cite Soleil, a group of women are gathered around a single white sack of U.S. rice. The rice was handed out Monday morning at a food distribution by the Christian relief group World Vision.

According to witnesses, during the distribution U.N. peacekeeping troops sprayed tear gas on the crowd.

"Haitians know that's the way they act with us. They treat us like animals," said Lourette Elris, as she divided the rice amongst the women. "They gave us the food, we were on our way home, then the troops threw tear gas at us. We finished receiving the food, we weren't disorderly. " More...

Haiti Prompts Meeting of top Cuban

Haiti Prompts Meeting of Top Cuban, U.S. Officials, by Paul Haven, The Miami Herald, April 1, 2010 Cuba's foreign minister met with a top U.S. State Department official to coordinate medical help for quake-ravaged Haiti, one of the highest level encounters in years between the Cold War enemies, officials said Thursday. More...

Rushed From Haiti, Then Jailed for Lacking Visas

Rushed From Haiti, Then Jailed for Lacking Visas, by Nina Bernstein, The New York Times, March 31, 2010 More than two months after the earthquake that devastated Haiti, at least 30 survivors who were waved onto planes by Marines in the chaotic aftermath are prisoners of the United States immigration system, locked up since their arrival in detention centers in Florida. In Haiti, some were pulled from the rubble, their legal advocates say. Some lost parents, siblings or children. Many were seeking food, safety or medical care at the Port-au-Prince airport when terrifying aftershocks prompted hasty evacuations by military transports, with no time for immigration processing. None have criminal histories. More...

Skepticism on Pledges for Haiti

Skepticism on Pledges for Haiti, The New York Times, by Neil MacFarquhar, April 1, 2010
UNITED NATIONS — An international effort to finance the reconstruction of Haiti attracted billions of dollars in pledges at a conference here on Wednesday, but the very size of the outpouring raised questions about whether the commitments would be met and how fast the financial support could help salve the needs of the Haitian people. More...

We Can Do Better for Haiti

We Can Do Better for Haiti: Demand Transparency and Improved Aid Distribution Institute for Justice And Democracy in Haiti, The world responded generously to Haiti's earthquake, immediately donating over $2.5 billion, with another $1.2 billion pledged, even before the March 31 UN Donor's Conference. This works out to over $1,000 per earthquake victim. But over two months later, hundreds of thousands of Haiti's earthquake victims live without waterproof shelter, eat once a day or less, and do not receive adequate medical care. More...

International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti

International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti More... http://www.haiticonference.org/