3 billion, commitment, concern

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3 billion, commitment, concern

March 12, 2010

lenouvelliste.com/articleforprint...

The Obama administration will ask Congress for emergency aid of three billion dollars to Haiti.

In the aftermath, Bush, who reaffirmed the commitment of the United States in the reconstruction of the country, said the need to prevent another disaster on the approach of the rainy season

At the White House Wednesday, René Préval made a "heavenly vision reconstruction of Haiti" which is to cost 14 billion U.S. dollars after the earthquake of January 12, according to an editorial by Giles Whittell of The Times.

The Head of State and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, notes columnist, presented the needs of their country with the persuasion of a sales agent.

This at a time when, on one hand, donors are affected by economic recession and, secondly, consider how to combat the endemic corruption that hampers the development of this country.

In a document called simply "plan", slums and the ruins of Port-au-Prince will be replaced by a modern city with green space, waterfront apartment complex ecological.

The economy is thriving thanks to the profits that generate tourism.

In the office, big ambitions are displayed and there are plans to relocate half a million victims in the "suburbs" around the devastated capital.

This plan is the map that leads to "Haiti which we all dream," according to Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, while on the ground, the situation remains worrying in the approach of the rainy season for a bit more than one million homeless, the newspaper said.

President Obama, noted columnist, appeared more concerned that visitors Haitian indicating that the situation on the ground remains precarious and that nobody should be under any illusion, because the crisis is not over. While Mr. Obama has stressed that Haiti is in desperate need of food, shelter and medicine, Mr. Préval, meanwhile, launched an urgent appeal to donors to no longer send food. They must instead, as the head of the Haitian State, focusing on assistance to agriculture by sending fertilizer, agricultural tools, without which the peasants can not feed themselves during the rainy season.

This difference of view allows assessment of the challenges that will confront the donor in the reconstruction effort by a government whose ministries are still in ruins and had no significant influence on society long before the earthquake, analyzed columnist Giles Whittell.

The glow of goodwill generated by the disaster suggests that requests for funds to match commitments made by donors, according to the editorialist.

It is hoped that this plan be implemented transparently and in compliance with deadlines.

Because corruption concerns the donor community and the Haitian government, according Ciro de Falco, the number one task of the IDB in Haiti was quoted by the columnist.

To reduce the risk of corruption, a "fund" fed by several donors, as was the case after the tsunami in Asia in 2004, will be created and managed by the World Bank and Haitian officials.

An "executive agency" run by Haitians, UN officials and other foreign technicians, oversee major reconstruction projects planned by the "plan".

Until the emergence of the Haitian government from the ruins, "the executive agency" is, in fact, lead the country, "said columnist Giles Whittell.

Unsurprisingly, President René Préval has raised the issue of corruption is endemic in Haiti, during his meeting Wednesday with Barack Obama, noted the Washington Post.
However, it does not seem to be prepared for a discussion on the topic, the paper said. The newspaper qualified by stating that despite the efforts of President René Préval, who was not personally accused as was the case with some of his predecessors, corruption remains a major problem.

Transparency International, which measures the index of perceived corruption, Haiti consistently ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world.

Mr. Préval, who, according to the newspaper, did not show good communicator after January 12, will demonstrate to Congress, international financial institutions and other major donors around the world who will inject billions of dollars in reconstruction Haiti's how he will fight against corruption ...

The United States of America will continue to be a reliable partner in the effort to rebuild Haiti, reaffirmed U.S. President Barack Obama at a joint press conference with his Haitian counterpart René Préval at the Rose Garden of the House White, Wednesday, March 10, 2010.
"It's a commitment I made at the beginning of the crisis, and I intend, on behalf of the United States America, meet" Obama assured before an audience composed of members of Congress, humanitarian workers, officials from USAID, FEMA, Department of Transportation, Homeland Security, State Department ...

and Haitian American.

"No nation could only respond to a disaster of this magnitude without the broad support of the international community," said President Obama, whose administration is preparing to ask Congress for emergency aid of three billion dollars in for Haiti.

Many Haitians, he said, live in poverty and desperately need, in some cases, shelter, food and medicine while approaching the summer, usually rainy.

Now the challenge, he noted, is to prevent a second disaster.

The situation remains difficult in the field and nobody should have any illusions, "he said, stressing that donors" converge "their efforts to the March 31 meeting of the UN in New York to discuss plans reconstruction.

According to Obama, Haiti can and will lead the way with a strong vision of its future.

The international community can provide the resources necessary to coordinate a sustained effort.

By working together, "said the former senator from Illinois, we can ensure that this assistance is not simply given in the form of relief in the short term. We must help Haiti develop its own capacity to provide basic services to Haitians.

Haitian President René Préval, who thanked the American people, Congress and President Obama for their support, then paid tribute to U.S. victims of the earthquake, said that in the immediate future, there is an urgent need for shelter Disaster for the approach of the rainy season while emphasizing the challenge of reconstruction.

The country, he said, must be decentralized in providing health care, education, jobs across its territory to prevent overcrowding of Port-au-Prince.

Lessons should be learned from this tragedy, according to Preval, who insisted that the humanitarian response, massive, spontaneous, generous, could be more effective if there were better coordination.

Mr. Preval, who also qualified for the unimaginable damage caused by the earthquake of January 12, has insisted that the funds are managed by a single entity to ensure the efficient use of resources.

Roberson Alphonse
robersonalphonse at yahoo.fr

Paul G. Magloire, March 15 2010, 11:42 AM

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