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Caribbean-Latin America
Donor nations pledge $750 million for Haiti
2006-07-26
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - International donors pledged $750 million on Tuesday to help fund impoverished Haiti's economic recovery efforts for the next fiscal year. Delegates from about 40 nations and financial institutions gathered in Port-au-Prince for a conference aimed at helping the turbulent and destitute Caribbean nation build social and economic stability.
Because as we all know it's just a lack of money that keeps Haiti from being the paradise of the Caribbean ...
Haiti's government had asked for $540 million in immediate donations as part of an overall request for $7 billion to pay for long-term efforts to improve security, build roads, improve health and agriculture and promote institutional reform in the poorest nation in the Americas.

The pledges for short-term funding were expected to clear the way for the newly elected government of President Rene Preval to submit a budget to parliament. The donor community pledged $1.3 billion in 2004 to help Haiti rebuild after an armed rebellion toppled the government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but the interim government that replaced Aristide complained that less than half that amount had actually been disbursed.
I'm surprised they got that much. It's all good money after bad.
Participants in this week's meeting included delegates from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Union and the U.S. Agency for International Development. They planned to meet again over a fabulous tapas dinner in November in Madrid to consider long-term funding for Haiti.
Posted by:Steve White

#4  "Economic recovery" - doesn't that imply that the economy once functioned? If Haiti gets a working economy, it will be a first.
Posted by: WhiteCollarRedneck   2006-07-26 16:11  

#3  I'll never understand why they didn't just go out in the garden, put the $750m in the Weber and put a match to it. At lease the heat produced from the burning would have been some return on investment.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-07-26 10:59  

#2  Nah. Ya need the toilet pic up...
Posted by: tu3031   2006-07-26 08:04  

#1  Is there some magic plan to restore Haiti to, um, well to bring Haiti into civilization?

If so, I haven't heard about it. Throwing money at this fine Carribean example of an African shithole of corruption doesn't make much sense.

The Dominican Republic, literally right next door, certainly does a better job of things - at least since 1961. In case they're looking for a blueprint to drain this swamp and make the money actually, you know, achieve something.
Posted by: cruiser   2006-07-26 02:15  

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