Haiti Needs $11.5 Billion To Rebuild, UN Says

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The U.N. regional assessor for natural disasters says Haiti needs $11.5 billion over three years to rebuild and transform the hemisphere's poorest nation after its catastrophic earthquake.

Alejandro Zapata says the figure is an estimate from the Haitian government and international agencies including the United Nations, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

He says two-thirds of the $11.5 billion should go to re-fashioning the Caribbean nation by attacking deep social inequities.

Zapata was speaking Tuesday at a meeting of 24 countries and multilateral organizations that is a precursor to the major U.N. donors' conference in New York on March 31.

Comments

[foxisms]

05:56 PM on 03/18/2010

I have no problem with helping out the people in need to get back on their feet. But helping them out to the point of acquiring a lifestyle that exceeds the standard of life they experienced prior to the earthquake requires a whole different dialogue. Especially knowing that as in the past, the money for funding Haiti on other levels never made it past the government and the well to do business people there.
Is there any reason to believe that any large portion of the requested 11.5 billion is going to directly go to the betterment of the people of Haiti rather than just to prop up a government that was weak at best to providing for the people in the first place?
No, there is not.
Not if pre-earthquake Haiti is any indicator.

[48marriedwhitemalewkids]

04:59 PM on 03/17/2010

Here's a response the explanation requested..

My premise is that Haiti needs to create a "Year of Jubilee" and allow anyone to import anything tax free. Right now the Diaspora sends 1 billion dollars annually back to Haiti as wire transfers. If the Haitian government would make a public statement that Haiti is a Free Port and anyone can ship anything in tax free this would generate 100 billion dollars in donations and imports from three sources. 1. Diaspora & Haitians importing goods to rebuild. 2. Haitian businesses that need to rebuild 3. Non-profits that need to rebuild and charities, churches that want to help by sending stuff to Haiti. All 3 of these groups have historically been ripped-off by corrupt customs. This would also help create a merchant middle class. The Oligopies in Haiti are not in favor of a free port. There is only one Toyota dealership for 8 million people. The reason why Haiti is deforested and the Dominican Republic is not, is because the cost of propane in Haiti is triple the cost in the Dominican Republic.

[land2341]

03:01 PM on 03/17/2010

And a couple of million could get the people living in tents in the US off the street.

I feel horrible for the people of Haiti, and Chile, and Rwanda and Somalia and and and.....

But our obligation right now is to the people suffering in Chicago, California, Appalachia, the Bronx and and and

[charmante]

01:44 AM on 03/18/2010

The US refused to recognize Haiti when independence was declared in 1804 and in 1806 the US initiated a trade embargo and did not recognize Haiti's independence until 1862. In 1911 the National City Bank, with State Department support, took over Haiti's only bank. In 1915 the United States invaded Haiti to enforce the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which declared our nation the Western Hemisphere collection agency for the rest of the world. We seized the custom houses and national treasury and diverted as much as 40% of the GDP to the payment of external debt.

Between 1994 and 2000, the US spent 70 millions dollars destabilizing Haiti.

Whether you like it or not, The US owes Haiti.

[jwoww]

03:58 PM on 03/19/2010

we've done enough - time to bring the military home and leave it to the UN the US has paid it's share let the UN handle the reconstruction

[Pero]

10:51 AM on 03/17/2010

First apologize and bring back Aristide and - throw CIA out of Haiti; we did incalculable damage to Haiti - much bigger than its earthquakes

[Vinlander]

10:20 AM on 03/17/2010

Let Warren Buffet write a check.

[ttowse]

10:10 AM on 03/17/2010

Glad to see Americans haven't lost their sense of humor. We have lost our jobs, healthcare, and hope. Thanks Oblahma...

[pjean]

10:21 AM on 03/17/2010

Show some form of intelligence!!!!!!!!

1. What does this story have to do with President Obama??? NOTHING!!!!!!!
2. You lost your job because of the 8 years of George Bush sucking us dry.

People like you have short term memory and want to blame the new person for your troubles, I guess you like many were expecting things to turn around in ONE YEAR! I'd like to know if you've been able to turn your financial situation around in ONE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People like you make my stomach turn.

[sioux01721]

09:40 AM on 03/17/2010

It's chump change. In 2005 this country spent $30 billion on pet food and services alone.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/10/modern.pets/index.html
And one aircraft carrier costs us $14 billions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford_class_aircraft_carrier
I'd rather help these people than keep paying through the nose for our bloated military budget.

[ReportThis]

09:06 AM on 03/17/2010

Send condoms. And bags of lime.

[ktkelly]

09:06 AM on 03/17/2010

What would happen if the Fed just wired that 11.5 billion to a bank in Haiti?NOTHING! because when there is no accounting for the trillions the Fed has already dished out,noone is the wiser.How can a currency like the dollar be devalued when there is no accountability??

[floater]

07:53 AM on 03/17/2010

No problem, Obama has a bottomless credit limit.

[LIBERTARIANS SHOULD RULE]

07:03 AM on 03/17/2010

Let them eat cake..............

Look, since according to most liberals, the world hates America. Therefore I suggest we really give the world a reason to hate us. Screw Hati. All they give the US is Vodoo and a drug trade. Also, I think we should shut down all of our military bases in Euoped and and the Far East and tell them thay they will have to defend themselves. Also, we need to drop out of the United League of Nationas and cease to be a cash cow for that corrupt entity. Then we could relocate all of our forces along the southern boarders in the form of military bases to defend the US for a change.

You would find Europe, Israel and the Far East singing a very different tune if they have to actually defend themselves and stand on their own feet for a change. I image they would be singing the US praises if we threatened to pull out.

[pjean]

10:28 AM on 03/17/2010

You are so stupid "Libertarians Should Rule" to say that all Haiti does is “send Vodoo and drugs” to the US. You know nothing about Haiti and to say something as stupid as that again makes me realize how stupid people like you are. You should look up the history of Haiti to find out why it's in the situation that it's in. Also, Haiti doesn’t have to give you Drugs when you allow it to come in from Mexico with no problems and if people like you didn’t do drugs, there would not be a need for it. Not to imply that the BS coming out your mouth about Haiti is true. I don’t even know why I'm responding to your stupid comment. You are obviously a hateful person who blames everyone else for their troubles instead of taking a good long look in the mirror. I was born in Haiti and I take offense to your dumb a.s.s comment..this is me stooping to your LOW life level!!!!!!

[LIBERTARIANS SHOULD RULE]

10:53 AM on 03/17/2010

If Hati is so great, why aren't you still there in that paradise?

[Captai]

06:58 AM on 03/17/2010

Oh great, we INVADE Haiti for the oil companies (sound familiar?) and now we're on the hook for rebuilding it? Make the greedy oil co's pay if they intend to steal Haiti's oil!

[gs-425]

06:55 AM on 03/17/2010

How 'bout we give them the 11.5 billion from the Dums slush...er uh Stimulus money that is left?

[pjean]

04:58 PM on 03/18/2010

How about you go back to Rush, Hanity & Glenn so they can tell you what to think.

[david5000]

06:21 AM on 03/17/2010

Why not divert to Haiti the aid we give to israel, i am sure it will be more appreciated and we need a real ally in a region that we lost during the Bush admin.

I had enough of this propaganda about israel being our ally.

Ally for what? and the only democracy of what? everybody in government is a military and it 's rulers are acting like military commanders, all decisions, comments, politics are made in a military style.

[SiameseTrainer]

05:02 AM on 03/17/2010

What ever happened to Mr. Aristede the FORMER President, the one the Americans were anxious to get rid of. He was actually addressing the needs of the disenfranchised. I think that the Bush Administration thought he was a...Socialist. Penalty to America for Meddling...11.5 Billion Dollars. Then BUTT out!

[Captai]

06:59 AM on 03/17/2010

He's in exile. He offered to return just after the quake. He was refused by the Hope and Change administration.