$1 Billion In Aid Sent To Haiti: How Is The Money Being Spent?

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince in January, the international community sent over $1 billion in aid to help Haitian communities recover.

Now, six months later, ABC's David Muir traveled back to Haiti to discover how the money has been spent -- and whether or not conditions have improved in the impoverished country.

ABC News reports from Haiti.

WATCH:

Comments

[rollingrock]

02:03 PM on 07/12/2010

1 billion is about what Obama spends in one hour fighting his escalating wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. What a joke.

[chonus]

09:07 AM on 07/12/2010

Noam Chomsky on the US role in Haiti's destruction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVVRoWxFB1s

[PragmaticStatistic]

10:14 PM on 07/11/2010

It is already hurricane season in Haiti and most of the people affected by the earthquake are exposed or living in makeshift tents. By the time the unspent portion of the $1 billion donated ever builds reasonable housing, a lot of Haitians are going to die in a hurricane. And, this season is expected to be severe. I suspect one of the reasons as to why the money has not been spent on housing is, that the money will remain sitting in banks earning interest, while only the interest ever gets used to fund needed projects. The other reasons have to do with internal politics, land ownership and those aspects of Haitian society that made it a collapsing society prior to the earthquake. It is a complex situation that may get worse before it gets better.

[hollywood2008]

07:12 PM on 07/11/2010

wyclef is poppin bottles with it

[flashfyre]

06:42 PM on 07/11/2010

Here's a shot in the dark...the $1B. is being used to groom the latest incarnation of "Baby Doc" to hold the Presidency.

[muscleboundH]

06:21 PM on 07/11/2010

I'm sure the Republicans and teabaggers are fuming to see this kind of report:

WHAT? Free pediatric clinic?! WHAT? 1.3 million people getting free meals daily?!! It's SOCIALISM!!

I am sure the republitards are pooting in their panties knowing that BLACK people are getting help surviving.

[ShellyintheWest]

07:13 PM on 07/11/2010

What you say is not true.

[furby3]

07:14 PM on 07/11/2010

Whoa, easy on the hate.

[f0rTyLeGz]

05:50 PM on 07/11/2010

How about investigating where the one hundred MILLION dollars goes that we spend EVERY DAY in Afghanistan? People want to know!

[leftpinkie]

06:01 PM on 07/11/2010

Or how the billions have been spent in Iraq? Or the billions that Bank of America miscalculated. Or how the bailout money has been spent by the banks! It's about time ABC focused on serious news and focus on real culprits!

[chonus]

09:08 AM on 07/12/2010

Hey did you guys see Lindsy Lohan's latest fingernail pics...?

[cj5]

05:13 PM on 07/11/2010

The real issue in Haiti is the land. Wealthy land owners in Haiti are failing to cooperate with the Haitian government, in granting sale of land for providing a place for Haitians to rebuild. They are, as they have been for the past 2 decades urban-locked, so that land owners can sell off property to even wealthier foreign corporations, so as to mine their natural resources. Most of the poor population of Haiti resides in Port-au-Prince, and simply cannot leave. If the aid groups could divert a portion of the aid money to buying up land at a matched price of what private interests are spending, then I think Haiti would benefit as a whole.

[Cynth]

05:01 PM on 07/11/2010

There are many cynical blanket statement made in this comments section. There is a distinction among the various charitable organizations and some of these comments do a disservice to those groups that are doing vital work. Doctors Without Borders, for one, have been doing -- and continue to do -- terrific work and have been very responsible with money donated to them. I have never regretted a cent given to them and I hope some of the cynical commenters will understand that lumping responsible organizations with irresponsible ones ultimately does a terrible disservice to the Haitian people if we decide to no longer donate.

[Grannyover70]

02:47 PM on 07/11/2010

Just this morning on the Radio I heard that Bill Clinton is saying that only 5% of the promised donations have been received. Countries are not sending the money promised. It was also said that the Haitian Government's response has been very limited. I knew if the same government remained in place, they would do nothing. I gather the World Aid group is there and has been supplying clean water, food and sanitaton and have kept sickness down. I am not sure, but I think it is the United Nations group. No one if putting any money into permanent shelters. The people are hodgepodging shelters together with anything they can find from the wreckage; cardboard, tin, plastic, wood. I sure hope no one gave any aid money directly to the Haitian government.

[den1953]

02:18 PM on 07/11/2010

Lets hope president Clinton can do a great job and over see the money is being spent correctly!

[my2pesos]

02:12 PM on 07/11/2010

I bet that most of the money is probably stolen by the corrupt government officials.

[Ailton]

01:19 PM on 07/11/2010

I wish we had sent them some birth control method. Family planing is the only thing that can stop extreme poverty in places like Haiti. Why does a country needs so many kids? Seems to me that somebody is profiting from the misery of the people. You have a very rich minority that is never spoken of and a corrupt covernment that we keep on supporting. Family planing is the only true help you could give Haiti today.

[ksjunebug]

02:12 PM on 07/11/2010

Ailton, u r exactly right! If we are going to help poor countries,make sure they have food and water and shelter and no more kids,they cannot feed the ones they have! Look how they live,why in the world they keep havin kids is beyond me.Abstinence or birth control is the only answer.

[furby3]

07:16 PM on 07/11/2010

As long as the same rules apply to the American poor, then you have a point.

[johnmorgan]

12:34 PM on 07/11/2010

I don't really like the mainstream media. ABC News gives us this story which they think we will find inspiring, but they didn't investigate very deeply. How much of the donated money has been received and spent so far? Is any of the donated money being wasted or stolen? We never find out. We see one school, a hospital, but what about others? How many have been built? The story was just a fluff piece. Better than nothing, but not deep at all.

[changling]

12:21 PM on 07/11/2010

The money is most likely going to private contractors who funnel the money to groups like Carlye to build their global empire just like the money going to Afghanistan is being used.