USA Hang OUT

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Less than a penny for every dollar in the U.S. is the cost for earthquake relief in Haiti yesterday in cash to Haiti’s government, according to an Associated Press review of the relief efforts.

Two weeks after President Obama announced an initial 100 million U.S. dollars to Haiti earthquake relief, U.S. government spending on disaster nearly quadrupled to $ 379 million, announced U.S. Agency for International Development on Wednesday. It is around $ 1.25 each from all the Americas.

The U.S. government funds are part of close to $ 2 billion in emergency aid flowing into Haiti – almost all run by organizations other than the Haitian government, which has struggled to restore its authority, since the earthquake. Wednesday acknowledged a defensive president René Préval the country’s reputation for graft, but said the aid money is not lining the pockets of public officials.

“I think Americans, most generous people who ever lived, but they want accountability,” said Timothy R. Knight, a former U.S. assistant secretary assistance, who spent 25 years distribution of emergency relief. “In this situation, they are very conscious of not just throw money at the situation, but the analysis based on a clear assessment and make sure the money goes to the best place possible.”

The United States has the largest part of a global response, a total of more than $ 1 billion in government promises. 27 EU countries will contribute 575 million U.S. dollars. The United States has also long been the largest source of ongoing foreign aid that Haiti is dependent on up to 40 percent of its budget with more than 260 million U.S. dollars in U.S. money last year to promote stability, prosperity and democracy.