Less than a penny of each dollar the U.S. is spending on earthquake relief in Haiti is going in the form of cash to the Haitian government, according to an Associated Press review of relief efforts.
Two
weeks after President Obama announced an initial $100 million for Haiti
earthquake relief, U.S. government spending on the disaster has nearly
quadrupled to $379 million, the U.S. Agency for International
Development announced Wednesday. That's about $1.25 each from everyone
in the United States.
Each American dollar
roughly breaks down like this: 42 cents for disaster assistance, 33
cents for U.S. military aid, nine cents for food, nine cents to
transport the food, five cents for paying Haitian survivors for
recovery efforts, just under one cent to the Haitian government, and
about half a cent to the Dominican Republic.
Relief
experts say it would be a mistake to send too much direct cash to the
Haitian government, which is in disarray and has a history of failure
and corruption.
"I really believe Americans are
the most generous people who ever lived, but they want accountability,"
said Timothy R. Knight, a former US AID assistant director who spent 25
years distributing disaster aid. "In this situation they're being very
deliberate not to just throw money at the situation but to analyze
based on a clear assessment and make sure that money goes to the best
place possible." MORE>>>>>