The Red Cross and the Mystery of Its Haiti Aid

[Jesus Malverde]

No one should miss this: an eye-popping report from Justin Elliott of Pro Publica and Laura Sullivan of NPR about Haiti and the Red Cross.

As soon as the 2010 earthquake leveled the country, the Red Cross, perhaps the world’s most famous disaster-relief organization, hit the ground. It dispatched workers, made promises, issued reports, raised money — tons of money. It has heaped lavish praise upon itself.

But what did it actually accomplish?

The report is here. The details are ugly. It says the Red Cross claims it gave homes to over 130,000 Haitians, but it actually built only six.

There has been, understandably, an uproar. The Red Cross has put out its response to the report, saying it wants to separate “myth” from “fact.”

Here’s an idea. The Red Cross should hold another a news conference, not in Port-au-Prince but at Red Cross headquarters in Washington. It should answer all questions, and give specifics. Meanwhile, Representative Rick Nolan of Minnesota has called for a Congressional hearing, which couldn’t hurt.

http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/12/the-red-cross-and-the-mystery-of-its-haiti-aid/?_r=0

"Just send your cash"

[pennylane100]

1. I stopped trusting the Red Cross years ago.

I always feel validated when I read these type of reports.

[uppityperson]

2. American Red Cross does first aid and cpr classes, sometimes helps locally. But they don't use their

money wisely or for what it is worth.

It really angers me when they do the "text ### to donate" after disasters and then the money is not used for those it should be.

The should not be the "charity of choice" simply because it is easy to donate and the name is recognizable.

K&R