Reply #22: I don't know where that $3 billion number comes from

[htuttle]

I've seen in it in a CATO report describing aid to Haiti from 1974-1994, I've also seen it in a report that included the cost of 21,000 marines to restore Aristide to power in the 1990's.

But with that, here's an accounting of the $515 million they received in 1994-95:
http://haitireborn.org/campaigns/debt/where-did-the-money-go.php

Much of the foreign aid that flows into Haiti goes right back out. Most of it is used for imports the trade deficit reached a record U.S. $176 million for the first six months of 1995. Some goes to consultancies to foreign nationals, foreign financial assets or accounts owned by wealthy Haitian nationals. A US AID official in Haiti recently told visitors that 80 cents of every US AID dollar worldwide is actually spent in the U.S.

Balance of Payments Support: $217.9 million
This money goes directly to foreign banks, mostly US and French ones. The Haitian government never sees it.

Humanitarian Assistance: $88.2 million

According to the U.S.AID official who supplied these numbers to the World Bank, $60.5 million from the U.S. went to food aid and medical projects probably about $40 million in food aid, and the rest medical. U.S.AID claims to have rehabilitated two maternity hospitals and five health centers and trained seven biomedical technicians.

Governance: $68 million

Again, the biggest portion comes from the U.S. at $42.2 million. Some of this money is used to fund legitimate functions of government, whereas other parts (e.g. the Democracy Enhancement allocation of $5.2 million) are not. More than half of the U.S. funding is for police training. The remaining categories are election support, administration of justice and local governance all of which contain some legitimate and some very illegitimate activities. France also has a justice support grant of $10.3 million in this section.
MY NOTE: Some of this money was diverted to the IRI via NED to fund the 'opposition party'

Water and Urban Infrastructure: $42.2 million

Although these funds have the potential to help change peoples lives significantly in the vital area of water resources, not much has yet been accomplished because most of the funds are reserved for future years.
(snip)
For example, the IDA has committed a $21.7 million loan for the Port-au-Prince Water Supply, but only $100,000 of it was actually disbursed in 1994-95. In the same vein, France has committed a loan of $14.8 million for the Port-au-Prince Water supply, allowing only $3 million for 1994-95, of which only $400,000 was actually disbursed.

(snip)

Why are these funds reserved for the future? The most likely explanation is that the international donors and lenders want to delay these improvements until the Haitian government agree to their demands for privatization and other aspects of structural adjustment.

Transport: $24.1 million
Health: $14.5 million
Agriculture, the Environment, and Education: $11.9 million

Well, I don't see any expensive shoes, cars, yachts, or palaces in there. It looks like the portion of the money that was actually disbursed to Haiti was spent...on Haiti.


IN ADDITION, in 1998, USAID started going around the central government of Haiti, and giving money to various NGOs, local officials and private groups (like Guy Philippe's, no doubt).
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/222.html

(snip)
With its latest plan, USAID shows itself to be as meddling and political as the International Republican Institute (IRI), which several Haitian parliamentarians want expelled from Haiti for its brazen orchestration of 26 right-wing parties into a new opposition front (see Haiti Progres, Vol. 16, No. 8, May 13, 1998).

In any case, if Haiti's Foreign Ministry had an agency comparable to USAID, it would be illegal in the U.S., unless it were registered, tightly restricted, and monitored in its activities as an Agent of a Foreign Government.
(much more at link from 1998)

Is the money given to non-government groups in Haiti included in your $3 billion dollar figure?