Not long ago, the international community watched in horror as a magnitude 7.0 earthquake ripped through the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and its surrounding provinces. Since then, billions of dollars of international aid have been pledged to assist in the reconstruction efforts.
Now, around 14 months later, some members of the House of Representatives are looking for a transparent account of what has been disbursed thus far to the country from the United States. Fingers are being pointed specifically at the Obama administration by several in the House, including Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who is seeking to obtain a report from the administration within 6 months detailing the status of the aid.
Some argue that the slow disbursement of funds is integral to ensuring that corruption does not happen. Others argue that the tardiness of the international community has been caused by the lack of coordination between foreign and local Haiti relief groups and a collapsed infrastructure.
For more information regarding the critiques of the Obama administration’s work regarding Haiti, click here.
- Lenz Bayas
