The international community exceeded the expectations of Haiti’s President René Préval on Thursday by promising his country ten billion US dollars in immediate and long-term aid. President Préval had requested four billion dollars.

At a donor conference in New York individual countries and key financial institutions agreed to provide help for the Caribbean country, following a devastating earthquake in January.

Two hundred thousand people were killed and one million were left homeless. Large parts of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince were destroyed and need to be rebuilt. Total damage is estimated at up to 14 billion dollars.

Poor track record
There are fears that donors may yet renege on their promises. There are also concerns that unless the money is properly accounted for, it could be squandered or find its way into the pockets of corrupt officials.

Oxfam Novib’s Dutch Coordinator for Humanitarian Programmes, Anne Pieter van Dijk, was recently in Haiti. He told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that when it comes to financial accountability and transparancy Haiti’s government does not have a good track record.

“One of the messages from the conference to the Haitian government is to be as transparent as possible on where the money is going. Inform the people so that they can follow it. Because in the end, they have to keep their own government accountable.”

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The devastation left by the earthquake provides Haiti with an opportunity to build a new future. There are plans to move people from overcrowded areas such as Port-au-Prince, which is vulnerable to natural disasters, to the north of the island, which is currently underdeveloped.

But getting people to move is a real challenge. According to Anne Pieter van Dijk, people are reluctant to move away from their friends and family:

“Everyone realises that people have to move to safer places, but the government has to take a firm decision on where those places are.”