The Haitian Debacle

To live in tents and die in tents, this is the intent for all the money you spent to aid Haiti

A MILLION people still live in cities like this - Click to Enlarge

A long year after the earthquake that devastated the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince, disturbing information has come to light. Of the 200 "aid" groups who collected vast sums of U.S. dollars under the benign guise of providing necessary capital to rebuild Haiti, when queried as to where those dollars ended up only 38 responded with any information. These 38 aid groups, alone, raised ~$1.4 Billion and have so far spent $700 Million. ON WHAT? Who knows how much money the other 162 aid groups raised who refused to respond.

The Global Red Cross for instance, has constructed somewhere around 300 "temporary semi-permanent" housing structures (resembling garden sheds) with some of the 500 Million they alone raised. At approximately $1.5 Million per garden shed, that's a hell of a deal. Of course much more money is needed to continue this magnificent effort as guesstimates put the number of "sheds" needed at 30,000. At this rate, to construct all the sheds needed - whose life expectancy is 10 years - would take 100 years. Does anyone see a problem with this math? Certainly the Red Cross has provided other assistance, but the above example shows just how corrupt these kind of "relief" efforts turn out to be.

And of course the Haitian government itself, like any other "Western" government, only wants the best for it's people. That's why they demand a 40% up front tax on all goods entering the country even if they are relief assistance goods. So trucks that were paid for by donations sit idle near the Port-Au-Prince airport because no one has greased the palms of "government officials" demanding cash. See what happens when only the government and organized crime have guns?

The next time someone pleads for you to open your heart wallet to help someone or some people in critical need, remember they are most likely only trying to make themselves even more wealthy at the expense of the needy while making you feel like dirt.

©Sharky&Sharky