SIX MONTHS after Haiti's catastrophic earthquake, the promises of the world's most powerful governments to provide billions in aid to one of the world's poorest and weakest governments have been betrayed.
There was an immediate outpouring of solidarity after the quake struck Haiti on January 12--people from the U.S. to Palestine and beyond gave to NGOs and charities, even when they couldn't afford much themselves.
At the end of March, the United Nations held an international conference for donors to fund the rebuilding of Haiti, where dozens of countries promised almost $10 billion over the next few years and more than $5 billion for the first 18 months of emergency reconstruction.
But the record of the world powers is a stark contrast to the generosity of their citizens. The U.S., France, Canada and the UN--not to mention a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with connections in high places--have done next to nothing to provide alternative shelter to refugees. They have failed to remove the rubble, let alone begin reconstruction, and they reneged on their pledges to deliver aid.
Instead, Haiti's earthquake is being used as an excuse to ratchet up a neoliberal economic plan for the country and to bolster the now 6-year-old UN occupation to repress any resistance ... READ MORE
