World Drafts Haiti's
Reconstruction Road Map
Representatives of 54 countries and 35
international organizations participating in the
World Summit for
the Future of Haiti selected specific
projects, with a cost of $11 billion that will
be paid through their donations, renewing their
commitments to the reconstruction of the
earthquake stricken Caribbean nation.
Participants also agreed to provide enough
funds to alleviate Haiti's deteriorating fiscal
situation, established a fiduciary trust in the
World Bank to receive donations and
secured new pledges to help the country recover
from the January 12 earthquake, which left more
than 200,000 dead and 1.3 million homeless.
Dominican President Leonel Fernandez, who hosted
the event, called the summit a success, saying
that it advanced the work done previously in New
York by having donors select the specific
projects they will finance for a total likely to
surpass $11 billion.
The announcement came as a relief to those
concerned that the interest of the international
community had began to wane in the midst of the
world's economic
problems.
During his opening speech, President
Fernandez had made a dramatic appeal, giving
Haiti's case a greater sense of urgency.
"In only 30 seconds, more than 300,000
people were injured; in just 30 seconds, more
than one million people lost their homes; in
just 30 seconds, Haiti lost 120 percent of its
GDP; in just 30 seconds thousands of children
were made orphans, thousands lost their most
close relatives, and thousands were left in
anguish," Fernandez said.
The head-of-state also stressed that while
there has been a great outpouring from the
international community, there have been delays
in the disbursement of the pledged help, at a
time when the Haitian government
is facing a drastic shortfall in its fiscal
revenues caused by the quake.
Fortunately, donors also agreed to provide
Haiti with enough funds to cover the deficit.
"In light of today's work, President
Rene Preval can now bring the good news to the
Haitian people that in the fringes of this
summit the budget deficit issue for 2010 has
been completely covered," Fernandez added.
The head of state explained that the
shortfall will be financed with the help of the
Inter-American Development Bank and the European
Union, which will each provide 50 million
dollars and the World Bank will provide another
30 million dollars.
Another portion of around 127 million dollars
would be provided by the Venezuelan government
through the "solidarity fund of fuel
imports" the South American nation pledged
to set up to support Haiti.
The Venezuelan pledge, which in addition to
the fund also includes the forgiveness of
hundreds of millions in debt
Haiti owed to state-ran Petrocaribe, is one of
the most generous one secured during the summit,
amounting to $2.65 billion.
Most of the projects discussed during the
gathering had a long-term vision attached to
them. As its name suggests, the Solidarity
Beyond the Crisis Summit was designed to address
not only what the country needs in order to
recover from the earthquake, but also what is
needed for its long-term economic growth.
Haitian President Rene Preval said that this
includes the strengthening of the country's
democratic institutions, to help the nation
leave behind its chronic political instability.
"Without political stability, without
democracy, our project is doomed to fail,"
Preval stated in front of representatives.
He added that after the earthquake there has
been a lot of talk in his country about
developing a more strict building
code. "But if we want to reconstruct
our homes so they can withstand natural
catastrophes, we must also call for the
reconstruction of a society and a political
system that can be resilient... The people in
Haiti demand a political system that is
earthquake proof, and that is called democracy,
with social justice, effective administration
and that is chosen by the people."
During the summit, the participants also
discussed the urgent need to find homes for
those displaced by the earthquake.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton urged
participants of the Haiti Summit to come up with
ideas on how to protect the homeless amid
predictions that 2010 will see a very intense
hurricane season.
"We have more than one million people
that are currently living in very precarious
conditions, in camping tents," Clinton, who
is the United Nation's Special Envoy to Haiti.
"We can not allow for people to die during
this Hurricane Season because they inhabit
temporary dwellings."
The Haitian government and the international
community have been working on designing areas
where the displaced might be taken in case of a
hurricane, but there is yet much to be done
since there are a limited number of buildings
left in the country that are able to withstand
hurricane force winds.
According to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the Caribbean and
the U.S.'s East Coast will see the development
of between 14 and 23 named storms in the season
beginning on June first. Eight to 14 of those
are expected to become hurricanes. The numbers
are just shy of the 29 storms and 15 hurricanes
registered in 2005, year that produced the likes
of Katrina and Wilma.
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