Who's Holding Back the Aid for Haiti?

After the earthquake in Haiti, nine months ago next week, it was heart-warming to see the international response. Money was pledged from all sides. I was particularly proud to see the promises made by my own country, the United States of America: $1.15 billion was pledged by the government for reconstruction in Haiti.

The small NGOs did amazing work after the earthquake, and continue to do so, but there are some things which the government needs to do. Infrastructure, city planning, displacement of hundreds of thousands of people: these are matters for the state, not for NGOs. There is serious mistrust of the government in Haiti, but with the international attention on the country, many people were hopeful that this was the moment when the country could move forward. Haiti would be rebuilt better than it was before.

And yet, all these months later, most of the money promised has not even been delivered. Why? Today, at the Sojourners blog, Ben and Katie Kilpatrick state that one US senator may be responsible for holding up this money.