New York, March 26: Former US president Bill Clinton is urging the aid groups serving Haiti’s devastated communities to help rebuild the country’s government and ultimately put themselves out of business by fostering a self-sufficient nation.
Bill Clinton, the United Nations special envoy to Haiti, spoke to representatives of the aid groups yesterday, ahead of a critical United Nations donors conference next week at which Haitian officials are expected to ask for USD 11.5 billion to rebuild.
“Every time we spend a dollar in Haiti from now on we have to ask ourselves, ‘Does this have a long-term return? Are we helping them become more self-sufficient? … Are we serious about working ourselves out of a job?” Clinton said.
Haitian leaders have expressed frustration that billions of dollars in aid have bypassed the government and gone to foreign non-governmental organisations, which operate independently and don’t always coordinate with local authorities.
Clinton asked the groups to allocate 10 percent of their spending in Haiti for government salaries and employee training, to help the nation’s agencies rebuild their decimated staff.
–PTI