There were persitent and strong rumours last year,,, when Prime Minister Michele Pierre Louis was forced to resign.. that the reason behind the resignation was that while SHE had accused of mis using funds donated for Gonaives after hurricane Noel, she immediately denied such charges and said "Let us open the government's books on this" and was gone by the end of the week.
"I would also like to see more of a 'conscious' effort on the part of America to help. There was a lot of support when the Jan. earthquake hit, but I think many people have the wrong mentality. If it does not affect them directly, most people are like 'who cares??'. I would venture to say that many people donated money etc when the Earthquake hit because it was the 'popular' thing to do at the time."
Haiti suffers from what is called 'donor fatigue" in that so very much money has been donated over the years and there is so little to show for it. After the storms hit Gonaives, even Relief Web was commenting that calls for aid to Haiti were simply going unanswered.. or rather answered at a much lower level than in other nations.
But after the earthquake ONE in every TWO United Staters donated money.
I doubt that there has EVER been such a great response inside the US for any
other cause.
And now there is increased press presence, and an increased cry for accountabliity. Better to hear the cry that the money has not been spent yet than to hear that it is all gone and there is nothing to show for it.
And if the USA should step in again, then the rest of the world will have them to blame, as they did after the earthquake, to paraphrase the movie "History of the world phrase ITS GOOD TO BE THE KING" "ITS GOOD TO HAVE A WHIPPING BOY".