A Senior State Department official today announced that the United States has over a billion dollars that had been set aside through the supplemental in FY ’10 for Haiti at the preview of the Haiti Ministerial Meeting in New York City.
The Senior State Department Official highlighted that out of that billion dollars, there was in excess of a hundred-and-some million for health care, which is one of the key priorities, a long-term area that the U.S. government had been investing in.
“In the infrastructure space, I believe they’re somewhere on the order of – I don’t know how to quantify that – that might come up to several hundred million in the infrastructure area, which is energy, which goes to one of the key constraints that limited people’s ability to be able to actually invest both domestically and foreign, housing in that particular space, as well as a port in the north.” -Senior State Department Official
The U.S. State Department Official also reported that strengthening Haiti’s government, in this Fiscal Year ’10 and Fiscal Year ’11 there’s about $400 million of U.S. funds alloted for those goals.
The U.S. State Department Official stated that tomorrow’s meeting of Haiti’s partners provides an opportunity not only for the partners who have been deeply invested in Haiti and providing resources, but also the opportunity for President Martelly to present his vision for the country to the assembled group of key donors.
“We are hopeful that President Martelly will not only speak to the need and opportunity for the kind of long-term collaboration and cooperation that will provide governance – effective governance for Haiti, but also to some of the specific reforms that he sees as important for Haiti’s development.” -Senior State Department Official
The U.S. State Department Official also stressed that they expect on behalf of the United States to be speaking to their own observations and investments with respect to Haiti particularly the needs in the rule of law, in governance area, and the need for civil reform.
“But we also are going to be speaking to the need for the kind of cooperation and collaboration that we are just starting to see there as they form their government.” -Senior State Department Official
