Billions invested in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake have not improved the country: 'We are still working'

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The United States has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to revamp initiatives to help Haiti during the country's crime crisis, but concerns remain about whether the country will use the money properly, according to one expert.

Haiti received about $13.5 billion in the years following the devastating 2010 earthquake, thanks to international efforts led by the United States and the United Nations, about 120% of the country's GDP at the time.

“They never rebuilt Port-au-Prince. You're talking about a city that has no sewerage system, no basic plumbing and electricity, no basic infrastructure… People can't get anywhere, and they're walking.” “We're seeing ups and downs in the dirt,” said Jack Brewer, a former NFL player and philanthropist who has pursued initiatives to help rebuild Haiti.

Brewer told Fox News Digital that he felt the funding provided after the 2010 earthquake “was not spent properly.”

“I had the opportunity to witness a lot of things that happened on the ground,” Brewer said. “After the 2010 earthquake, I worked with the NFL Players Association, and we partnered with the Clinton-Bush Fund for Haiti…it was called the Clinton Fund for Haiti…and we raised a lot of money through that, and it started going out.”

He added: “Then other countries came and started allocating a lot of money.” “You might think that the long-term goal is to rebuild the city of Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas that were affected by the earthquake, but I was there, and it's been a few years, and we're still working.”

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The flag flies over the Catholic Church in Haiti, which was rebuilt after it was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. (Jose A. Iglesias/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The United States has pledged to contribute the bulk of the funds needed for a multinational security mission from East Africa to Haiti, led by Kenya and composed of police forces from different countries. The Biden administration will pledge another $33 million in general humanitarian assistance to the country, bringing the total amount allocated to these efforts to $333 million – as the US national debt exceeds $34.5 trillion.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the crisis “has been a long, unfolding story” and will require the international community to help stabilize the country as gangs continue to spread.

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Violence broke out in the Solinoux neighborhood in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, with terrified residents calling radio stations for help. (AP Photo/Odilyn Joseph)

“Having done all this work, we should be in a place where this mission is moving forward,” Blinken said. He added, “We believe that this will help re-establish security and regain control of the country from the gangs.”

Jimmy Scherizer, known by the nickname “Barbecue”, runs a cabal coalition called the G9 Family and Allies, rising to a level of influence that allows him to prevent current Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to the country until he agrees to resign.

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Brewer said he feels many Haitians “think America is one of the roots of the problem,” going back to the Clintons and their rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake.

“They believe that Washington, D.C., controls these leaders that come into the country, and as you can see, most of the leaders are corrupt,” Brewer claimed. “They exist, and that's the culture in Haiti: As a politician, once you get there, you get that power so you can enrich yourself.”

Jimmy “Barbic” Scherizer has claimed responsibility for the prison break that led to the release of about 4,000 prisoners in Haiti and the recent violence. (United nations)

When asked about their role in Haiti's recovery, spokesmen for the former president and secretary of state told Fox News Digital: “The Clintons worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the Haitian people in the wake of the devastating earthquake. Even as their critics smeared them, they obscured the facts, and were never shy about doing so.” Whatever they can to uplift people. “It's easy to point the finger from afar for political gain, but it hinders progress, and that's tragic.”

An expert on Haiti told The Associated Press that after President Rene Preval left office in 2011, he found that subsequent Haitian leaders were at best lenient with the gangs and at worst associated with them.

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The gangs have gained influence over the past decades, but their growing influence and connections with the country's political leadership have allowed them to make money through a combination of extortion, kidnapping, and drug and weapons trafficking.

Brewer worries that even without fear of transferring money, he does not trust that the new money will prove effective, citing post-earthquake humanitarian aid and the lack of long-term improvements.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry attends a public lecture at American International University in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 1, 2024. The Prime Minister traveled to Kenya to press for the deployment of a UN-backed police force to help fight gangs in Haiti. . Henry, who faces calls to resign or form a transitional council, remains unable to return to his homeland. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasoko/File)

In a 2016 review of some of the initiatives applied to Haiti in the wake of the natural disaster, ABC News found that a $400 million clothing factory that promised to create plenty of jobs for the region “ultimately fell short of its deliverables.”

“They are building infrastructure without programming,” he said. “They don't have encryption, so if they have another earthquake, the same thing will happen.”

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The country has struggled to deal with a cholera outbreak that began after UN peacekeepers mistakenly introduced the disease to the island. About 10,000 people died as a result of this disease.

Part of the problem is that the money given to Haiti was already earmarked for a number of necessary services, such as paying the Red Cross for its field assistance, as well as other rescue services.

Pedestrians walk past a soldier guarding the area of ​​the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

“The actual money that was left on the ground, a lot of it fell into the hands of the wrong people or people in power,” Brewer added, calling the recovery effort “the worst handling of a natural disaster in the history of the planet.” ”

“It is very disappointing to see the level of corruption, especially regarding matters involving children and young people, and trying to get medical supplies in and out of the country… It has been very difficult,” he said.

Regarding the $333 million heading to Haiti in the coming months, USAID told Fox News Digital that “any interference with or diversion of humanitarian assistance is unacceptable.”

A USAID spokesperson said: “USAID takes its duty as a financier of American taxpayers seriously and holds implementing partners to the highest standards to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used wisely, effectively, and for their intended purposes.” “We ask our partners to have strong safeguards and risk mitigation systems in place to ensure that initial humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need.”

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The agency noted that it works with humanitarian partners who have “extensive experience working in difficult environments” and who have “demonstrated their commitment to remaining and providing life-saving assistance with integrity, impartiality and independence while ensuring the safety of their staff and facilities.”

The United Nations did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by press time.

Michael Lee and Bradford Betz of The Associated Press and Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

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