Welthungerhilfe welcomes outcome of the donor conference for Haiti – but German role inadequate

Reconstruction after the earthquake. (01.04.2010). Welthungerhilfe welcomes the outcome of the donor conference for Haiti. Secretary General Wolfgang Jamann comments as follows: "The international community has sent a strong signal that it will support Haiti over the long-term. This is of course in its own interests, because instability in Haiti, where the trafficking of people and drugs thrives, also damages other countries, above all America."

"The important thing is that the aid remains a project of the people of Haiti, and not of the USA. It is good that ex-president Clinton sits as a representative of the donor community on the commission that will oversee the funds that have been donated. But ultimately the aid has to benefit the people of Haiti. That's why Haitian non-governmental organisations must receive support in representing the interests of the population as the process moves forward. We need a functioning state, but we also need the development of agriculture and civil society."

Germany's participation in the aid for Haiti is assessed by Welthungerhilfe as "business as usual". Secretary General Jamann says: "The 39.4 million Euros that have been pledged are funds that had already been provided for anyway in the federal government's budget, not special funds. Part of the amount, 17 million Euros, comes from the budget lines of the Federal Foreign Office and the BMZ [Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development] for disaster aid, the rest had already been scheduled for Haiti or for other countries. In terms of the European Union, Germany is in fourth place. It is therefore clear that the federal government will not play any appreciable role in the aid for Haiti."

Welthungerhilfe has launched a five-year programme for Haiti that currently amounts to about 20 million Euros. This is being used to continue funding for emergency relief aid measures, as well as so-called "cash for work" programmes. In addition, funding is being provided for projects in the north of the country, which is where 600,000 people made homeless by the earthquake have fled.