Disaster Accountability Project: Week governance equates to poor recovery in Haiti

London, 7 February 2011 – The lack of a strong and unified government post-Katrina has resulted in a drawn-out and debilitated reconstruction of Haiti, despite a global outpouring of contributions.

According to a report released by Disaster Accountability Project, entitled “One Year Follow Up Report on the Transparency of Relief Organizations Responding to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake” only half the funds raised by aid agencies including the American Red Cross have been spent a year after the disaster.

As part of the Disaster Accountability Project’s report, a survey was sent to 196 aid agencies that assisted in the humanitarian efforts. Of the 196 agencies, a disappointing 38 responded. $1.4 billion was raised by the 38 groups, yet only $730 million, or 52 percent, has been spent.

Referred to by disaster experts as “as the biggest urban catastrophe in modern history” over one million displaced people are still living in temporary emergency shelter and tents with reconstruction efforts slowed in rubble-filled areas such as Port-au-Prince.

Speaking to Alertnet, Tadateru Konoe, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), attributes the low spend to the lack of strong leadership and land registration issues by the government of President Rene Preval in the aftermath of the disaster was a major hindrance in effectively helping Haitians recover more quickly.

"There is the question of land ownership that hinders most of the development and humanitarian initiatives,” he said. “There may be registration of land, but there is no working government where one can verify who a particular piece of land belongs to and therefore get permission to remove rubble” Knoe said.

This year, the Aid & International Development Forum is looking to address the poor recovery in Haiti amongst other pressing relief and international development issues.

Now in its 11th year, the Aid & International Development Forum provides an exclusive opportunity for the aid, relief and development sectors to network, build partnerships and address global humanitarian and development challenges. Additionally, the Aid & International Development Forum showcases the application of innovative solutions from leading suppliers to the emergency aid and development sectors, such as Philips Lighting Bv, Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings, Star Tides, Inmarsat, and LMS France (to name a few) in a series of real-life scenarios, based on past and present crises such as Haiti and Pakistan.

This year, the Aid & International Development Forum will be organised into sectors of response or Cluster Zones, in line with humanitarian reform.

The Cluster Zones will reflect nine sectors of response to include transport and logistics, water and sanitation, ICTs, power and energy efficiency, health, medical and nutrition, protection and security, finance, shelter, education and training. Each zone will feature dedicated exhibits, networking opportunities, experiential and workshop sessions, resulting in greater and more efficient collaboration amongst all stakeholders involved.

Some of the confirmed speakers for the workshop sessions include:

John Abood, Leader/Contracting Officer for the Transportation Division of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Graham Saunders, Cluster co Chair for Emergency Shelter
Charley Ansbach, Ansbach Associates
Keith Robbertory, Disaster Services Technology Manager, American Red Cross

As well as workshop sessions, there will also be a procurement network examining how businesses can best work with NGO, UN and government entities. Participants will discuss policy, the needs of the sectors, and exchange best practice at the same place that they can see, touch and experience products central to delivery.

The Aid & International Development Forum is a free to attend event. Registration has now opened and anyone wishing to attend can register online at www.aidforumonline.org/register.

For further information about the Aid & International Development Forum, please visit www.aidforumonline.org or contact:

Mairead Mc Nally, Event Marketing Manager
mmcnally@aidforumonline.org

About the Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF)
The Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF) 2011 will take place from 8-9 June 2011 at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. The Aid & International Development Forum (previously International Aid & Trade) is a world leading forum for humanitarian relief professionals to cement relationships, build partnerships, gain understanding and share experiences. Having been acquired by Henley Media Group in 2005, International Aid & Trade ran in Geneva in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and in 2009 the event moved to its present location in Washington D.C.

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7871 0188
Website: www.aidforumonline.org

Aid & International Development Forum provides an exclusive opportunity for the aid, relief and development sectors to network, build partnerships and share expertise.

Aid and International Development Forum
Transworld House
100 City Road
EC1Y 2BP
London
United Kingdom
Mairead Mc Nally
mmcnally@aidforumonline.org

This release was published on openPR.