Haiti ... smoke and mirrors ... not much accountability!

Dear Colleagues

A huge amount of smoke and mirrors ... which explains why there is not very much interest in transparency and accountability.

The following text is from (1) an e-mail soliciting support from the Clinton Foundation and (2) from the William J. Clinton Foundation website as of July 16, 2010.

I would like to see some boring rigorous accounting about the resource flows that have been mobilized and disbursed in connection with the Haiti earthquake and its aftermath. The information I see suggests that there is a huge disconnect between the talk and the walk ... a ridiculous amount of double counting to make organizations "look good" and a terrible failure to deliver value on the ground in Haiti.

The big organizations have all failed to make accountability possible ... they either do not "get it" that accountability is important, or they "get it" and want no part of it. I do not accept either of these positions and will put as much pressure as possible to get the needed paradigm shift.

From the email solicitation:

Peter,

This past Monday marked six months since a devastating earthquake shook the coast of Haiti. I wanted to give you, a supporter of the Clinton Foundation and our work, a brief update on where things stand.

For the people of Haiti, each day since the earthquake is simply one more in the long process of rebuilding and reimagining their future. One step at a time, with the cooperation of the international community and through the generosity of individuals like you, they are reconstructing their country, their families, and their lives. Although recovery is not going as quickly as many of us involved in the process would like -- progress is being made.

Despite the challenges, I remain committed to helping the people of Haiti build back better. Through the Clinton Foundation, as the United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti, and now as the co-chair of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission along with Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, I will continue to strive to help the Haitians build the nation that they desire and deserve.

With your support, the Clinton Foundation has provided the equivalent of $23 million worth of assistance to the people of Haiti since the earthquake in the form of grants to relief organizations, emergency supplies, and supporting the shipment and delivery of more than $16 million worth of goods, including more than 100 trucks, 14 pieces of heavy equipment, 32,680 solar flashlights, 24 tons of medicine and medical supplies, portable classrooms and educational supplies, 390,000 articles of clothing, and much more.

Additionally, the Clinton Global Initiative has facilitated over $100 million worth of commitments to help rebuild Haiti, the Clinton Health Access Initiative continues to work there to help provide access to essential health services, and recently, as a project of the Clinton Guistra Sustainable Development Initiative and Fundacion Carlos Slim, a $20 million fund for small- and medium-sized enterprises was announced to help Haitian entrepreneurs. Learn more about what's happening in Haiti and all the Clinton Foundation's work there.

However, the scale and the urgency of the needs on the ground continue to be enormous. Millions of people still require shelter, access to basic services like education, water and sanitation, electricity, health care, and the tools to lift themselves from poverty. We still have a long road ahead.

Months and years of work remain to help the people of Haiti realize the future they have imagined for themselves.

I intend to be there every step of the way and I offer my humble thanks to you for being there alongside me.

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

From the website:

A Long-Standing Commitment to Haiti

President Barack Obama, along with Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, announces the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund in the White House Rose Garden on January 16, 2010. (Credit: White House Photo / Lawrence Jackson)

President Clinton first traveled to Haiti in 1975. As President, he worked to encourage economic development and restore democratically elected leadership in Haiti. After leaving the White House, he continued to travel to Haiti as a private citizen and respond to the needs of Haitians through the work of the William J. Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and recently, as the UN Special Envoy for Haiti. After the January 2010 earthquake, he was invited by the Government of Haiti to serve, along with Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive, as the International Co-Chair of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission.

Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti (IHRC)
President Clinton was invited by the Government of Haiti to serve, along with Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive, as the International Co-Chair of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission (IHRC). Established in April 2010 by the Haitian government, the IHRC reflects a shared vision for the future of Haiti that is rooted in the priorities of the Haitian people, marked by transparency, implemented in partnership with friends of Haiti, focused on quickly providing improvements in the lives of Haitians, and informed by reconstruction experiences in other countries.

The mandate of the IHRC is to conduct strategic planning and coordination and implement resources from bilateral and multilateral donors, non-governmental organizations, and the business sector, with all necessary transparency and accountability. In order to ensure that all activities are aligned with the Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti and Ministry plans, not duplicative, and implemented effectively.

United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti
In May 2009, building on President Clinton’s leadership as UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Haitian President René Préval asked President Clinton to become the UN Special Envoy for Haiti. In this role, President Clinton has worked with UN agencies, NGOs, government and multilateral donors, the international business community, philanthropists, the Haitian Diaspora around the world, and the Haitian people to help implement the Haitian government’s plan to develop a more modern economy.

In addition, since the January earthquake, President Clinton has worked to enhance and expedite the humanitarian response by mobilizing the international private sector, civil society, and donors to advance the Government of Haiti’s priorities and their plans for reconstruction. He also is bringing any gaps in the response to the attention of the Secretary-General and international community, while advancing the principle of building Haiti back better than it was before the disaster.

The Clinton Foundation in Haiti
Providing Earthquake Relief in Haiti

As part of the William J. Clinton Foundation’s focus on global issues that demand urgent action and measurable results, and reflecting President Clinton’s decades-long connection to Haiti, the Clinton Foundation is turning the donations of money and supplies made by individuals and organizations into direct assistance for the people and government of Haiti.

Since the January 2010 earthquake, the Clinton Foundation has been turning the donations of money and supplies made by individuals and organizations into direct assistance for the people and government of Haiti. More than 100,000 individuals have donated more than $16 million to the Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund.

The Foundation issued $3 million in emergency relief grants to 12 organizations, and recently allocated $1 million for communal hurricane emergency shelters and $1 million for operational support of the IHRC. The Foundation also directly purchased emergency relief, education, and agricultural supplies as well as supported the shipment and delivery to Haiti of more than $16 million worth of goods, including 14 pieces of heavy equipment, 32,680 solar flashlights and lanterns, 58 solar-powered streetlights, and 390,000 articles of clothing.

Thanks to supporters and partners, the total value of assistance to Haiti provided through the Foundation’s efforts has been nearly $23 million to date. The Foundation also provided pro bono staffing, administration, and fundraising support for all Haiti relief efforts.

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and Haiti

In October 2009, President Clinton signed a memorandum of understanding with President René Préval and the government of Haiti. The agreement invites the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to provide on the ground programmatic and technical support to the government, to help expand access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment services and strengthen the systems required to deliver primary health care services. In close collaboration with the government, CHAI has established a country office in Haiti with the goal of helping to increase access to essential health services. CHAI will support the government in strategic planning and resource optimization and will focus on vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and Haiti

In 2008, a series of hurricanes and tropical storms ravaged Haiti, leaving many communities without water, food, shelter, or access to basic services. In response, President Clinton made a call to action at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), asking CGI members to do what they could to help the nation rebuild. The response was enormous. Business CEOs, NGO leaders, and philanthropists came together to pledge more than $100 million in projects to deliver immediate and long-term assistance.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
One week after the January earthquake, President Barack Obama asked President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush to raise funds for immediate, high-impact relief and long-term recovery efforts to help Haitians who are most in need of assistance. In response, the two Presidents established the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF) to respond to unmet needs in the country, foster economic opportunity, improve the quality of life over the long term for those affected, and assist the people of Haiti as they rebuild their lives and build back better. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund works primarily through partnerships and collaborations with other nonprofit and for-profit entities – particularly Haiti’s own. In all activities, CBHF will work with the Interim Haitian Reconstruction Commission to ensure consistency with the Haitian

//////////////////

Haiti Fund Fact Sheet and Update
July 8, 2010
Since the January 2010 earthquake, the Clinton Foundation has been turning the donations of money and supplies made by individuals and organizations into direct assistance for the people and government of Haiti. More than 100,000 individuals have donated more than $16 million to the Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund.

The Foundation issued $3 million in emergency relief grants to 12 organizations, and recently allocated $1 million for communal hurricane emergency shelters and $1 million for operational support of the IHRC. The Foundation also directly purchased emergency relief, education, and agricultural supplies as well as supported the shipment and delivery to Haiti of more than $16 million worth of goods, including 14 pieces of heavy equipment, 32,680 solar flashlights and lanterns, 58 solar-powered streetlights, and 390,000 articles of clothing.

Thanks to supporters and partners, the total value of assistance to Haiti provided through the Foundation’s efforts has been nearly $23 million to date. The Foundation also provided pro bono staffing, administration, and fundraising support for all Haiti relief efforts.

Organizations Supported by the Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund
The Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund has allocated a total of $3 million to the following organizations on the ground in Haiti:

ACTED, to support emergency assistance as well as provide and deploy over 1,000 shelter and first-aid kits.
CARE, for the distribution of much needed food and water to survivors.
Concern Worldwide USA, to provide food, water, shelter, and medicine to survivors.
Food and Agriculture Organization, for the immediate purchase of seeds and fertilizer in and for Haiti.
International Organization for Migration, to support the coordination and delivery of emergency shelter.
International Rescue Committee, for medical care, clean water, and emergency sanitation for survivors.
Médecins du Monde, for the distribution of medicine.
Médecins sans Frontières, to provide surgery and basic medical care to as many patients as possible.
Oxfam, to provide more than 10 tons of water, sanitation, and health and shelter equipment.
Partners In Health, to provide medical care and supplies as well as bring in urgently needed medical expertise to Haiti.
Save the Children USA, for immediate needs such as shelter, health, water, sanitation, and child protection; and, as conditions allow, the restoration of education for children.
UNICEF, to provide adequate sanitation, safe water, and basic health care for survivors.
World Food Programme, to distribute high-energy biscuits as well as airlift food from WFP emergency hubs.
Current Supply Deliveries
The Clinton Foundation is currently supporting the shipment and delivery to Haiti of over $16 million in supplies since January 2010, including:

Trucks: There are 141 trucks, 40 donated by Penske/Mack, 30 donated by General Motors, 30 trucks donated by Nissan, 20 trucks donated by members of the National Automobile Dealers Association, 20 trucks donated by Daimler, and one truck by the JPMorgan Chase & Co. on the ground in Haiti to facilitate aid distribution.

Heavy Equipment: The Clinton Foundation has delivered 14 pieces of heavy equipment, which were donated by Navistar, to the Haitian Department of Civil Protection. An additional three trucks are in the process of shipping to Haiti from Puerto Rico.

Agriculture: The Clinton Foundation has delivered $300,000 worth of seeds to the government of Haiti for this planting season. These seeds were transported in drums that can be reused for water storage.

Portable Classrooms: The Clinton Foundation shipped four portable classrooms, which can serve up to 30 students each and were donated by Broward County School District, to the Ministry of Education.

Mobile Classrooms: The Clinton Foundation shipped 10 school buses, which were retrofitted to become mobile classrooms, to the Ministry of Education. Each bus will seat approximately 25 students.

Educational Supplies: The Clinton Foundation delivered three truckloads of school furniture, which were donated by Miami-Dade School District, two truckloads of educational supplies, which were donated by Newman Office Supplies, and over $5,000 worth of school supplies, which were donated by New York Teacher’s Union and Staples, to the Ministry of Education.

Flashlights and Lanterns: A total of 16,480 solar flashlights and lanterns, along with 800 adaptors that plug into the lights and allow for mobile-phone charging, have been delivered to Haiti. Earthspark International donated 2,700 solar flashlights through the Office of Special Envoy (OSE) and the Clinton Foundation to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

Street Lights: Solar Outdoor Lighting (SOL) donated 58 solar-powered streetlights to Haiti, which the Clinton Foundation shipped from Miami to Haiti. The OSE and Clinton Foundation worked with SOL and the Haitian government to ensure that the lights were placed in strategic locations selected by the Haitian government in Port-au-Prince to help improve security.

Generators: A total of 68 generators have been donated to relief efforts in Haiti. A total of 52 generators have been donated by Home Depot, along with 20 extension cords. In addition, 16 generators were donated by North Shore Generator Systems, Inc. to Partners In Health, which the
Clinton Foundation and OSE helped to facilitate.

Tents: 34,480 tents to Haiti, including 27,000 tents donated by Wal-Mart Corporation, 4,000 tents donated by an individual donor, 280 tents donated by Kelty, and four pallets of plastic sheeting donated for temporary shelters. The Clinton Foundation purchased 3,200 tents of these tents, each capable of fitting 5 people plus gear, offered by Coleman at a discount.

Large Tents: An individual donated a 21,000 square-foot tent, which will serve as the temporary office and logistical center for the mayor of Port-au-Prince and his staff. The tent came with tables, chairs, and other important equipment, which will allow the office to be operational on an expedited basis. Transportation to Miami for this tent was provided by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, after which the Clinton Foundation shipped the tent to Haiti.

Community Water Purification Systems: A total of nine GE Sunspring solar-powered water filtration systems, each capable of serving up to 10,000 people a day with microbiologically safe drinking water, have been delivered to Haiti. Five GE Sunspring units were donated to UNICEF and are being deployed in hospitals, clinics, and small communities. Three GE Sunspring units have been donated to DINEPA (Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et Assainissement), and one GE Sunspring unit has been donated to SOS Children’s Village.
Bottled Water: 45,000 pounds of water donated by Coca-Cola and 39,000 bottles of water from Eventide Natural Spring Water.

Medical Supplies and Medicines: More than 24 tons of medicine and medical supplies, including a donated shipment of medical supplies coordinated by the governor of Iowa’s office and 2,000 sheets from Hilton Hotels donated to hospitals in Haiti.

Latrines: A total of 3,000 latrines have been delivered to Haiti to date. A total of 1,000 PolyJohn latrines, which were purchased and donated by the Clinton Foundation to UNICEF, and 20 cordless drills, which were donated by Home Depot to help set up the latrines.

Clothing: A total of about 391,700 articles of clothing for men, women, and children have been delivered to Haiti to date. SAE-A donated 104,511 articles of clothing. Forever 21 donated 52 pallets of women’s and girls’ clothing to the Haitian Ministry of Women’s Affairs. AIT Worldwide Logistics and Sterling Transportation provided pro bono trucking of the goods to Miami. In addition, Forever 21 delivered 50,000 shirts to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. About 18,000 pieces of worker clothing, including gloves, shirts, shorts, and pants, were donated by Carhartt. American Apparel donated 10,000 shirts to the people of Haiti. Wrangler donated about 200 pieces of male clothing. Timberland donated 822 pairs of flip-flops. Crocs donated 447 pair of shoes. BU and the Duck donated children’s clothing and shoes.

Stoves: Working with several nonprofit organizations such as AIDG and Earth Trees and People, the Clinton Foundation has helped to deliver over 2,350 stoves to Haiti, for Haitian families.
Whistles: 2,000 whistles were purchased by the Clinton Foundation and distributed to women as a safety measure.

Mobile Command Center: A mobile command center was purchased by James Lee Witt Associates and transported to Haiti by the Clinton Foundation. It will be used to facilitate communications and reporting by the government of Haiti and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the upcoming months.

Educational Needs: To meet educational needs for students displaced from school, the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) is working with the Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) to place Haitian students into U.S. universities, facilitate faculty exchanges, provide material assistance toward reconstruction in the education sector, and establish connections between Haitian and international secondary education institutions.

February Supply Deliveries
On February 5, on his second trip to Haiti after the earthquake, President Clinton delivered supplies, coordinated through the Clinton Foundation and OSE, which included the following:
50 laptops from the IBM Foundation for the government of Haiti; 5,000 protein bars donated by Health Management Resources Corp; 400 protein bars from Element bars; 280 tents donated by Kelty
20 generators donated by Home Depot; 20 extension cords for generators; 4 pallets of 10 x 25 polyethelene sheeting donated by Home Depot; 2 pallets of five-gallon buckets donated by Home Depot; Approximately 1,900 pounds of medical supplies as well as 100 pairs of walkers and crutches, for GHESKIO, a Haitian health clinic in Port-au-Prince

January Supply Deliveries
On January 18, during his first trip to Haiti after the earthquake, President Clinton delivered supplies including: 5,000 bottles of water; 1 pallet of food; medical supplies, including syringes, medicines, anesthetics, painkillers, first aid, and surgical supplies; 32 generators, 72 work lights, extension cords, gas cans, and 150 solar flashlights donated by Home Depot; Walmart in Linden, New Jersey; Costco and BJ’s in the Bronx and Rite Aid