LatinWeek

HAITI: On 17 June the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission (IHRC), set up to oversee the US$5bn in post-quake aid pledged to Haiti by the international community, held its first working session. Chaired by Haiti's Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and former US president and UN Special Envoy Bill Clinton, the IHRC's inaugural session took place amid growing frustration over the lack of progress since the devastating earthquake of 12 January. Only a fraction of the money pledged has been delivered. The spending projects confirmed at this meeting were: a US$20m investment fund to help create jobs by supporting small- and medium-sized Haitian businesses; US$1m from the Clinton Foundation for buildings that can be used as storm shelters in the quake-ravaged towns of Leogane and Jacmel; and US$45m from Brazil and Norway to be allocated in direct funding for the Haitian government.