Haiti Recovery Effort Boosted by Billions in Pledges at U.N.
Conference  BY Larisa Epatko  March 31, 2010 at 5:19 PM EST
Representatives of 130 countries met Wednesday in New York to
pledge support and funding for Haiti’s vast rebuilding effort
following its devastating January earthquake.  Haiti is seeking
$3.8 billion over the next 18 months as the first step in an
$11.5 billion package that President Rene Preval has sought to
rebuild schools, hospitals and homes.  At the donor conference
held at U.N. headquarters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged nations to contribute
toward the initial amount.  The United States promised to send
$1.15 billion over the next two years, and the European Union
answered the call with 1.235 billion euros, which amounts to
about $1.6 billion. Brazil, which has taken the lead in Haiti’s
peacekeeping force, also pledged $172 million.  With the promise
of so much funding comes the question of how much will actually
make it to Haiti.  To he