US Moves Closer To Handing Over Promised Aid

WASHINGTON - The U.S. said it is moving closer to handing over aid promised to Haiti for its reconstruction in the post earthquake era.
Philip J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State at the U.S. State Department, Philip J. Crowley, yesterday revealed that the government has completed the process that was laid out in the supplemental appropriation approved by Congress.

`The spend plan has been approved, the way has been cleared, and we have transferred the first tranche of money, $120 million, to the Department of Treasury,` Crowley revealed yesterday.
He said the Treasury, `over the next day,` will transfer that money to the World Bank for the Haiti Reconstruction Fund. The money was promised to Haiti to help the country rebuild after the devastating earthquake of January 12th.

His comments come as Haiti now battles a cholera epidemic and deaths from Hurricane Tomas. On Tuesday, Crowley said the Obama administration will continue to work very closely with the Haitian Government and its Ministry of Public Health in the aftermath of Hurricane Tomas.

He said there are 16 treatment centers that have been established in Port-au-Prince by the Government of Haiti `and these are doing an effective job, in increasing the Haitian Government`s surveillance efforts to evaluate both the ongoing cholera outbreak and the potential impact that the rains from Hurricane Tomas is having. `

So far there have been 8,138 reported cholera cases and 544 deaths.