Monday, September 17, the Ambassador of Qatar, Mohamed Bin Abulla Al-Rumaihi, signed with the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe various grant agreements, for an amount of $12 million, coming from the special Qatar Haiti Fund. These grants cover the areas areas of health, education and social housing. The ceremony was attended by among others, by the former President of the United States Bill Clinton, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Pamela Ann White, Michaëlle Jean and Senator William Jeanty (both council members of the Qatar Haiti Fund).

The projects range from a $2 million grant that goes toward a mobile health clinic set up by Partners in Health of Boston, to a $5.5 million grant that goes toward the University of Notre Dame and the Xavier University of Louisiana. One million of that will be earmarked for scholarships for students.

The Qatar Haiti Fund and the United States Agency for International Development also signed a memorandum of understanding to build about 150 to 200 permanent homes for people displaced by the earthquake on a land donated by the Haitian government. The homes will be built in Cabaret (Northwest of Port-au-Prince).

"I hope it will set an example for other donors who have committed funds but have not been specific yet about when they will deliver," declared Clinton about Qatar. "The Qataris have kept their word and done it in an intelligent, forward-looking way."

Photo : Sat in the front from left to right : The Ambassador Mohamed Bin Abulla Al-Rumaihi, the Ambassador of the United States in Haiti, Pamela Ann White, the former U.S. President Bill Clinton ; in the second row behind Bill Clinton the Senator Jeanty, and on his left Michaëlle Jean ; to the stand the Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe.

HL/ HaitiLibre