International Medical Corps Meets with Presidents Clinton and Bush in Haiti

The purpose of the one-day visit was to highlight continuing critical needs in Haiti prior to a March 31 U.N. donors’ conference in New York, where Haitian officials will request $11.5 billion to aid reconstruction in the wake of the January 12 earthquake.

President Clinton stated that they hoped to coordinate efforts between aid organizations and the Haitian government to make the most of the huge global outpouring of support. "The most important thing in the short run is to coordinate what the NGOs do with the long-term plans that the Haitian government has. They can't be a self-sufficient country unless we both are transparent in this aid and build the capacity of the government," Clinton said.  

“The meeting with former presidents Bush and Clinton brought together NGO partners to discuss how we can support the long-term development of Haiti, including strategies to relocate the displaced into safer, longer-term housing with the onset of the rainy season,” explained Agron Ferati, Director of Program Development, International Medical Corps.