How USAID squandered billions in Haiti and around the globe

DOGE wants to see where our tax dollars go, and we should let them.No surprise that the “government industrial complex” will resist every effort to bring transparency and accountability to how those funds are spent when the system is ripe with problems.I’ve had first-hand experience with USAID and other international aid organizations, such as the World Bank, UNESCO, and even the Red Cross, during my 40-plus trips to Haiti after being invited by then Haitian President René Préval to help rebuild the nation following the devastating 2010 earthquake.

And I’ve seen how USAID, along with other NGOs, delivered on very few of their promises, failed to coordinate relief activities, and even skimmed money off the top.The continuing disaster status in Haiti and so many similar places is in part a product of these agencies’ handiwork.What happened in Haiti captures, at the very least, the incompetence — if not the outright corruption — of these international relief organizations.

There is probably no more corrupt government agency than USAID.Since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti killed as many as 300,000 people, the US government has disbursed around $4.4 billion in foreign assistance to the small island nation.At least $1.5 billion was disbursed for immediate humanitarian aid, while another $3 billion went to recovery, reconstruction and development.

Of the at least $2.13 billion in contracts and grants for Haiti-related work, less than $50 million, or 2% went to Haitian organizations or firms.By comparison, $1.3 billion, or 56%, has gone to firms located in or near the US capitol.

Little wonder USAID is so threatened by the sudden scrutiny.It remains unclear how exactly the billions have been spent and whether US tax dollars have had a sustainable impact.USAID and its vendors have generally failed to make such data public. This lack of clarity has led to an inefficient and often deceptive distribution of donations.

USAID, other international relief organi...