Red Cross cannot ignore devastating Haiti report

You know an investigative news story has struck a nerve when the reaction is a warning to its authors that can be summed up thusly: It will be on your heads if there’s violence.

The purpose is to divert attention away from the issue at hand, in this case the American Red Cross’ rebuilding effort in earthquake-torn Haiti. But, try as he may, David Meltzer, the Red Cross’ general counsel and head of the international division, can’t downplay the devastating report by National Public Radio and ProPublica, an investigative journalism organization.

Meltzer did try. Here’s how he responded to inquiries by the NPR/ProPublica reporters about the $500 million raised by the Red Cross for Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 200,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Meltzer accused the news companies of “creating ill will in the community, which may give rise to a security incident.”

“We will hold you and your news organizations fully responsible,” the general counsel said in an email.

He insisted that the charity helped millions through difficult circumstances, including a cholera outbreak and a government in disarray.

The humanitarian need from the magnitude-7.0 earthquake was so great that many aid organizations, charities, churches and others rushed to help the Haitians cope with the devastation.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

There were global fundraising campaigns and money flowed into the coffers of entities such as the American Red Cross. Because it raised about a half-billion dollars, there was every expectation that the recovery effort in Haiti would result in a new and improved country.

But journalists and objective observers who have been monitoring the situation closely for the past five years agree that the rebuilding of lives and of homes, public buildings and infrastructure has failed to meet expectations.

Here’s a portion of the investigative report that has undoubtedly caused the Red Cross to circle the wagons:

“NPR and ProPublica went in search of the nearly $500 million and found a string of poorly managed projects, questionable spending and dubious claims of success,” according to a review of hundreds of pages of the charity’s internal documents and emails, as well as interviews with a dozen current and former officials.”

As an example of promises not kept, the report points to the Red Cross’ claim that it has provided homes to more than 130,000 people. However, NPR/ProPublica found that the number of permanent homes built by the charity is six. That’s not a misprint. It’s six.

The Red Cross also claims on its website that all the money it collected for Haiti relief – $500 million – went to help 4.5 million Haitians “get back on their feet.”

But individuals in Haiti contend that there aren’t 4.5 million people living in the areas affected by the earthquake.

The NPR/ProPublica report makes for compelling reading because it shows what can happen when a charity is so preoccupied with its public image.

The American Red Cross’ effort in Haiti and the overarching question of where the half-billion dollars went need to be the focus of a congressional hearing. After all, the American people dug deep into their pockets to donate to a humanitarian cause.