International aid agencies have urged donors to open their wallets for quake-hit Haiti, saying their hesitancy to offer funding amid ongoing political uncertainty could keep tens of thousands of children in the disaster zone out of school.

On August 14, more than 2,200 people were killed in a 7.2-magnitude quake devastated the southwestern part of the country, which is also in the throes of a years-long political crisis intensified by the July murder of president Jovenel Moise.

While the capital Port-au-Prince is reeling over the deepening political chaos, thousands of families in the quake zone who have lost everything now face the possibility of a lost year of education, with classes due to start in two weeks.

"We estimate that 200,000 children will not be able to return to school as planned this year if we do not reinforce our efforts to support the country in the coming days," said Bruno Maes, head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Haiti.

"Thirty-nine million dollars are needed for emergency humanitarian and education aid -- barely five million has been allocated."

For Janez Lenarcic, the European Union commissioner for crisis management who visited Haiti on Friday and Saturday, "there is definitively a sign of what can be called donor fatigue."

The EU has unblocked three million euros ($3.5 million) in emergency aid since the earthquake, but has asked for guarantees about democratic reforms before full development aid resumes.

"It's so important that this political crisis is solved, that the institutions are strengthened and that oversight is improved, that corruption is rooted out, because without this, development aid cannot achieve its purpose," Lenarcic said.

More than 16 percent of all schools in the quake zone were destroyed in the disaster, and more than half suffered some kind of damage and cannot welcome students until the buildings are reinforced.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Climate change could force 216 million from their homes: World Bank
Washington (AFP) Sept 13, 2021
Reduced agricultural production, water scarcity, rising sea levels and other adverse effects of climate change could cause up to 216 million people to leave their homes and migrate within their own countries by 2050, the World Bank has warned. The estimate from the Washington-based development lender released Monday updates a 2018 report with new figures from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, North Africa and East Asia and the Pacific to provide a more complete overview of the potential toll from ris ... read more