HONOLULU — — In a decision that is sure to anger Americans, the United States Agency for International Development has decided not to spend any money in Haiti to help Haitian victims of the 2011 earthquake.
That decision is being criticized as a betrayal of the victims of that earthquake, who had hoped that the money would help them rebuild their lives.
The agency said in a statement Monday that it “rejected the idea of funding reconstruction projects or rebuilding the country” and that the Haitian government has refused to spend the funds.
President Barack Obama has been criticized by critics for not doing enough to help the Haitian people in the aftermath of the disaster.
Obama is in the middle of an election campaign, and he has repeatedly called for the U.S. to provide help to Haitians who have been hurt by the quake.
On Monday, he called for a $10 million Haitian relief fund, saying that the government of Haiti has failed to “ensure the safety and security of all Haitians.”
Obama has criticized the U-S.
for not making enough donations to Haiti.
He has said that $1 billion of U.N. assistance will not help Haitians recover from the earthquake, and the United Nations and U.K. have pledged to send $1.2 billion in aid to Haiti this year.
In September, the U and the U.-K.
made a $5.3 billion agreement for the United Kingdom to contribute $2.5 billion to Haiti and for the two countries to send aid to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
U.S.-led efforts to help Haiti with reconstruction have been met with opposition from Republicans in Congress, who have expressed concerns about U.T.A. funding.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S, and Sen. Bob Corker, R, both Republicans, have called for increased U.C.P. funding for the relief effort.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other top Democratic lawmakers have criticized the decision, calling it a political move by the U of T. Some Haitian organizations have expressed concern that the U could use the money to finance a new building project or to pay for the construction of new housing in Haiti.