Red Cross Haiti Reports Are ‘Inaccurate’

A ProPublica and NPR investigation found that internal Red Cross documents show the charity’s reporting on earthquake aid to Haiti is “inaccurate,” and that it “failed to properly track its own spending, oversee projects, or even know whether or not they were successful.” A review commissioned by the Red Cross found that it didn’t track how funds given to anti-cholera organizations were used, for instance, and that they were “mismanaged” in at least one instance. The blame, it says, lies largely on the organization’s leadership in Washington and not in field zones. The Red Cross accused the reporters of mischaracterizing its work and said in an email that it will no longer respond to requests for comment. The consultant hired to review its work told the reporters that the Red Cross had asked her to train staff on working more efficiently.