More than 120 countries are meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York City in the hope of raising almost $4 billion for Haiti's recovery over the next 18 months. That goal seems likely to be met, if not exceeded. So far, nearly $3.4 billion has been pledged. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told delegates the United States would give $1.15 billion. The European Union has pledged almost $1.7 billion, Spain said it would give $346 million, Brazil pledged $172 million, and Canada has promised $100 million. Other countries will announce their contributions throughout the day. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the goal was not just to rebuild Haiti but to transform its history of deep poverty and dysfunction. "What we envision today is a wholesale national renewal, a sweeping exercise in nation-building on a scale and scope not seen in generations," he told the conference. Haiti needs $11.5 billion to rebuild over the next decade, according to an assessment drawn up by its government and foreign technical experts.
