International Donors Pledge $1B in Aid for Reconstruction in Haiti, Including Funding for HIV/AIDS

International donors on Tuesday pledged $1.08 billion in aid for reconstruction in Haiti, including funding for HIV/AIDS initiatives, the New York Times reports. The United States has pledged approximately $230 million over a two-year period for the country, which is "struggling" for political stability and basic services, according to the Times. "Today, the Haitian people have a new opportunity to fashion a better future and a new government that is determined to help them seize the opportunity that is before them," Secretary of State Colin Powell said, adding, "The proud and enterprising people of Haiti need and deserve this chance." Powell said that the contribution from the Bush administration would increase threefold the amount of U.S. aid originally intended for this fiscal year. He added that $19 million of the funding would be used primarily to fight HIV/AIDS (Marquis, New York Times, 7/21). Five percent of the Haitian population is living with HIV/AIDS and life expectancy is currently 53 years (AFP/Yahoo! News, 7/20). Haiti is one of 15 countries covered under the five-year, $15 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/14).