Haiti donors in efficiency pledge

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Haiti and delegates at a donors conference in Madrid have agreed to operate with greater efficiency in the use of funds in the Caribbean nation.

The commitment came after Haiti's prime minister said that 99% of the $750m (£382m) pledged in July had not reached their intended destinations in Haiti.

Since 2004, foreign governments have promised more than $1.5bn (£763m) to the poorest country in the Americas.

Teams from 30 nations and aid agencies attended the forum in Spain's capital.

The conference was called to examine how much money Haiti had received since the aid pledge was made at a similar gathering in July in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

It also aimed to discuss how the country's new elected government planned to carry out reforms to fight rampant corruption, violence and poverty.

Addressing the forum, Haitian Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis said: "So far, 99% of this money has not really been disbursed."

Mr Alexis said he had held talks with the donors how to devise a fast-track mechanism to channel the money for urgent aid projects.

The conference's participants also agreed that they needed to operate and with greater transparency in the use of pledged funds.

Mr Alexis also urged the delegates to continue to support Haiti during what he called a turning point in its development.

A Brazilian-led UN peacekeeping force has been deployed in Haiti since 2004, after a revolt that ousted then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.