The biggest donors to the aid effort after the Asian tsunami have made spending plans for less than 60 percent of the billions they promised, raising doubts about the pace of rebuilding five months after the disaster.
Aid allocation figures show just 58 percent of the 5,3 billion US dollar promised by the top 10 donor governments and multilateral organizations has been disbursed, committed or budgeted for specific programs.
That leaves 2,2 billion dollar of pledges not earmarked and which governments and aid agencies in tsunami-hit countries will struggle to include in planning as relief efforts give way to reconstruction, according to research by humanitarian news Web site Reuters AlertNet.
The United States, which has pledged the most to the tsunami effort, has so far committed 366 million dollar or 43 percent of its 857 million dollar promise of specific tsunami-related aid, according to AlertNet research.
That includes 226 million dollar in military assistance.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
