Billions pledged at donors conference as UN chief calls for wholesale rebuilding of Haiti

UNITED NATIONS, March 31 (Xinhua) -- More than three dozen nations and organizations have pledged more than 5 billion U.S. dollars so far on Wednesday to assist Haiti following the recent devastating earthquake, just hours after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened a day-long international donors conference by calling for the wholesale rebuilding of the country.

The international donor conference for Haiti is held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States, March 31, 2010.(Xinhua/Shen Hong)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, co-host of the high- level conference, said the United States would pledge 1.15 billion U.S. dollars over the next two years for Haiti's long-term recovery and reconstruction.

"This money will go to supporting the government of Haiti's plan to strengthen agriculture, energy, health, security and governance," she told the conference, adding that all financial donations must be made in a smarter way that produces real results for Haitians.

At least 3.8 billion in pledges is being sought as a first installment in 11.5 billion dollars needed over 10 years for Haiti 's post-quake reconstruction.  

The conference, co-chaired by Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain, brought together representatives from more than 130 countries.

Brazil pledged 172 million dollars and Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign affairs chief, announced the EU's pledge of roughly 1.6 billion dollars.

Montenegro pledged 10,000 dollars, with Georgia and Estonia each promising to donate 100,000 dollars.

In his opening address on Wednesday morning to the conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, Ban appealed to donors to provide 11.5 billion dollars over the next 10 years for the reconstruction of the Caribbean nation.

"What we envision, today, is wholesale national renewal ... a sweeping exercise in national-building on a scale and scope not seen in generations," he told delegates from more than 130 nations attending the high-level meeting aimed at securing the financial resources necessary to help Haiti recover and rebuild after the Jan. 12 quake.