 In 2015 , NPR and <unk> investigated the disappearance of US $ 500 million donated to the American Red Cross , described as " one of the most successful fundraisers ever " . Despite the claims of the American Red Cross that 130 @,@ 000 homes had been built , the investigation discovered that only six had been built . The investigation reviewed " hundreds " of pages of internal documents and interviewed " more than a dozen " former and current staff members , and investigated the organization 's claim that 4 @.@ 5 million Haitians had been helped " back on their feet " despite Joel <unk> , a Haitian government advisor , stating that this number would cover " 100 percent of the urban area " , and observing that this would mean they had served every city in Haiti . Numerous other claims did not hold up under investigation , and it was found that the project was riddled with " multiple staffing changes " , bureaucratic delays and a language barrier as many of the Red Cross officials did not speak French or Creole . General counsel for the American Red Cross , David <unk> , directed the investigators to their official statistics , but would not elaborate on them . The public affairs office of the Red Cross disputed NPR and <unk> 's claims in an email , and claimed that the investigative report could cause an international incident . The American Red Cross has handed over the rebuilding efforts to the Haitian Red Cross . 
