Summary: Aid provided by the United States and other donors has fallen far short of the amount needed by El Salvador to move ahead with post-war reconstruction and reform programs mandated by the 1992 peace agreement. The Salvadoran government estimates that it needs about $1.83 billion through 1996 to finance the remaining programs mandated by the peace agreements, but government and international donors, including the United States, have committed only $1.15 billion so far--a shortfall of about $682 million. Donors have pledged another $197 million in assistance, but the agreements for this funding have not been finalized and obtaining more donor pledges is unlikely. The Salvadoran government may be able to increase its own contributions however, as better-than-expected economic growth is forecast over the next several years. The development of the National Civilian Police and its academy has been slow due to insufficient funding. Although police recruits from the academy are being deployed, they are undertrained and poorly equipped. Land distribution to ex-combatants and landless civilians as well as the National Reconstruction Plan have been delayed by disagreements between the government and former opposition forces over program elements. These programs have also been plagued by technical and administrative problems. The upshot is that only 12 percent of all planned recipients had received land as of June 1993, and only about $32 million of the $98 million earmarked for the National Reconstruction Plan has been disbursed.
