Aid Pours Into Asia, Not Reaching Tsunami Victims

Reuters.com ^ | 30/12/04 | Michael Perry

[flitton]

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Hundreds of tons of emergency supplies of tarpaulins, water purification systems, food and medicines poured into Asia on Thursday, but little was reaching injured, sick and hungry tsunami survivors.

Some survivors have seen no aid since the tsunami struck

...

Aid started pouring into Indonesia only to stop at the airport due to a lack of fuel for trucks to move it.

Rescue workers were still struggling to reach some cut off areas and many have been too busy recovering the thousands of disfigured and bloated corpses to help deliver aid.

The United Nations admits only a fraction of aid is getting to where it is needed as the death toll rose above 120,000.

"We are doing very little at the moment," U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland acknowledged in New York. The United Nations estimates up to 5 million people need aid.

"It will take maybe 48 to 72 hours more to be able to respond to the tens of thousands of people who would like to have assistance today -- or yesterday, rather," he said. "I believe the frustration will be growing in the days and the weeks ahead."

(Snip)

"The scale of this disaster is growing by the hour. The devastation is unimaginable," IFRC secretary general Mark Niskala said in Switzerland, adding that the money would provide emergency relief for two million people.

Oxfam said national aid groups were "rising to the challenge," but called on the United Nations to lead the way "Given the scale and scope of this crisis, strong U.N. leadership is critical," said Jasmine Whitbread, the international director of the British-based charity. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan cut short a holiday to oversee the relief operation from New York. The United Nations will launch a major appeal on January 6.

[agrace]

Hey, I know, I can at least make it my tag line...

[Ciexyz]

btt

[unbalanced but fair]

My understanding is that large organizations such as Care, OXFAM, World Vision, etc. set up a fund and money will be used as needed as the recovery progresses. Some of these agencies already had warehouses stocked and were able to deliver water, etc. right away. The representatives from OXFAM and World Vision said they generally don't just give money right away but give or purchase needed supplies themselves. They probably have learned from experience. They also stressed that this would be a very long recovery effort. FYI..one of them mentioned P&G had donated all of their water purification kits.

[AppyPappy]

The lady from Sri Lanka was referring to non-Christian aid. She's a Christian.

Methodist anyway.

Her concern was that people would just give money to the UN or the Red Cross.

[Malleus Dei]

"Hundreds of tons of emergency supplies of tarpaulins, water purification systems, food and medicines poured into Asia on Thursday, but little was reaching injured, sick and hungry tsunami survivors."

D'oh.

It's Asia, where corruption was invented. Virtually none of the aid money will never reach the needy, but will instead fill the bank accounts of the politicians and the oligarchies. 90+% of the aid items will wind up on the black market very quickly, and the people will see little to none of it.

[montag813]

Another reason not to donate anything at all, to nations which easily have enough resources themselves, which siphon away tens of thousands of American jobs every year via outsourcing, whose people danced in the streets as our towers fell, and where you will be lucky if 10% of your cash actually goes to help victims, rather than where the governments want it to go, such as to rebuild wealthy tourist interests.

Why not donate to help people here at home, who don't require a Tsunami to create need, such as the widows and children of our fallen heroes, who get a mere pittance compare to the grotesque sums those greedy 9/11 widows received.

[PleaseNoMore]

Instead of donating to larger charities, I will be giving to local bodies that do significant amounts of missionary work in these areas.

[Hildy]

Let Trump take over...they'll have the supplies in no time and condos in less than 6 months.

[philetus]

I wonder how much is already available on the black market.

[Malsua]

Ya know, I was once in a place that got "aid" after a disaster.(a Blizzard in the 70s).

While I didn't personally profit from it, I know that some folks got tents, food and all sort of stuff for free.

My thought is that the the first wave of aid goes straight into the pockets of the folks on the ground. All this billions of dollars in CASH is going to pay for $5 20oz bottles of water and $10 cans of beans.

What else do you think this influx of cash is going to do? It's going to pay for limited resources at inflated prices.
I don't have the answer, but once our troops are on the ground and the ships that make water are pumping out thousands of gallons per day, it'll finally start doing some good.

[flitton]

I think you're right. The best way is to get the local infrastructure and supply lines back to normal as soon as possible. That way where people do have jobs they can afford to use the local shops etc. keeping the economy going. Enabling people to go back to self sufficiency means that additional aid to those who can't manage without or who need help on top can have it without undermining the economy.