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Tsunami Relief: U.N. answers the call (Bush's Fault: Part XXXXVIII)
Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 12.31.04 | Editorial

Posted on 12/31/2004 4:31:50 PM PST by Fintan


 



 

The huge scale of destruction from the tsunami centered in Southeast Asia gives testimony to the worth of an organization that hasn't gotten much love lately from Washington: the United Nations.

Especially at this moment of urgency, President Bush should not ignore the singular capacity of the United Nations to coordinate the massive relief effort under way.

Help, thank goodness, is making its way to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other nations devastated by Sunday's killer waves. The emergency response can't move fast enough. Televised images now give us a real-time window on victims' suffering more quickly than it is possible to get basic emergency supplies to many of them. That is not a failing of humanitarian organizations; it is a reality of their work. "We are starting with nothing here," said UNICEF's John Budd in a telephone interview from Indonesia. "We have to set up a ground-zero situation here."

Imagine the enormity of the task for government donors, nongovernmental groups such as the Philadelphia-based American Friends Service Committee, and U.N.-related organizations such as UNICEF. There is no food. No clean water. No sanitation. No electricity. No transportation infrastructure. No fuel.

Worse still, some of the areas hit hardest by the tsunami, the Indonesian province of Aceh for one, also have been rived by civil conflict.

Even amid these difficult circumstances, choices can be made to make this operation more efficient.

The helpful choices for the Bush administration are these: Donate more money than the $35 million so far pledged, and fully support the United Nations in being the coordinator.

This administration's lack of enthusiasm for the United Nations is clear. The relationship became more strained during the run-up to the Iraq war, when the U.N. Security Council opposed the military action.

As imperfect as it is, there is no organization or nation - the United States included - that is better positioned than the United Nations to coordinate an effort involving 11 stricken countries, dozens of donor nations, and at least 50 nonprofit aid groups that want to establish programs for tsunami victims.

One person or office needs to be at the top of that pyramid, setting priorities for what supplies need to get to what communities. Someone needs to notice that, let's say, CARE and Save the Children might be setting up similar programs too close to each other.

The United Nations has connections to all of the top nongovernmental, international and government participants. It can quickly assemble expertise from its member nations around the globe.

Funding is the other grand issue in this crisis. The amount of money the United States has donated, to this and other foreign-aid causes, should not be measured by the raw amounts pledged, as some in the Bush administration have weakly argued.

The valid measures are two: (1) what is needed to address suffering on this scale; (2) what a nation's wealth ought to enable it to give. By those measures, the United States' pledge so far is meager. Other industrialized nations have done better.

One more reality needs to be acknowledged. It is not uncommon for nations to pledge money to grand fanfare, then not make good on them once the initial crisis has passed.

With more than 110,000 dead from one of the greatest natural disasters of our time, with hundreds of thousands more without homes or livelihoods and at risk of disease, all promises must be kept.



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: bushsfault; tsunami; tsunami04; tsunamibush; un; unitednations
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I took my 84-year old mother (lifelong Democrat) out to New Year's Eve dinner tonight. She brings up Nightline's "reportage" of our stinginess as a fact and I didn't bother with dessert.

I'm staying home tonight and watching the Three Stooges marathon on AMC...

1 posted on 12/31/2004 4:31:50 PM PST by Fintan
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To: Fintan

Let's ask Rwandans if the UN is the only agency equipped to handle...uh, anything.


2 posted on 12/31/2004 4:35:05 PM PST by Darkwolf377 (Rand-ie, you're a fine girl)
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To: Fintan

The evil and corrupt UN can go straight to hell, oh wait they're already there and running things!


3 posted on 12/31/2004 4:35:35 PM PST by MisterRepublican ("I must go. I must be elusive.")
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To: Darkwolf377

Hey, even batter... ask the Christians in Sudan about the UN!


4 posted on 12/31/2004 4:36:13 PM PST by Kurt_D
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To: Fintan

Since we are doing this to "win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world," I expect that the war on terror will soon become unnecessary.


5 posted on 12/31/2004 4:39:11 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: All

Jeremy Reynalds
P O Box 27693
Alb., NM 87125-7693
Tel: (505) 400-7145
www.joyjunction.org

December 31, 2004

 

Agencies Continue Tsunami Relief Efforts: Lutheran World Relief Receives $3 Million Pledge from Thrivent Financial 

 


     Lutheran World Relief (LWR), an international relief and development organization, has received a $1 million immediate gift and an additional $2 million challenge grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to support its relief efforts in tsunami-ravaged Southeast Asia.

 

        According to a press release from LWR, the funding will be used at once to provide clean water, food, shelter and basic supplies, as well as to repair and rebuild clinics, schools and community centers. It will also purchase locally available building materials for the rebuilding of homes and businesses and provide psychological counseling to survivors dealing with the loss of loved ones.

 

       "Recovery from this devastating natural disaster is a long-term process," said Kathryn Wolford, LWR's president, in the same release. "Gifts such as those given by Thrivent Financial will help Lutheran World Relief build and sustain its "Wave of Giving"rebuilding campaign over the long term."

 

       LWR wants to raise $5 to $10 million for its work in South Asia. To help, Thrivent Financial has established a $2 million challenge matching grant benefitting "Wave of Giving." The dollar-for-dollar challenge is available to Thrivent Financial's 2.8 million members until April 15 2005.
 
     Should the challenge be met, the total support provided by Thrivent Financial and its members would be $5 million.

 

      "As a faith-based membership organization, Thrivent Financial recognizes the important work performed by Lutheran World Relief in helping people help themselves with long-term solutions to disasters and poverty," said Brad Hewitt, senior vice president of Fraternal Operations for Thrivent Financial in the same press release. "The ‘Wave of Giving' exemplifies their long-term view of this indescribable situation. We're happy to give to such a great initiative, and we encourage Thrivent Financial members everywhere to do the same."

 

     The "Wave of Giving" funds will, according to a press release, be coordinated by LWR and "monitored as closely as regular funds LWR manages."

 

    Those wanting to learn more can go to www.lwr.org.
      
     The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is also continuing its response in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman Islands to assist those affected by last Sunday's disaster.
       
     ADRA's office in Sri Lanka is distributing World Health Organization emergency kits, which according to an agency press release will provide a one-month supply of medicine for 90,000 people in Colombo. These three tons of medicines, provided through ADRA Germany, arrived with a team of medical specialists. Formula, valued at nearly $16,000, is also being provided for 1,000 vulnerable infants. Water specialists are arriving from South Africa to rehabilitate the bulk water supply. Nearly 200,000 one-liter bottles of drinking water and 50,000 water purification tablets have been provided. The agency also provided 70 tons of additional emergency medical aid in Sri Lanka.

     
     The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing its multi-country response.

 

     ADRA Indonesia began distribution of 15 tons of rice and 800 boxes of instant noodles this morning in the towns of Lhokeseumawe and Biruen. Today ADRA Spain is scheduled, according to an agency press release, to airlift soymilk, tofu, breakfast cereals with nuts, 500 blankets and 40,000 water purifying tablets. These items, valued at $80,000, will be distributed in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The Government of Spain is providing the airlift. Thursday evening, 708 personal care kits and nearly 250 pounds of toilet paper were scheduled to arrive in Indonesia. These items were provided through ADRA Czech Republic. The government of the Czech Republic provided the airlift.
      
     In India, ADRA has distributed dry food valued at $10,000 and is providing a 10-day supply of food for 7,250 people including rice, dal, cooking oil, suji (cream of wheat), and water. The project, funded by ADRA International, the Adventist church in Southeast India, and the Adventist church's regional headquarters for Southern Asia, is valued at more than $10,000, according to a press release. ADRA is also providing other non-food relief items such as shelter materials, blankets, drinking water, water containers, chlorine tablets, and mosquito nets.
      
     In Thailand, care packages that include items such as rice, instant noodles, Ovaltine, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, water, medicine, and clothing have been provided for 3,000 people in Phuket Province according to an ADRA press release. The kits, valued at $10,000, were funded by ADRA Thailand, ADRA Asia, and ADRA International.

 

      In the Andaman Islands ADRA is distributing non-food emergency items such as blankets, clothing, and shelter materials.

 

     ADRA has set up a crisis command center in Bangkok, Thailand to coordinate its network-wide response.
      
     Those wanting to learn more or give on line can go to www.adra.org.


6 posted on 12/31/2004 4:39:19 PM PST by Cindy
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To: Fintan

How much is CAIR sending?


7 posted on 12/31/2004 4:40:10 PM PST by MrBambaLaMamba (Buy 'Allah' brand urinal cakes - If you can't kill the enemy at least you can piss on their god)
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To: Fintan

I see FoxMo is running "The Commitments." It has a fantastic rendition of Mustang Sally.


8 posted on 12/31/2004 4:40:12 PM PST by Bahbah
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To: Fintan

"As imperfect as it is, there is no organization or nation - the United States included - that is better positioned than the United Nations to FLEECE an effort involving 11 stricken countries, dozens of donor nations, and at least 50 nonprofit aid groups that want to establish programs THE UN CAN ROB BLIND.

My edits in CAPS.

US out of UN, UN out of US!


9 posted on 12/31/2004 4:41:13 PM PST by wvobiwan (Touchdown! Suckers walk...)
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To: Fintan

Twilight Zone marathon on Sci-Fi also.


10 posted on 12/31/2004 4:41:25 PM PST by X-FID (I don't know anyone here that's been killed with a handgun.)
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To: Fintan
This administration's lack of enthusiasm for the United Nations is clear. The relationship became more strained during the run-up to the Iraq war, when the U.N. Security Council opposed the military action.

The last thing the poor victims need is a bunch of UN pedophiles, rapists, thieves, scoundrels, and carpetbaggers descending on them!


11 posted on 12/31/2004 4:42:00 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: All

Prayers Ongoing...

ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP THE EARTHQUAKE/TSUNAMI VICTIMS -- HERE ARE SOME LINKS:

http://www.ob.org
http://www.samaritanspurse.org
http://www.salvationarmy.com


12 posted on 12/31/2004 4:42:32 PM PST by Cindy
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To: Brilliant

When did the media change the word "tidal wave" to tsunami?
Could it not be just left an english word?


13 posted on 12/31/2004 4:42:49 PM PST by JoanneSD
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To: Darkwolf377

I think a simple "I feel your pain," would have been adequate.


14 posted on 12/31/2004 4:43:57 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell (Support our troops.........)
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To: MrBambaLaMamba

How much is al quaida sending?


15 posted on 12/31/2004 4:44:00 PM PST by ladyjane
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To: JoanneSD

I think it depends on where it is. If it's in the Pacific, it's a tsunami. In the Atlantic, a tidal wave.


16 posted on 12/31/2004 4:44:01 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: JoanneSD

Tsunami is accurate, tidal wave is not. Tidal wave implies movement by the moon's gavity, not earthquakes.


17 posted on 12/31/2004 4:45:04 PM PST by wvobiwan (Touchdown! Suckers walk...)
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To: JoanneSD

'tidal wave' is a misnomer, FWIW. There's no relation to tides.


18 posted on 12/31/2004 4:45:24 PM PST by Syberyenta
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To: Fintan

Does anyone have a source to the % of mooselimbs inhabiting these islands/countries affected by the disaster?


19 posted on 12/31/2004 4:46:20 PM PST by evad (DUmmie FUnnies and Pookie Toons-the start of a nice day)
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To: evad

A moose bit my sister once. No! Really! It was....


20 posted on 12/31/2004 4:47:07 PM PST by wvobiwan (Touchdown! Suckers walk...)
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