Posted on 02/12/2005 5:19:01 AM PST by jalisco555
GALLE, Sri Lanka- At the main warehouse in Galle, mountains of cardboard boxes and suitcases ready to burst take up a quarter of the cavernous building.
Some are labeled ``Aid for Tsunami Victims,'' but their contents - winter jackets, expired cans of salmon, stiletto shoes, winter tents, thong panties and even Viagra - have left Sri Lankans scratching their heads.
Unprecedented aid poured in after the Dec. 26 tsunami, but some of those wanting to help were perhaps too eager, shipping items of no use in tropical Sri Lanka. And seven weeks after the disaster, no one knows what to do with some supplies piled up at government buildings, aid agencies and refugee camps.
``These items just cannot be used here,'' said storekeeper H. Wickremabandara, noting the average temperature is 82 degrees. ``There are all these old clothes and no one wants them.''
Banners along the devastated coast read ``Help the displaced'' and ``We need your help,'' with an arrow pointing to a nearby refugee camp. But authorities, aid workers and the displaced have a common plea - no more clothes and bottled water, please.
In the warehouse in Galle, a hard-hit district where aid is being distributed to 120,000 people, cardboard boxes are stacked to the ceiling.
Battered suitcases tied with rope or tape contain blankets, winter coats and woolen Mickey Mouse pajamas. One suitcase held only heavily embroidered curtains - complete with steel hooks.
Boxes were torn apart by the weight of bottled water, some collecting dust as more unwanted stocks arrived.
Although bottled water was initially needed urgently, most water sources have been restored and purification systems have been set up by aid agencies.
Officials also complain that labels don't always tell the full story, meaning every box must be inspected. Three boxes labeled sheets actually contained wool blankets. Expired cans of salmon were found among clothes.
In a country where most people wear flip-flops or sandals, some boxes held only used shoes, including soccer cleats, boots and silver evening shoes with 4-inch heels.
Most of these unusable supplies are from individual donors, small overseas charities or private companies. Others were from Sri Lankans who seemed to have cleared out their closets.
The larger aid agencies conduct surveys before sending aid, or link up with local non-governmental groups to assess needs.
``We don't have such problems as we don't accept any stuff that the people don't need,'' said Charles Blake of the International Committee of the Red Cross, pointing to much-needed hygiene kits and sleeping mats.
Though Sri Lankans laud donors for their good intentions, it appeared some suppliers didn't think before sending a shipment.
R. Buddadasa, a state official handling relief in Galle, said milk from the Middle East and Austria was held back because of worries it would spoil. Eighteen boxes, each containing 100 baby bottles, also were not sent to refugees due to the lack of sterilization facilities in the camps.
But clothes are the real problem. Keerthi de Soysa held her head as a truck unloaded seven cardboard boxes full of clothing at a makeshift camp in Balapitiya.
``Oh no! More clothes,'' she said. ``We're not beggars. We don't need these hand-me-downs.''
The new arrivals will likely end up on a heap in the compound where refugees cook over open fires and use garments as pot holders.
``It's clear that some people have sent clothes that are actually meant to be used as dusters,'' said Himali Fernando, another aid official. ``We don't mean to be ungrateful, but it would be appreciated if people take a little more care before just unloading their basements and garages.''
An embarrassed Fernando said the black-and-pink thong underwear will not be offered to refugees. Nor would a spaghetti-strap, sequin-studded black evening dress. Still, she said, nothing will be thrown away. Warm clothing may be sent to shelters or to tea plantation workers in the hills, where the climate is cooler.
Among the most unlikely supplies sent in were six packs of Viagra from Australia, said Gandhi Saundararajan of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization.
``We were quite nonplussed,'' he said.
jalisco555 wrote:
Well, I guess I'll have to find someplace else to dump my used winter boots and running shoes on.
--> Are those boots steel toes? You can dump that steel toe right up Koffi' Annan's AZZ!!
well, I feel it to be a civic duty on my part to pay shipping, to myself, for all that Viagra..so let me know who to contact please, and I will do the honorable thing
Ingrate. Maybe these "hand-me-downs" were the best some people could offer.
Was there a community of cross-dressing flashers with erectile problems in Sri Lanka?
LOL. A far better use, I agree.
After seeing what happened to Eason Jordan I think Kofi is next on the hit list.
Just another article pushing the notion that nothing but CASH is acceptable. Nobody seems to want anything used either -- send new or don't send at all. Just send cash.
Are we taking care of our dead and wounded soldiers as well as we're taking care of the barstads wearing Bin Ladin t-shirts in Indonesia?
That's too much information.
Then who's responsible for this other stuff? The article never addresses that.
I want Kofi's hide, but I want that bleep-bleep Ward Churchill applying for unemployment.
Sure am glad the UN Management Team is there. I can see the effect of the UN takeover of the aid effort are begining to show.
and here I thought I was just being a good citizen
as in them old preachers .. "money is the root of all evil, give me all your money and I will deal with the devil for you"
Many things are acceptable, but in situations like this, a lot of people just use the opportunity to dump whatever they don't want (often just for the tax write-off involved). This also happens when there are disasters in the US. It is not even limited to disasters. I have read numerous stories of Americans sending over completely useless things to the troops overseas. When people donate things, they need to keep in mind who they are sending it to.
Just another article pushing the notion that nothing but CASH is acceptable.
Yup.
Am I the only one who reads something like this and thinks of scum using a tragedy to line their own pockets? I mean, is some of this stuff inventory that was going to be written off at cost being converted to charity and expensed at retail value? Are people sending trash to be deducted as a charitable gift against their income taxes? Are there those who set up collections for the victims only to use the money to buy nearly worthless inventory from family or friends?
I'm sure 90+% of those giving are genuine good Samaritans but this story seems to paint a picture that not all are.
When you consider the tons of charity supplies sent to Sri Lanka, there's bound to be some ... odd ... items in the collection. Just throw it away and keep the rest. It looks pretty ungrateful to be whining about the stuff you're being given, even if some of it is just plain stupid.
Nope :) Which is why it's important to find out where this stuff is/was coming from. Jeez louise, it's Journo 101: Who, What, Where, When, Why.
Who sent this cr@p? Why?
I have three words, IJ: Oil For Food.
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