Donor Fatigue? Massive Pakistan Flood Attracting Little In Way of Relief Efforts
At a time where most nations haven't even kept their pledges of relief to Haiti, this is very bad timing for the flood-ravaged country of Pakistan.
In the meantime, President Zardari went off on a state visit to France, infuriating Pakistanis:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that he had never seen anything like the flood disaster in Pakistan and urged foreign donors to speed up assistance to the 20 million people affected.
“I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today,” Mr. Ban said after flying over hard-hit areas with President Asif Ali Zardari. “I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.”
The secretary general visited Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis struck there in May 2008, killing an estimated 138,000 people. Two months earlier, he flew to Sichuan Province in China, just days after an earthquake killed nearly 90,000 people.
Mr. Ban’s comments also reflected widespread concern about the unfolding disaster in Pakistan. The country is battling militants from Al Qaeda and the Taliban and has a weak and unpopular government, while its anemic economy is propped up by international assistance.
The floods, which began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous northwest, have hit about one-quarter of the country, especially its agricultural heartland. While the death toll of about 1,500 is relatively small, the scale of the flooding and the number whose lives have been disrupted are staggering. On Saturday, the prime minister said 20 million people had been made homeless.
The United Nations has appealed for an initial $460 million to provide relief, but only 20 percent has been given.
The relief effort has had nowhere near the success of aid for Haiti after its earthquake:
ISLAMABAD – The global aid response to the Pakistan floods has so far been much less generous than to other recent natural disasters — despite the soaring numbers of people affected and the prospect of more economic ruin in a country key to the fight against Islamist extremists.
Reasons include the relatively low death toll of 1,500, the slow onset of the flooding compared with more immediate and dramatic earthquakes or tsunamis, and a global "donor fatigue" — or at least a Pakistan fatigue.
If you would like to help, you can give at any the following sites [via Pakistani Perspective].
And I expect excellent results from my contribution.
No W begging for my donations.
Just excellent results.
They can start with New Orleans.
I'm a lot like Ricky Gervais and the Golden Globes: Why?
things are only going to get worse... weather will get more extreme, more people will be displaced, less aid for devastated areas...
“The climate is changing,” said Jay Lawrimore, chief of climate analysis at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. “Extreme events are occurring with greater frequency, and in many cases with greater intensity.”
There's your problem, Sam.
But weren't we talking about donations?
Donation Fatigue?
Why do you want to make it about how people should stop having children instead?
I'm a lot like Ricky Gervais and the Golden Globes: Why?
Well, the whole breeding thing is arguable.
But the fact that there are signs of donation fatigue already is troubling. Granted, Pakistan isn't an easy one for many to feel comfortable giving money to considering there's not only widespread corruption (similar to Haiti) but that the corrupted dollars will most likely go toward the bad guys in the "war on terror."
But, with flooding, wildfires, droughts and all the upcoming food shortages as a result of this stuff, economic uncertainty I'm guessing many people (whether consciously or not) are starting to hoard a bit more.
Hopefully humanity will one day learn to be humane.
Dr. Rosling's argument is almost mute. Fundamentalist and even moderate Muslim leaders also forbid contraception. Vasectomy and tubal ligation are forbidden in all of Islam. In many cultures, like Pakistan (who has one of the lowest rates of contraception use), having a large family shows favor from god and what a he-man stud the male is. Having few or no children is actually embarrassing.
I would also add the treatment of women as unequals also contributes greatly to population increase and poverty. Dr. Rosling calls for education - if women cannot even go to school that will never happen on the large scale he says is needed.
Haiti and Pakistan have been horribly devastating for several reasons - of course the first is just the scale of the natural disaster. But when there is a huge population in a very small area in very poor living conditions the effect is exacerbated. Or course they should receive help, but if nothing else is done this will just be a viscious circle.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
showed a desperate Pakistani man who had lost everything asking how can he now feed his 2 wives and 10 children.
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
are you joking? its hard to tell sometimes in threads....
"less aid for devastated areas" was about donor fatigue.
you, eroded47095, will learn that it is all about population and that people should stop having children.
And yes, I'm sad. And yes, I feel like a jerk.
But after watching that asshat Zardari off at his chateau in France, after watching the reports of unbelievable corruption in Pakistan, I will not give a nickel.
It's dreadful.
I'm sorry.
But I'm fed up with aid that enables elites to buy jets, chateaus, and Beemers.
If that makes me a jerk, so be it.
we could divert that 3 BILLION a year we send to Israel, and send it to some people who actually need help.
billion to Pakistan? Are we not aiding them anymore? On a personal level, it's tough donating when your having a hard time putting food on the table.
Like Americans.
A cruel mix of "donor fatigue" and a bad economy.
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
but OUR bad economy has never stopped that yearly donation to Israel, so they can have a good economy!
You sound like Mel Gibson. Take it as you like.
It's about maintaining The American Global Garrison.
Of which Israel is an integral part.
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
as a matter of fact, it's bigoted of you to conflate the two, that is the Israeli Govt, and Jewish people in their entirety. Not. The. Same, jimbojames.
me-oww!
And soft power, in the form of foreign aid, used wisely can be every bit as effective as military power. Withdrawing aid from Israel is a good way to indicate displeasure with policies with which the US does not wish to be associated.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
which means that the Taliban will put down their guns and begin to help the population to win hearts and minds. Nothing like a vacuum
for a power base.
Calls for Faster Aid in Pakistan
There are fears disease could spread if wealthy countries do not step up their relief efforts following flooding in Pakistan.
http://www.newslook.com/videos/241795-calls-f...
this is the first domino to fall that will finish off our civilization.
Will they start war with India? Doubts..
I'd been meaning to make a donation to the Red Cross, but forgot. I donate to "where its needed most" to help keep some funds available for needs that have rotated out of the news cycle. I think part of the reason the aid to Pakistan has been anemic is it isn't in the United States' back yard like Haiti, and the rest of the world doesn't have the same emergency response resources that we do. Plus, some of the affected parts of Pakistan are much more dangerous.
For those on limited income who wish to do something there is an internet survey group called I-Say that has donation options to Doctors without Borders, Unicef, Haitian relief, and a few other charities. When you do a survey, you collect points and with those points you may make purchases such as gift cards, cash, or make donations. this does take some time to collect enough points but, over time it adds up.
I try to donate 10 to 20 bucks a month to something or some goup I participate in after I get my SS check-at this point of the month I am stressing already and in need of next months check so this isa another souce of income I can use to help others.
http://www.i-say.com/Home/tabid/36/language/e...
“I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today,” Mr. Ban said after flying over hard-hit areas with President Asif Ali Zardari. “I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.”
The secretary general visited Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis struck there in May 2008, killing an estimated 138,000 people. Two months earlier, he flew to Sichuan Province in China, just days after an earthquake killed nearly 90,000 people.
Like, I said he's either an idiot or a liar.
Pakistan claimed they were our friends and took our money to help us defeat the Taliban. But then they did not help us, and worked against us hiding BinLadin his cohorts Al-Quada and the Taliban, Many of our young service members have died because of their betrayal and I do not believe it has anything to do with donor fatigue.
as lack of press coverage and organized donation drives.
Some of the conversations in here are just sad such as the blame of population levels or the Catholic Church-seems to me it's just mental masturbation to explain away reasons not to care
Helllooo. Let's come cram, oh, say 40 people into your home and see how that works for you when you have to feed and care for all of them. Limitless breeding will always result in a correction. Do you not care about the ones that suffer for that wanton-ness? I know that I can sustain 2 horses on a pasture -- why would I let them breed themselves into starvation and disease?
With the GOP and Corporate Media demonizing all of Islam as terrorists I think that you can expect that many potential donors will fail in aiding Islamic nations.
How much have they pledged?
There are so many countries in that region sitting on billions upon billions of dollars...why don't THEY step up and help their neighbor.
With the ongoing right wing demonization of Muslims, Pakistan will get no support from the average American nor much from the US media. The Dems will run away, most of Europe is having it's own Muslim issues, and the Indians can't help. Seems like a real good opportunity for China to step up and provide some leadership in that part of the world... which would just piss off the right wingers even more. The saddest part is we can't see the human tragedy in all this otherness....somewhere Bob Marley is crying out for One World
But what if they use the money to buy strained goat to feed to terror babies. Will someone PLEASE think of the terror children!
Just like everybody else. Why don't they ask their close neighbors for help?
NOBODY 2012
Someone touched on the idea that this will be the opportunity for the Taliban to win hearts and minds by helping on a local level. This is the same techinque that works for hammas, so wouldn't this also be a good time for the UN to send in help wearing blue helmets and genuinely help these people. At some point, if we (the west) don't show these people kindness in their time of need, the terrorists will own them. Look at how hate has divided our own country. There are folks that would seriously take a bullet for Glen Beck or Rush Limbaugh. Those people are slaves to hate for the sake of a few social issues and taxes. Just wait till the Taliban helps rebuild communities devestated by distaster. You want to see loyalty? You want to see a level of hate directed at us the likes of which god has never seen? Do nothing, but don't say I didn't warn you. As long as we have a military presence in the area, we are invaders. Declare victory, go home and let the UN have their mission.
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