The tsunami - its not enough....

[oldharry]

Pictures and video off the Tv and internet of the unfolding disaster of the Tsunami leave the mind numbed, and leave us reaching for our wallets and credit cards. And rightly so - those poor souls need all the help they can get, just to survive this terrible disaster.

The outpouring of money and aid is right ,proper and as it should be. But - and its a very big 'but', alongside this is a much bigger scale disaster happening, which just is not news.

Central east Africa is suffering mass starvation, and drought, a million have already died. Just because, like the tsunami victims, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

No huge outpourings of aid, no three minute silences, no massive public appeals for aid. Just 6 corpses in the desert for every 1 on Asia's beaches.

And somehow those 7 dead bodies and the hundreds of thousands alongside them, all look very dead wherever they are. And the grief and need of the survivors seems every bit as real.

I did relief work when I was younger. I have seen and worked with the reality of the suffering of people who have lost everything.

The Tsunami was a massive disaster, but it is too easy to lose sight of the much bigger disaster that is quietly continuing unnoticed, and to feel that having dipped into our pockets to help the Tsunami victims, its enough.

Its not.

Its not.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Perhaps many of us regard much of Africa as a wasted cause.

I can recall 45 years ago, while still at school, advertising and collections for Africa. As best I can recall the advertisements and tactics were much the same as now (eg adopt a child). The advertisements now seem to use the same copy as back then and I would not be very surprised if they use the same photographs.

I suspect that in general terms nothing much has changed in Africa, regardless of the aid, and nothing much will.

John

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I fully sympathise with your view oldharry, and understand the numbers.

The tsunami has caused so much grief around the world for two major and unique reasons. It was a totally natural disaster which no human being could have caused or prevented. Secondly the impact was immediate across a very large area of the world, rather than a situation which developed over a period of time, like many years as is the case in Africa.

 

[Stemar]

I've no expertiose in the matter but I've heard it said that government to government aid is largely a way of throwing money away. It mostly ends up in Swiss accounts. In parts of Africa they call the beneficiaries the Wabenzi - the Mercedes Benz tribe.

Someone (an African) was saying on the radio recently that the most efficient way of helping to raise standards of living is for small teams to run small projects that impact directly on the lives of those who need help - and create education and infrastructure, both of which willl make an on-going difference.

Unfortunately, the various conflicts in Africa, most of which are tacitly or actively encouraged by African governments tend to result in the educated being killed and the infrastructure destroyed. There are enormous problems in Africa, but to a large extent they're manmade, and African made at that. Just look at Dafour. The Government makes it too dangerous for aid workers to help the locals, as soon when things calm down a bit the rebels get going again. Does no one there care about the villagers who only want to eat and have a chance of not getting raped or shot? (Yes I know it's a gross oversimplification and the PC brigade will say it's all General Gordon's fault, but that's another rant I haven't got time for here)

I'm also aware that similar things happen in Asia, where there'll be lots of brand new Mercedes paid for by our generosity, while thousands of people who really need it won't benefit, but it just isn't on the same scale.

 

[mirabriani]

Dearheart and I support an African child. Something which other members of my family have done in the past. In addition to the
direct debit we receive a steady stream of letters suggesting
other items that might be required, especially since Christmas, as
the grandchildren were encouraged to donate their present money
to this cause.
I have to say, I sometimes wonder is this money goes to the child.
Apparently it has to be money and not goods.

Regards Briani

 

[Sans Bateau]

I was listning to Bob Geldof on Radio 4 the other day, whilst he also acknowledged the horror that has occured in Asia, he pointed out that during the 80's millions died id Africa, a slow and painfull death.

On new years eve I was out collecting on behalf of our Rotary club, the combined Rotary clubs of Chichester collected £32,000 in two days!! It is a shame that the same response cannot be generated for, say Africa.

Then on to the cynical bit; the tragedy in Asia is big on the news world wide, people are shocked and rightly want to help. For the world governments to make statements, declarring their intention to help, and the millions they are going to contribute, its good politics, sorry but it's true. On Radio 4 this morning, Oxfam were saying that previous 'donations' by governments around the world often, in reality get watered down. But the decleration at the time is good politics.

The disaster in Asia has the benifit of good TV coverage for the generosity of countries wanting to be seen as 'the good guys' (no names, but you can guess). Unfortunatly that does not apply to Africa, its been going on to long, it's become routine. Africa will never get the attention of the world in the same way, no TV heroics and what is more no oil.

 

[Benbow]

Its all mad isn't it.

If an African owned a yacht with an epirb and the keel fell off in the Southern Ocean, 'we' would spend millions recovering him. On the other hand if he is just starving in Africa, tough luck mate.

I often think about the RNLI turning-out to rescue a slightly inconvenienced yotty. That money would be vastly more effieciently spent in terms of lives saved, if it was used to provide rehydration treatment for sick babies.

 

[cameronke]

Can anyone explain why they never seem to be short of guns and ammunition in Africa? Even in very poor nations with much suffering

Regards
Cameron

 

[Sans Bateau]

Now there is another problem, African countries with rich war lord rulers and starving population. For example Robert Mugabee. But, the west isnt interested as there is no oil at stake. Ask the Iraqies what happens if the country is oil rich.

 

[Benbow]

Guns are very cheap in Africa, an AK47 in Somalia is just a few dollars. You might well ask why, but no guns are actually made in Africa (OK with some special exceptions). The North has been pouring arms and ammunition and land mines into Africa for decades in an attempt to gain short-term political advantage of one form or another.

I certainly don't blame the west for all of Africa's problems, but the hypocrisy of many donors is staggering. American aid is simply a vehicle for self-interest and much less subtle than most. For example food aid (which American law requires to be of American manufacture) kills the value of local crops and makes it impossible for indigenous agriculture to recover following a problem. If the Americans bought food locally and encouraged local production they would be helping, but actually they are giving the vast majority of the much vaunted aid money to American farmers and creating a long term dependency.

Its a complex situation to which there are not simple answers, but EVERY aid donor sees aid as a means of gaining political benefit. Then they moan when the recipients do the same!

 

[oldharry]

Having been involved in relief work I am only too aware that controlling what happens at the receiving end is a major issue, and I have no doubt that of the money pouring in to Asia now, substantial sums will be 'diverted' into this or that, and only a percentage will get through to where it is actually needed, or where the donors intended.

Africa may be a 'lost cause' - but the dead bodies look just as dead, and the grief and pain there is just as great.

But the man who controls the distribution of food and money is the one who holds the real power, and with the huge resources being poured in to Asia presently, the same desparate power struggles as we see in Africa will likely ensue, to the impoverishment of those who need the aid. Its human nature.

Hey ho.. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Newsnight had an interesting take on this. Recent aid appeeals,

Mozambique 40p per head
Chechnya £40 per head
Recent tszunami £400 per head

or something like that, but makes an interesting point