The term denotes the slow influx of aid and donations form countries that used to be generous enough to send billions of dollars to countries that have been devastated by disasters like the recent catastrophes in Myanmar and China. The government has sent aid but for most of the private individuals who used to give a buck or two to help people rebuild their lives, donations are relatively small compared to other disasters on record. Maybe its the recent financial crunch that has many either fearing the loss of their jobs in the coming months or maybe just that they are quite fed up with the situation as in Myanmar with the government committing crimes against humanity by refusing to help their own residents. They initially refused to accept aid from Western nations saying they had the capacity to do it on their own, but as the obvious became apparent and they finally let some aid in the officials of the Military Junta began to stockpile imported aid for their own sending rotten stores to their citizens.
This is a sad yet true story for even the most generous people do have to deal with their own financial woes. China, which has spent billions of dollars in developing and constructing new structures (airport, athletic venues and other such Olympic aimed infrastructures), has appealed for aid from the outside world countering their previous denial for aid. Myanmar which showcases everything as normal even with the rest of the world saying and knowing it isn’t is truly hypocrisy in the highest levels. With thousands of corpses lining rivers and villages, and with no immediate sanitary way of dealing with them the threat of epidemics is high and possible.
People will continue to give like they have always done in the human tragedies of past but world wide economic slowdown may make it more difficult for those who give and receive aid. People are also frustrated that even with the billions in aid being sent to areas and people in need, their government’s themselves fail to take up the cause of helping their own. The world is filled with compassionate and caring individuals that allow us to remain human, compassionate and ever helpful.
A reality that has to be accepted is that these people will have to do the healing by themselves and that is by far the only certainty in this disaster plagued world. The resilience of humans has amazed us in all of the world’s disasters from then till now, let us just hope we as a part of the human race continue to help each other in spite of political, ideological and other differences.
How To Safely And Efficiently Donate To Haiti
The advent of mobile technology has made giving donations to charities so much easier. When the awful flooding hit The Philippines late last year, major mobile carriers in the country opened up text lines to accept donations. When news of the Haiti earthquake became known, the same thing has happened in a much wider scale.
Experts tell us, however, that while it is convenient for us to donate through text messages, it may take up to 90 days before the money actually gets to the people who can use the money to help the victims. The good news is that mobile carriers are already implementing measures to help hasten the process.
On the other hand, this convenience has also opened up possibilities of scammers getting through to well-intentioned individuals. As such, you have to be careful and discerning in how you donate money to Haiti. Here are some tips to help you out.
• Check out numbers with the mentioned charity. You can do this by going to their web site or giving them a call. Facebook status messages are all over the place: send HAITI to this number and that number to donate to certain charities. Before you send anything, check it out first.
• Do not click on links in e-mails and instant messages automatically just because they say something about Haiti. This is a formula for disaster. Either you get a virus or you become a victim of phishing. Again, whatever the charity is, make sure you check it out first. Google is not here for nothing, you know.
• Visit the Better Business Bureau’s web site or give them a call. If you want to donate to a certain group and you have misgivings, your best bet is to get in touch with this agency.
Have you done your part yet? If not, it’s time that you did, but make sure you do it safely!
Philippine Residents In Need Of Donations
Remember what happened to Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina hit several years ago? The hurricane dumped more than an inch of rainfall for three hours, and then it dumped 0.5 inches of rain for the next 5 hours or so. We all know what happened.
Now think of a tropical storm dumping an average of 2.24 inches of rain per hour for six hours straight. Think of a metropolis crammed with millions and millions of people – many of them living near swollen rivers in makeshift shanties. You can just imagine the disaster!
This is exactly what happened to Metro Manila and outlying areas on Saturday, September 26. The center of the nation was left helpless under the wrath of nature. Even the business district was flooded, with cars being swept away by the flood waters.
Ordinary people were left stranded in the middle of the highways. Others were stuck on the roofs of their houses. The less fortunate ones were carried away by the raging waters.
One thing is clear: these people need help.
You will be amazed at how quickly the Filipino people are banding together to offer their help. Numerous institutions have opened their arms as hosts to those who have been displaced. Churches, schools, and community centers have risen to the occasion. Others have volunteered to pack relief goods. People have also been using technology non-stop to do their part – spreading information, asking for rescue, even sending donations to the Philippine Red Cross through their mobile phones. Nothing is too small, and nothing too big – the Filipino nation is showing their “bayanihan” spirit and is proud of it.
For those who want to donate or help in whatever way you can, here’s the relevant information.
• Red Cross donation via SMS: text RED
• Relief goods can be sent to Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandaca Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (tel.no. 5639298/5639308). Relief goods can also be brought Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Corner EDSA (tel no. 9257931-40).
• TeamManila stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk, Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas to displaced countrymen due to Typhoon Ondoy.
• Generous souls in the US who wish to help in the rescue and relief operations, you may donate through the American Red Cross. Call 1-800-435-7669.
Disaster Relief Groups: The First Respondents to Disaster
For the last couple of years, the natural disasters as we have heard such as the famous Tsunami, earthquakes, and super typhoons have added to the already miserable lives of the unfortunate people of today. There have been a number of people who have perished while the ones who did not would need to claw their way back to get back on their feet.
Disaster relief missions provide a temporary assistance, especially to stricken regions and countries. This is the beauty of what allied nations have today. Despite political indifferences, in times of need, this doesnt matter. The Red Cross is usually the first one to respond to such needs and this has been their trademark for some years now.
While there are people who do not think twice, the joint efforts for such disaster stricken countries is highly commendable. Without such efforts, who knows how many people may have suffered a worst fate today.
[tags]red cross, disaster relief, natural disasters, tsunami[/tags]