Tsunami Aid: It's Time to Deliver
\nJP\/7\/STRAIT<\/p>\n
Tsunami Aid: It's Time to Deliver<\/p>\n
Thang D. Nguyen
\nThe Straits Times
\nAsia News Network
\nSingapore<\/p>\n
As a United States military aircraft carrying former
\npresidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior touched down in
\nBanda Aceh, the area worst hit by the Asian tsunami, the only
\nbuildings they saw still standing were a few mosques and
\nchurches. The rest were, to put it simply, gone with the tsunami,
\nwhich hit on Boxing Day last year.<\/p>\n
Clinton said: "I've never seen anything like this in my entire
\nlife. Ever." Bush, whom his son, current U.S. President George W.
\nBush, appointed, along with Clinton, to lead a nation-wide fund-
\nraising campaign in the U.S. for Asia's tsunami victims, added:
\n"I don't think there's ever been a tragedy that affected the
\nheartbeat of the American people as much as this tsunami has
\ndone."<\/p>\n
It was heartening to see these leaders visit tsunami-hit
\ncountries together. Throughout the 1990s, they were political
\nrivals. Today, they are working side-by-side for a good cause.
\nFurthermore, their visits meant a great deal to those affected by
\nthe tsunami, for it was a sign that the world cares, and with
\nhelp from the international community, victims believe they can
\nrebuild their lives.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the tsunami, many countries around the world
\nsent troops, aid workers, and supplies to Indonesia and several
\nother affected nations.<\/p>\n
More importantly, some of the world's most powerful nations
\npledged generous aid. Altogether, about US$7 billion (S$11.4
\nbillion) was promised. After their visits, however, the two ex-
\npresidents warned that another $4 billion would be needed.<\/p>\n
But while additional aid is welcome, the real challenge for
\ncountries affected by the tsunami is to actually receive the
\nfunds the international community had originally promised. In
\nother words, a pledge is still a pledge until, and unless, it is
\n"delivered".<\/p>\n
While promises are easy to make, they are easy to break, too.
\nThis has happened before. After the earthquake that killed 25,000
\npeople and flattened the ancient city of Bam in Iran -- which,
\ncoincidentally, occurred on Boxing Day of 2003 -- the
\ninternational community pledged $1 billion to Iran. Yet, it is
\nestimated that the amount of aid that has actually been delivered
\nto Bam stands somewhere between $17 million and $115 million.<\/p>\n
While the estimated range is wide, even at the most generous
\nestimate, it is still far below the promised amount.<\/p>\n
For a number of reasons, victims of natural disasters often do
\nnot get the aid that the world promises. First, a lack of
\ncoordination and monitoring means that a lot of international aid
\nfalls through the cracks. What's more, corruption in local
\ngovernments can result in some aid being siphoned off. In
\naddition, as Hugh Goyder, an independent development consultant,
\nput it: "There is the risk of multiple funding of the same
\nproject."<\/p>\n
Moreover, it is easy for countries or individuals from around
\nthe world to make pledges and fail to keep their word after the
\ninternational media has moved on to other, newer global events.<\/p>\n
This is often called the "CNN effect": Whatever event the
\nmedia chooses to highlight, it must be important. By the same
\ntoken, however serious an event, it factors little in the public
\nconsciousness if there are no cameras covering it. The world
\nforgets.<\/p>\n
That, however, is the world on TV. In reality, nearly three
\nmonths after the disaster, the battle fought by its victims and
\naid workers is far from over. In fact, it has only begun.<\/p>\n
It is easy for the international community to think the
\ntsunami is a thing of the past and fail to deliver on the
\npromised aid. But those who make such pledges should remember, to
\nparaphrase American poet Robert Frost, that they have promises to
\nkeep, and victims of the Asian tsunami have miles to go before
\nthey sleep.<\/p>\n
The writer is director of programs at the Jakarta-based United
\nin Diversity forum, which is working on an initiative to help
\nrebuild Aceh.<\/p>",
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