MaxedOutMama
Friday, December 31, 2004
A Better Year To Come
I can't stop thinking about the tsunami disaster. On NPR yesterday they had an interview with a restaurant owner in one of the affected areas. He was complaining that they had not been warned, and said that they weren't the first to be hit, so the government should have known. I keep hearing and reading that perhaps some of the areas weren't warned because of concerns that it would harm the tourist industry. I hope not. The numbers of dead are just staggering.
In one of his recent posts Tom Carter ended with the confidence that the UN organizations on the ground would do a good job, but wondered whether the UN leadership would:
It would be rather tragic if the whole effort ended up being politicized. I don't know what to make of this article in the Scotsman complaining about the coalition between the US, Japan, Australia and India to try to coordinate aid efforts:
In one of his recent posts Tom Carter ended with the confidence that the UN organizations on the ground would do a good job, but wondered whether the UN leadership would:
Finally, this is a good opportunity for the UN to show that it's more than an inefficient, corrupt, bloated bureaucracy. Mr. Egeland began badly, making a fool of himself by calling "stingy" the handful of countries that makes the UN's continued existence possible. I have no doubt that UN organizations in the field, such as WFP and UNHCR, will do a good job. Will their bosses in the New York bureaucracy do as well?Tom has a history of working with these organizations, so he should know. All I can say is that the sheer suddenness and magnitude of such a disaster points to the continued need for some organization like the UN, which should be able to coordinate the relief efforts. They say it's best just to give money to relief organizations, so that they can buy or hire whatever they need for emergencies. Apparently some areas are so devastated that it's hard to get the aid into the area, so you would think naval ships and helicopters and the like would be needed as well. It sounds like a logistics nightmare to me, and one that requires some military type capabilities for an effective response. This article referred to military participation and political difficulties that an umbrella organization like the UN ought to be able to best handle:
On India's Andoman and Nicobar islands, survivors were desperate for food and water, with still little aid reaching them six days after the disaster. Foreigners are banned from the archipelago because of its large air force post, and India has not given permission for international aid groups to deliver help.It seems to me that this is a test for the world. We can all talk about abstract concepts of fellowship and compassion, but do we have the mechanisms we need to put such principles to work in a crisis like this? And if not, then why not? And do we care enough about people to create them if we don't? It is encouraging that private donations have been so high, but I wonder if those donations can really be effective for those in desperate need now unless the agencies can get supplies on the ground where necessary? This article suggests that all the relief efforts may not be well-directed.
"There is nothing to eat there. There is no water. In a couple of days, people will start dying of hunger," said Anup Ghatak, a utilities contractor from Campbell Bay island, as he was being evacuated to Port Blair, capital of the archipelago.
It would be rather tragic if the whole effort ended up being politicized. I don't know what to make of this article in the Scotsman complaining about the coalition between the US, Japan, Australia and India to try to coordinate aid efforts:
But former International Development Secretary Clare Short said that role should be left to the UN.Tom is sounding rather prophetic at the moment. Here is an AP listing of organizations to which we can donate. I certainly hope this next year will be a less politically dysfunctional one abroad as well as in the US. Certainly the victims of this disaster should not become further victims of stupidity or politics.
“I think this initiative from America to set up four countries claiming to coordinate sounds like yet another attempt to undermine the UN when it is the best system we have got and the one that needs building up,” she said.
Comments:
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All four countries in the coalition we've formed have significant military and/or economic power, and that's going to be desperately needed. You can send all the food, water, medicine, and clothing you wish, but it has to quickly get beyond the major airport where it's offloaded. In this crisis, at least in the early weeks, many helicopters, tactical fixed-wing aircraft, and advanced trucking capabilities are essential.
These four nations, in one way or another, can make things happen fast. While I'm sure we'll cooperate with and support UN relief operations, simple and quick agreement between four countries to "just do it" will make things happen much faster. And that will make the difference between living and dying for many, many people.
In the meantime, I wish the crows sitting on the fence cawing about how terrible and stingy the U.S. is would just shut the hell up. Before this is over, we'll have done more than any other country, all things considered, like we always do.
These four nations, in one way or another, can make things happen fast. While I'm sure we'll cooperate with and support UN relief operations, simple and quick agreement between four countries to "just do it" will make things happen much faster. And that will make the difference between living and dying for many, many people.
In the meantime, I wish the crows sitting on the fence cawing about how terrible and stingy the U.S. is would just shut the hell up. Before this is over, we'll have done more than any other country, all things considered, like we always do.
Tom,
Glad for your expert knowledge. It's mean-spirited of me, but I was wishing some of the people whose nasty comments about the military I have read (in the mainstream press as well as on the internet) could get their heads around the simple idea that in many cases military capabilities are used to do great good. The stereotype of the military many people have is not very realistic.
I wish you would explain something about what you did with USAID. It would extremely interesting and incredibly relevant.
Glad for your expert knowledge. It's mean-spirited of me, but I was wishing some of the people whose nasty comments about the military I have read (in the mainstream press as well as on the internet) could get their heads around the simple idea that in many cases military capabilities are used to do great good. The stereotype of the military many people have is not very realistic.
I wish you would explain something about what you did with USAID. It would extremely interesting and incredibly relevant.
After I left the Army, I worked for USAID for about seven years between 1992 and 2001. Mostly it was as the administrative chief in a USAID mission, which is part of the U.S. Embassy in countries where USAID has programs. I was also involved in management of development projects in some countries. In all cases, I worked closely with NGOs, UN organizations, local officials, etc.
Countries I served in with USAID include Russia, Armenia, Senegal, Angola, Albania, Hungary, and Yugoslavia (Serbia, including Kosovo).
USAID is a good organization with a lot of great people, including both professional American staff and the thousands of local national staffers who work in each mission. USAID not only provides a lot of assistance to foreign countries; it is a major contributor in achieving U.S. foreign policy goals. I've always wished that more Americans knew more about it.
USAID's website is www.usaid.gov. Lots of interesting info.
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Countries I served in with USAID include Russia, Armenia, Senegal, Angola, Albania, Hungary, and Yugoslavia (Serbia, including Kosovo).
USAID is a good organization with a lot of great people, including both professional American staff and the thousands of local national staffers who work in each mission. USAID not only provides a lot of assistance to foreign countries; it is a major contributor in achieving U.S. foreign policy goals. I've always wished that more Americans knew more about it.
USAID's website is www.usaid.gov. Lots of interesting info.
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