Natural disasters in a rich country

[purpletigron]

How to best help people who are currently suffering? Donating to the USA Red Cross may not be the most effective use of your money at the moment. Other suggestions include:

o Write to USA political representatives, asking for federal resources to support Katrina victims.
o Remember other victims - donate to ongoing appeals for Africa, Asia
o Donate the the USA Red Cross once the rebuilding starts in earnest

For example, http://www.directrelief.org/ seem like an effective organisation, working in 50+ countries including rebuilding work after the 2004 Tsunami. Oxfam America has a Global Emergencies Fund. Oxfam International is working to relieve the ongoing West Africa food crisis, the Sudan refugee crisis, continuing humanitarian crises in Democratic Republic of Congo, and the plight of the displaced in Liberia.

Thanks to fjm for inspiration.

Comments

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

I've linked to this from my journal. I agree.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Many thanks for that!

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I am sympathetic to this (and have just said something similar but more focused on levering the money). But while it seems clear that the US does have the resources to sort the problem out, it also seems clear that they won't use them, or won't mobilise them effectively. So I still want to help the *poor people*. And they're really poor, they'd be terribly poor even in the UK; in one of the worst affected parishes, median household income is $13,000.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I'm working from fjm's analysis that the USA federal budget should be paying for disaster relief, so that the USA Red Cross can support the poorest sections of the community when it comes to rebuilding. I wouldn't expect many UK-registered charities to be involved at all. So perhaps you can most effectively use your tax situation by focusing on other crises?

[artela.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid that as far as I'm concerned the world's richest nation should be able to sort this one out for themselves - money is far better being given to poorer places that still require ongoing aid.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Well, yes... I would only say that equitable wealth distribution could end world poverty, and the USA isn't a coherent nation in the way that e.g. Sweden seems to be.

[mhw.livejournal.com]

Particularly given how much their government has been spending on arms, etc that contribute to causing the need for aid in those other countries.