I got this email from a friend...........
Subject: Fw: Southeast Asia Disaster
>
> A member of the Heller Administration sent this out and I thought his
> advice made a lot of sense... For those of you planning to give, this
> might help you decide how to go about it.
> Subject: Southeast Asia Disaster
>
Oxfam estimates that
> the death toll from
> the event itself will top 120,000 and the World Health Organization
> estimates today
> that an additional 80,000 may die from outbreaks of gastroenteric
> diseases caused
> by poor sanitation.
>
> There are some lessons the disaster response community has learned
> over the
> years. Here is a quick listing:
>
>
1. Send cash. Every seaport and airport in the region will quickly
be
> jammed with
> relief supplies, many of them of marginal value at best. The airport
> at Colombo, Sri
> Lanka is already nearly paralyzed. Cash is needed by relief agencies
> to purchase
> needs locally (e.g. clothing). They do this to bolster local
> economies rather than
> hurt them with imported supplies. Where supplies are not available
> (e.g.
> medicines), they are purchased abroad and flown in by the military or
> at significant
> expense.
>
> 2. Contribute for reconstruction and development, not just relief.
> The emergency
> period will be over in the next couple of weeks. Many of these
> needs are being
> met by international organizations, donor countries, and by the
> thousands of local
> volunteers. While the emergency needs are great, even greater, far
> greater, will be
> the need for funds with which to help rebuild communities and
> livelihoods.
> Unfortunately, many of the relief agencies that flood into countries
> after major
> disasters do not stay beyond the emergency period. It is important
to
> earmark
> funds for reconstruction and development in the affected communities
> and to select
> agencies that will be there for the long haul.
>
>
3. Select agencies that know the countries. Many of the relief
> agencies that are
> listed or advertising for contributions have never set foot in the
> affected countries.
> Unless they are very specialized agencies (e.g. Doctors Without
> Borders), many
> will waste time and money trying to figure out how to operate. The
> best chance to
> help is to support those organizations with local offices already
> operational.
>
>
4. Consider local organizations. Most Americans will prefer to
> contribute to known
> US or European organizations. That is fine. If you wish, you can
> contribute directly
> to local organizations in the countries affected. The difficulty
> however is knowing
> which organizations are reliable and efficiently getting the money to
> them. Most do
> not have Internet sites set up for contributions like the major US
> and European
> agencies. Sending checks or wiring funds is unreliable to many
> affected countries.
> Where you can contribute directly, the money will go a long way
> though you will not
> get a US tax deduction for it.
>
>
5. Most importantly, contribute to organizations that aim to lessen
> vulnerability, not
> just help rebuild poverty. While rich tourist beach hotels were also
> affected, a large
> percentage of those affected are poor people living on flood plains,
> poor fishing
> communities, or coastal slums. It is not enough to help people
> rebuild shanties.
> Every "natural" disaster is also an opportunity to help communities
> lessen their
> vulnerability. The most progressive international relief agencies
> (e.g. the Oxfams,
> American Friends Service Committee, Mennonite Central Committee,
> etc.) know
> the conditions that bred such vulnerability and will work with local
> government and
> people to change those conditions. I will append a list of suggested
> agencies to
> this letter.
>
> Please let me know if I can help you in any way to make a meaningful
> contribution.
> Please feel free to forward this letter to others if it is useful.
>
> I wish all of you a Happy New Year. May the new year bring solace
and
> justice to
> the affected families.
>
> ****************************
>
Here is a short list of relief and development agencies that I know
> well and
> recommend.
>
> Oxfam America and Oxfam UK. International NGOs working in several of
> the
> affected countries. Oxfam UK has had a field office in eastern Sri
> Lanka for many
> years. You can contribute on-line at
www.Oxfam.org.uk. If you wish
a
> US tax
> deduction, contribute to Oxfam America at
www.oxfamamerica.org.
>
> Doctors Without Borders. International NGO working in Indonesia and
> may extend
> operations to other countries. You can contribute on-line at
>
www.msf.org/
>
> Sarvodaya. Sri Lankan NGO with a vast network in the affected
> communities. We
> have just set up an internet site for donations. Go to
>
www.sarvodaya.org. Of all Sri
> Lankan organizations, I highly recommend Sarvodaya.
>
> Mennonite Central Committee. US NGO working in Sri Lanka. You can
> contribute
> on-line at
www.mcc.org/
>
> Other reputable organizations include CARE and Catholic Relief
> Services.
>
>
Five Questions to Ask Before you Give
>
> Here are five simple questions to ask any aid organization before you
> give. Since
> aid agencies are inundated with phone calls, I have included above a
> much
> abbreviated list of organizations that I trust.
>
> 1. Has the organization worked in the affected countries before?
> Hundreds of
> organizations in the US collect funds after major disasters. Many do
> not have the
> on-the-ground experience that is critical for timely and wise
> utilization of the funds.
> Many show up in devastated nations and are not familiar with local
> organizations,
> customs or terrain. They will flounder. The best organizations to
> which to
> contribute are those who were operational in the country before the
> disaster. The
> exception to this would be specialized organizations like Doctors
> Without Borders.
>
> 2. Will the organization merely contribute your funds to another aid
> group?
> Constituencies often contribute funds through their own channels
which
> collect and
> transfer the funds to operational organizations. If you use such
> channels, be sure
> that no overheads are deducted for such pass-through grants.
> Overheads are
> legitimate when an organization is directly involved in fielding
> staff or materials.
>
> 3. Will the organization stay in the affected country after the
> emergency period?
> Believe it or not, most private aid organizations leave about the
> same time the
> cameras do. The emergency period is short, but the period for
> reconstruction is
> very long and much more costly. It will be years before the millions
> of people made
> homeless will be housed decently and their communities and
> livelihoods made
> whole again.
>
> 4. What experience does your organization have in development? Many
> organizations can provide building materials. But the aim is not to
> rebuild poverty,
> but to work with local communities to attain a higher standard of
> living. Expatriate
> organizations need to be able to work with local government and
> communities
> alike, speak their languages, understand their cultures, and
> patiently help them
> plan. The best organizations to which to contribute are those with
an
> understanding of the causes of vulnerability and poverty.
>
> 5. Will your organization permit you to earmark your contribution? No
> matter how
> small your contribution may be, it is important that you earmark it
> for long-term
> development in the affected communities of one or more of the
> countries. Despite
> what they say now about the need, the capacity of local institutions
> to absorb all aid
> funds quickly is quite limited. Earmarking encourages the aid
> organization to
> begin now to make long-range plans. It also lets the organization
> know that you
> prefer that your funds are wisely spent over a longer period than
> hastily spent on
> efforts that may be duplicating those of others.
