The Haiti earthquake has produced an overwhelming humanitarian response from governments and people everywhere. This disaster has occurred in one of the world's poorest countries, a nation whose infrastructure and governmental institutions were fragile to begin with. The relief challenge is extraordinary, requiring the removal of bodies, the treatment of the wounded, and the feeding and care of millions of people.
Complicating the effort is a chorus of critics who believe the response would be faster and more efficient under different leadership. They argue that the military or FEMA should be in the lead for the US Government rather than USAID. I have heard these appeals before when serving as the government's coordinator for relief efforts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti.
Our aid agency's Office of Disaster Assistance is statutorily authorized to respond to foreign disasters, both natural and man-made, and there is a logic to this. The office is staffed by professionals who understand the international community's relief organizations, the network of non-governmental groups that contribute so much to the effort, and the local culture. They are experienced in working in developing countries and understand the complexities of these environments. They also understand how to prepare the relief phase for the reconstruction and development phases down the road.
Other federal, state and local responder agencies including the US military, the Communicable Disease Center and major fire and rescue departments are seconded to OFDA. These organizations train together to handle foreign disasters. The OFDA operations center in the USAID building is as modern and efficient as any in Washington and in it you will see uniformed personnel sitting alongside USAID officers and representatives of other civilian agencies..
Our military units and FEMA do a great job in the context of their own primary missions, and they are occasionally brought into a very serious disaster to augment OFDA. When FEMA handles a disaster, it is operating in an American state that can bring resources and institutions into play. National Guard units and police forces are mobilized to help in the effort. Leaving the Katrina hurricane failure aside, FEMA at its best can cope with the disasters it faces in the United States. However, I would not want to see FEMA operating in a developing country. It would not have a clue what to expect.
The same is true of the US military were it to command an operation in a country like Haiti. There is a fine line between the perception of occupation and military support for relief. The military can secure feeding centers, clear rubble and build ports and roads. They are desperately needed in Haiti, but they will be far more effective under civilian control.
USAID has a large mission in Haiti and its personnel know the people and the structures of Haitian society. They can provide guidance and assure that our military will be seen as a benign force. In addition, organizations like CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children and UNICEF prefer to work under civilian not military direction.
The Haiti operation is an all-government response, but USAID/OFDA is appropriately in the lead. The President has designated Dr. Rajiv Shah, the USAID Administrator to coordinate the USG response and by all accounts he is doing an outstanding job. He is working around the clock to keep the US effort coordinated and he has been a highly effective public spokesman, explaining the goals and the challenges we face in responding to one of the worst tragedies we have faced in our hemisphere.
The Obama Administration deserves high marks for its response to this tragic earthquake and USAID has demonstrated once again why we need a strong foreign aid agency. There will always be those motivated by sincere concern for the victims who will say we should do better, and do it faster. There are also those who for less altruistic reasons will advocate that the mission be turned over to organizations whose primary mission is not humanitarian relief in foreign countries. They are wrong.
Alex Pattakos: Finding Meaning In Inescapable Suffering: From Aceh To Haiti
Although it may be difficult to comprehend, such suffering also provides us with an opportunity to find meaning in the situation, even if it sometimes must come long after the event we are forced to endure.
In a crisis like this--and, to some degree, in all philanthropy and aid work--efficiency and effectiveness are so essential. Thank you for discussing the most effective way to lead to help Haiti.
Sincerely,
Pamela Hawley
Founder and CEO
UniversalGiving
phawley@universalgiving.org
www.universalgiving.org
Living and Giving blog
www.pamelahawley.wordpress.com
It takes very little effort and can make a huge difference. If they win, they are donating $100,000 to relief in Haiti. They are a reputable organisation and will be sure that the aid gets to the people who need it the most.
Millions of Americans have reached into their own pocket and given what they could to help the people of Haiti and that is a good and noble thing. But for some reason our elected leaders believe they have the right to reach into our pockets (with a threat of force being used if you refuse to pay your taxes) and give away our money. This is called theft. When a similar action takes place in the civilian sector (someone demanding money of you under threat of force) we demand that the police put that person in jail and rightly so.
Let's hope nothing tragic happen in your life. Surely, you wouldn't want Americans to dig in their pockets to help you either. That would be theft.
The "me and mine" mentality of the right! You don't sound like any Marine I know....most of them are compassionate and courageous.
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What are you talking abount, exactly who is threatening us to give money? Did you feel the same way about the tsunami, the homeless in Iraq from war? If you don't personally want to give then, don't!. Other then that shut the heck up while we provide aide to our brothers and sisters.
and corrupt oligarchies as in Haiti.
Israel - $3 billion yearly
Egypt - $2 billion yearly
That being said, Mr. Atwood makes a valid point that the military
should NOT be in charge of relief efforts. They are too security conscious
to properly prioritize relief efforts.
It is like putting the police in charge of education.
The US has devoted far too much resources and funds to building a
monstrous planetary war machine. That has denied resources to
humanitarian institutions and alleviation of the poverty and misery
from which springs the discontent the military neverendingly attempts to extinguish.
I understand your point. I wonder though, in using your analogy, if the military couldn't wear a different hat, from time to time. They go home, after all, and continue being moms and dads and parishoners and consumers etc. Is it not possible to use their hands and feet by allowing them to at least distribute the 'pencils, paper, desks and chairs' of the classroom for the teachers?
Anderson Cooper seems to STILL be screaming for help. There are nursing homes and orphanages still screaming for supplies. Like food. STILL. Yet security coordination issues are still holding the supplies back? Wow. The military can go into Iraq, but man, Haiti is superduper scary. Huh.
Maybe it's all been about cost management. In a week, lots more will be dead. In a week, Gitmo will be set up. In a week, the Military will have secured their area of 'operations' for the coming 'stabilization efforts'. In a week, the U.S. will have figured out a deal with the remnants of the Haitian government.
All the Military has to do to change public perception in a heartbeat is watch CNN. Take note of each orphanage or nursing home that comes on pleading...send a group in with supplies...and save the day. Just a few like this...and the photo ops, the gratitude, the kudos from Anderson will ensue.
The world will say....awwwwwwwww...what a great bunch!
supplies & doctors - great.
armed foreigners - not great
US arms will enforce martial law directly protecting the unpopular oligarchy-run Haitian government which seized power in a US-backed coup ...
Naomi Klein in 2005:
I asked Aristide “what was really behind his dramatic falling-out with Washington. He offered an explanation ... —actually, he offered three: “privatization, privatization and privatization.” ... Washington’s negotiators made one demand that Aristide could not accept: the immediate sell-off of Haiti’s state-owned enterprises, including phones and electricity. Aristide argued that unregulated privatization would transform state monopolies into private oligarchies, increasing the riches of Haiti’s elite and stripping the poor of their national wealth. ... Aristide’s relationship with Washington has been deteriorating ever since: While more than $500 million in promised loans and aid were cut off, starving his government, USAID poured millions into the coffers of opposition groups, culminating ultimately in the February 2004 armed coup."
Full text at: http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/2005/07/aristide-exile ………………………………..
The Haitian government declared a state of emergency at the urging of Hillary Clinton. “The decree would give the government an enormous amount of authority, which in practice they would delegate to us,” Mrs. Clinton said. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/world/americas/17diplo.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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Haitian police are very corrupt themselves, and so-called "looters" or "gangs" are likely only the political opposition.
UN and Haitian police suppress dissenters
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16998
Its a sad situation.. very sad. I cried last night watching parents cry about their missing American kids, in a collapsed hotel wondering whey their rescue was not being given priority.
We need to keep in mind the incredible magnitude of this catastrophe. Its mind numbing.
Ideally, no Haitian should have to pay for any of this, not one "gourde." Hopefully, there will be no deadline, no bureaucratic measures beyond whether these basic needs were met... or not. No lists of who was "there during the earthquake," no lists of who deserves what.
Does this sound like socialism? Well, call it something else if you must. Just DO IT.