Foreign Help for Hurricane Katrina Disaster

It will be interesting to see how much of this aid is actually usefull.
This is a notorious problem with foreign aid in general.

Fieldhospitals that arrive after all who needed them are dead/have recovered. Enormous amounts of very warm blankets to a very warm countries. Milk powder being send to a place were water that is needed to mix it is hard to find. Rebuilding funds being offered that have to be spend in construction firms in the country that donated them (which is located on the other side of the globe), who have no idea how to build good houses in the receiving country's climate.
Orphanages being set up without orphans to fill them.
We could truly use a lot of underwear, but instead we received containers full of teddybears.
Equipment that works fine in the country that donates it, but can't be used in the country that receives it ("my, my different wallsockets overhere"). Foodstuffs that no housewife in the receiving country knows how to prepare.
Etc.

 

I am not sure exactly what material goods Australia are contributing, I know that we have given financial aid, and we are shipping over C.B Radios for those that are working in the disaster area. The Salvation Army here is running an appeal for financial support which I think is going well for a good return.

 

Great post Dragoon!

mioque, I'm thinking people who have been homeless for two weeks and had hardly any food and water may feel a little cold at night even though they live in a warm place. I don't know the science and I may be wrong, but then I may be right.

You and other adults do not need teddy bears but I'm sure there are many young children there who are grateful for them. Especially the ones who were forced to leave their pets behind.

 

Dragoon68&King James
You both miss the point. It's not that foreign aid can't be extremely usefull when it comes to disaster relief, it's just that much of it is so badly conceived (and sometimes tainted with ulterior motives) that it loses a lot of it's value.
to use my own country as an example.

-They've send a ship that I suspect is about to arrive in the area filled with the sort of emergency supplies that would have been far more usefull in the early stages of the disaster. (thoughtlessness)
-They've send a team of engineers to see if they can redo the levee system in a way that will prevent such disasters in the future. Those engineers work for Dutch firms ofcourse. (ulterior motive, on the other hand considering the apparent quality of the local system maybe they should hire them)

 

I haven't missed the point. I totally got your point. I just don't agree.

As for motives...that is not that important. If aid is given, the motives are for God to judge. What matters more? Help...or the motives?

 

I'd say that the quality of the aid matters a lot and that the quality is often of a much lower calibre than it could be.

 

mioque - lol on the dutch engineers...I say come on over and help in any way you can! I know what you mean about getting the absolute opposite of necessary items in times like this. In Desert Storm we got truckloads of snow shovels and no matter how you sliced it, they just didnt work well in digging proper holes. I think it was a design problem (giggles at James).

I guess with all of this help we are receiving, and let me add gratefully accepted by the United States, there just arent that many US foriegn policies that prevent other human beings from lifting a finger to help out when we are in need. That is a blessing to know. I thank God for this amazing gift.

 

"In Desert Storm we got truckloads of snow shovels and no matter how you sliced it, they just didnt work well in digging proper holes. I think it was a design problem (giggles at James)."

LOL...we pretty much had jungle combats for our soldiers to wear in Afghanistan.

 

Dragoon
"I'm certain that sometimes our own assistance to others is not the exactly what it should be but nothing would harden our hearts more than to have someone point it out to us. "
"
Foreign disaster relief will be far less than it could be untill people start being serious about pointing out flaws and improving on them.

 

I understand what mioque is saying on a smaller scale. I am on the board of a rescue mission that takes donations of goods and sells or recycles them. It's a problem when people give us things that cost US money to get rid of, instead of making money for the work. And all because the donors don't read the literature that states what types of donations we can use, or don't care, and just want to get rid of their "junk."

People who think something will be useful and are way off base, or who give things that are either trash or cause problems just aren't thinking straight.