For many observers, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami represents the first global natural disaster in modern times (1). The moment images of desolate landscapes with hundreds of injured and dead starting showing up in international media, aid on private and public fronts started organizing world-wide. There had never been such an intense and rapid international response. Some researchers even found that there was a strong correlation between extent of media exposure of humanitarian crises and amount of private donations (2). Suddenly, a natural disaster in New Orleans does not only concern the United States (a total of 854 million was offered from foreign countries (3)), and an earthquake in Sichuan, China sends ripples in the international community.
The current situation in Haiti is a case in point. According to USA Today, less than three days after the earthquake, private donations were already on its way to break all-time records.
Despite the world communities increased generosity and speed in responding to such dramatic events, many believe that this trend must be taken to a new level: humanitarian crises do not only happen in a one-time event due to natural disasters. There are humanitarian crises that are ongoing in poverty-struck countries that equally need international aid. Shortly after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Tony Blair believed that foreign aid was detracted from important causes and that “there is the equivalent of a man-made preventable tsunami every week in Africa” (4).
I prepared a small table for this post:
Transfers of public donations for selected natural disasters
SOURCES
1. “The Globalized world responds to the tsunami disaster.” Global Envision. Retrieved Jan. 16 2010. http://www.globalenvision.org/library/8/758
2. Brown, Philip; Minty, Jessica. “Media Coverage & Charitable Giving After the 2004 Tsunami” The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. Dec. 2006.
3. Solomon, John; Spencer S. Hsu (2007). ""Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed"" (News Article). Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801113_pf.html. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
4. Grice, Andrew. “Blair: We must extend support to Africa” The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/blair-we-must-extend-support-to-africa-495608.html. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
5. Saito, Masaki. “Japanese People Appreciate Concern Shown by Americans” The Seattle Times. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950306&slug=2108533. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
6. Kambayashi, Takehiko. “Volunteering in Japan: A legacy of Kobe earthquake” World Volunteer Web. http://newsletter.worldvolunteerweb.org/e_article000365103.cfm?x=b11,0,w
Retrieved 2010-01-16.
7. “The Globalized world responds to the tsunami disaster.” Global Envision. Retrieved Jan. 16 2010. http://www.globalenvision.org/library/8/758
8. “The Globalized world responds to the tsunami disaster.” Global Envision. Retrieved Jan. 16 2010. http://www.globalenvision.org/library/8/758
9. St. Onge, Jeff; Epstein, Victor. "Ex-chief says FEMA readiness even worse." Boston.com. April 1, 2006. Retrieved on 2010-01-16
10. Keen, Judy. “Haiti donations on track to break records” USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/sharing/2010-01-14-Haiti-donations_N.htm
Retrived 2010-01-15
11. “China Earthquake Could Cost US$20 billion” China Post. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/national%20news/2008/05/15/156467/China-earthquake.htm
Retrived 2010-01-16
12. McGinnis, Ariel et al. “The Sichuan Earthquake and the Changing Landscape of CSR in China” http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2213
Retrieved 2010-01-16
13. “Haiti Earthquake Damage Amounts to Estimated 15% of Country’s GDP” Associated Content. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2591657/haiti_earthquake_damage_amounts_to_pg2.html?cat=8
Retrieved 2010-01-16
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