Generosity after tsunami could threaten neglected crises
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《英国医生杂志》
The billions of dollars pledged to help reconstruction after the tsunami shows "humanity at its very best," said Jan Egeland, United Nations under secretary general for humanitarian affairs, in Geneva last week at the launch of the UN's annual humanitarian appeal process.
People in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, clamour for food aid being distributed after the tsunami
Credit: DIETER TELEMANS/PANOS
But he urged donors not to divert funds from other crises. "It would be the ultimate disappointment for us," he said, "and tragedy for the victims in all those other areas where we are struggling to keep programmes going on existing levels of assistance, were they to suffer."
Mr Egeland said that 2005 had started better than any other year, with billions of dollars donated to help survivors of the tsunami. But 2004 had been "a mixed year" in terms of generosity for the most vulnerable. In some areas, the UN did not even have one third of the sum needed.
"Twenty six million people in war affected regions need aid to stay alive, and large numbers of them hope for improved conditions in the year ahead," said Mr Egeland. The world should agree that it was "as terrible to starve in Darfur, Sudan, as it was to starve on the beaches of tsunami stricken nations." If all human life is worth the same, the same generosity should be granted to all in need. "Humanitarian donor nations must work together to make sure that populations in need are not forgotten."
"Our experience is that politicians only give large amounts of aid when the level of suffering on television demands a public response. By then it is usually too late and always too little. And disasters that do not get a high media profile—that's most of them—do not get money," said the executive director of Oxfam International, Jeremy Hobbs.
Mr Egeland said that although UN appeals for Iraq, Kosovo, and the tsunami could be met, it was "a nightmare" trying to fund Africa's needs. "Iraq and Afghanistan and Kosovo and Bosnia have been able to attract more attention and resources than the 15 African emergencies combined. The neglected emergencies remain as neglected as they have always been. This is what the secretary general and I are trying to change when we launch this appeal for 14 forgotten and largely neglected crises."
The Disasters Emergencies Committee, the body coordinating the most important appeals for the main British charities, announced that it is scaling down its activities after receiving pledges of almost ￡200m ($372m; 284m) for its tsunami appeal. It raised as much money in the first two days as it did in a year for its Sudan appeal.
The UN is appealing for $1.7bn for humanitarian activities in 14 countries worldwide. This does not include another similar sum for Sudan, which is covered by a separate UN appeal.(Peter Moszynski)
People in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, clamour for food aid being distributed after the tsunami
Credit: DIETER TELEMANS/PANOS
But he urged donors not to divert funds from other crises. "It would be the ultimate disappointment for us," he said, "and tragedy for the victims in all those other areas where we are struggling to keep programmes going on existing levels of assistance, were they to suffer."
Mr Egeland said that 2005 had started better than any other year, with billions of dollars donated to help survivors of the tsunami. But 2004 had been "a mixed year" in terms of generosity for the most vulnerable. In some areas, the UN did not even have one third of the sum needed.
"Twenty six million people in war affected regions need aid to stay alive, and large numbers of them hope for improved conditions in the year ahead," said Mr Egeland. The world should agree that it was "as terrible to starve in Darfur, Sudan, as it was to starve on the beaches of tsunami stricken nations." If all human life is worth the same, the same generosity should be granted to all in need. "Humanitarian donor nations must work together to make sure that populations in need are not forgotten."
"Our experience is that politicians only give large amounts of aid when the level of suffering on television demands a public response. By then it is usually too late and always too little. And disasters that do not get a high media profile—that's most of them—do not get money," said the executive director of Oxfam International, Jeremy Hobbs.
Mr Egeland said that although UN appeals for Iraq, Kosovo, and the tsunami could be met, it was "a nightmare" trying to fund Africa's needs. "Iraq and Afghanistan and Kosovo and Bosnia have been able to attract more attention and resources than the 15 African emergencies combined. The neglected emergencies remain as neglected as they have always been. This is what the secretary general and I are trying to change when we launch this appeal for 14 forgotten and largely neglected crises."
The Disasters Emergencies Committee, the body coordinating the most important appeals for the main British charities, announced that it is scaling down its activities after receiving pledges of almost ￡200m ($372m; 284m) for its tsunami appeal. It raised as much money in the first two days as it did in a year for its Sudan appeal.
The UN is appealing for $1.7bn for humanitarian activities in 14 countries worldwide. This does not include another similar sum for Sudan, which is covered by a separate UN appeal.(Peter Moszynski)