Pakistan flood: many more will die unless more aid is delivered quickly

[knothead]

I'm starting this thread in Off Topic and not in Politics and Religion. I would like to see it stay here so if you feel the need to drag politics into it. PLEASE DON'T. Just ignore it or start a thread of your own.
Politics should not overrule our charity. Our view on climate change or Islam should not stand in the way of our humanity.

The fact is that this disaster is of monumental proportions and it's has gotten little press for a variety of predictable reasons. But the bottom line is that help is needed and needed badly.

http://www.skepticalscience.com/pics/pak_flood.jpg

"While a few thousand died due to the floods, many more people will die from disease and malnutrition unless more aid is delivered quickly. It's crucial right now that people send donations to relief efforts."

"So I exhort everyone to donate to help the relief effort. Here in Australia, we usually donate to Australian Red Cross - for U.S. readers, there's always the American Red Cross and elsewhere, the International Committee of the Red Cross. Americans can also check the US State Department’s page for contributions."



"The death toll is much smaller than in past disasters: About 1,600 are believed dead so far. But experts say initial assessments show the scale of damage and human suffering left by torrential monsoon rains over the past three weeks dwarfs the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2005 Kashmir earthquake, 2008 Cyclone Nargis disaster in Burma, and Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti -- combined."

Flood Disaster May Require Largest Aid Effort in Modern History

[kd3pc]

While I am sympathetic...I have doubts that the money we send actually reaches the victims or their infrastructure...stories this past week prove the point in Haiti, where millions of aid dollars have done nothing to help those displaced - numbering over a million...still living in wet tarps...

without oversite...the money heading that way will simply fund the well connected and politically corrupt

And what about those suffering here...malnutrition, poor food, etc..where is the "help" from ANY other country...

[knothead]

Pakistan floods followed by plague of flies bringing more misery for monsoon orphans

Their skin alive with flies, these children are among the lucky ones... survivors of Pakistan's killer floods But among the eight million left homeless by the disaster it is they who are most at risk, from diseases in stagnant water.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/01/after-the-flood-a-plague-of-flies-115875-22528221/

[kd3pc]

According to Jeff Bridges' End Hunger Network, 16.7 million American children -- nearly one in four -- live in households that do not have access to enough nutritious food to lead healthy, active lives. How do we bear witness to this pain? How do we feed these hungry children? How do we feed our hunger for equity and harmony?

[tdw]

Anyone who is worried about donations being misused should turn to people like "Medicin sans Frontiers". These people are beyond reproach and have more than enough experience to ensure that the vast majority of funds go towards real help for those most in need.

Médecins Sans Frontières Australia*-*Independent Medical Humanitarian Action


Where possible give directly to your choice of relief organisation. That way 100% of your donation goes to the cause and is not syphoned off in fees and commissions.

[knothead]

Originally Posted by tdw

Anyone who is worried about donations being misused should turn to people like "Medicin sans Frontiers". These people are beyond reproach and have more than enough experience to ensure that the vast majority of funds go towards real help for those most in need.

Médecins Sans Frontières Australia*-*Independent Medical Humanitarian Action


Where possible give directly to your choice of relief organisation. That way 100% of your donation goes to the cause and is not syphoned off in fees and commissions.

Thanks tdw.
While it is absolutely true that there is need and suffering everywhere. This is an especially dire and immediate crisis.
People are likely to die in staggering numbers in Pakistan in the aftermath of the floods no matter how much we give to charities but perhaps we can save a few and ease the suffering of a few.

Because Pakistan is a Muslim country and Islam seem to be in disfavor in recent years. It's easy to forget that for most people in the world, especially the children, religion and politics don't mean anything. They usually are too busy trying to survive to worry about anything that doesn't further that end.
I just don't want their plight to be forgotten.

[tdw]

Sorry, that was link to MSF Australian site....this is international...

Médecins Sans Frontières International Homepage


Sadly it is true that countries like Pakistan are rife with corruption at almost every level. That they are also Muslim does not endear them to many Westerners. Political and Religious divides are no excuse for us to ignore those in dire need.

[kd3pc]

Sad....

Crime adds to misery for Pakistan's flood victims - Yahoo! News

[knothead]

Originally Posted by kd3pc

Sad....

Crime adds to misery for Pakistan's flood victims - Yahoo! News

It's beyond sad.
I wonder if we humans will ever evolve to the point that we don't use every opportunity to try to profit from the misfortune of others. Will we ever get to the point where our first reaction to calamities isn't to start looting and acting like a bunch of animals but rather one of self sacrifice and cooperation?
I wonder if if it's our destiny to eventually rise above those tendencies or if we will always be slaves to our basest impulses.

[cardiacpaul]

An ex-in-law of mine is President of MSF Canada.
She's a helluva lot better person than I will ever pretend to be.
Support them with all you can.