Why Doesn't the World Care About Pakistanis?
I'm curious; I really am.
The text message donation drive for Haiti drew 3,100 times as much money as the same campaign for Pakistan.
You don't have money? I get it. Don't give.
But why wouldn't you at least recommend the diary so somebody else who does have money might give?
Why?
Why is a suffering, starving, and thirsty baby in one part of the world more compelling than another?
Why?
We at Daily Kos generally do a wonderful job of caring for others. We have seen daily diaries that encourage people to feed hungry animals, huge annual blogathons to send care packages to our troops, feed the hungry, and more.
But when what appears to be the biggest climate change disaster our world has ever seen strikes, people are "burned out", tuning out, or ignoring the crisis altogther, refusing to recommend a single diary on the topic. Do you really think pie fight after pie fight after pie fight is more important than saving lives? Really?
Why?
If the most recommended Pakistan diary here were about Haiti, it would rank 70th. Sev-en-ti-eth.
I offer this evidence-
Haiti (within 10 days of the quake)
Pakistan (over 3
weeks since the floods hit)
Now I'm no mathematician, but if you look at that right-hand column labeled Impact, Haiti's numbers were triple what we are seeing for Pakistan, over a period of time half as long.
Why did we care enough to rec Haiti diaries, but when a much bigger crisis* in another country happens, we virtually ignore it?
Why?
We hear a lot about war here. The wars must end. We must not keep killing innocent people (a.k.a. collateral damage).
But when innocent people in the very same country we are bombing need help, we are not saving the lives of the very same allies.
Why?
Millions of children are at risk from cholera and other water-borne disease, and the international community can barely muster to shrugs its shoulders.
From the link atop the diary:
After the Haiti earthquake, about 3.1 million Americans using mobile phones donated $10 each to the Red Cross, raising about $31 million. A similar campaign to raise contributions for Pakistan produced only about $10,000.
More from the same piece:
The amount of funding donated per person affected by the 2004 tsunami was $1249.80, and for the 2010 Haiti earthquake, $1087.33. Even for the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, funding per affected person was $388.33. Thus far, for those affected by the 2010 floods, it is $16.36 per person.
This is a baffling statistic.
Tsunami victims received 76 times more aid per person?
Why?
And on second thought, don't bother answering these questions.
Just help.
And no, please do not tell me how much you do not care.
• • • • • •
* Note: The number affected by the #pkfloods is twice the total population of the country of Haiti. And no, the entire country of Haiti was
not affected by the 1/12/10 quake.
{The photos above are from CBS}
• • • • • •
Greg (Three Cups of Tea, Stones Into Schools) Mortenson's non-profit (CAI) recommends supporting a local (Pakistani) group to which donations will likely have a large, immediate, and lasting impact-
Human Development Foundation
http://www.hdf.com
(800) 705 1310
DONATE
• • • • • •
Other groups that deserve support as well.
Doctors without Borders (MSF):
DONATE
The Red Cross:
DONATE
OXFAM:
DONATE
UNICEF:
DONATE
Toll free: 1-800-FOR-KIDS (1-800-367-5437)
Text: "Text FLOODS to 864233 (UNICEF) to donate $10"
Shelterbox:
DONATE
ShelterBox tents in Shishkat upper Hunza, Pakistan
• • • • • •
From the US State dept.
How You Can Help:
Text "FLOOD" to 27722. Your $10 will go to the State Department Fund for Pakistan Relief that Secretary Clinton announced August 19, and is part of a new effort to bring attention to the need for aid.
Text "SWAT" to 50555 ; $10 goes to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees fund for flood victims
Previous recommended relief diaries about the floods in Pakistan (with the Help Pakistan tag):
• Aug 22: Why?
• Aug 21: ... and a river runs through it: Pakistan's WaterWars
• Aug 21: Help-Pakistan!: Devastation
• Aug 20: Pakistan Floods - reporting/working from the inside
• Aug 20: Pakistan Relief: Just watch the video
• Aug 19: A slow moving Tsunami ....
• Aug 19: Anti-Muslim Bigotry: Not just for wingnuts anymore
• Aug 18: Pakistan Floods... Please Help
• Aug 18: Chaos is the new Normal {Earthship Wednesday}
• Aug 18: EcoAdvocates: A green model in the Gulf
• Aug 17: Please Help Pakistan... Please ... Update: New Flood Warnings
• Aug 16: pakistan III: the human face of climate change: ecojustice
• Aug 16: Pakistan still needs help; lots of it. Floods displace 20+ Million
• Aug 14: Pakistan: 6 Million Without Water (How to Help)
• Aug 9: Media ignores "Worst Humanitarian Disaster In Recent History"
• Jul 31: Pakistan needs help. Floods kill 800+, displace 1 Million
We are looking at what may be the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in a century.
Some of us at Daily Kos use a Google group to help organize for the crisis in Pakistan. Anyone who would like to get involved or get alerts when a new HELP PAKISTAN diary is posted, please join.
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