DATELINE: May 7, 2008, Chicago
We suspect that the established disaster relief organizations are not receiving an outpouring of donations following Cyclone Nargis' direct hit on Myanmar. Many people don't know where Myanmar is, and those that do, are likely to be put off by the military government, particularly following the crackdown several months ago on Buddhist monks. Nevertheless, there probably are more than a few people who still want to do something. After all, those who...
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have no food, water, or shelter are not the ones who put the military dictatorship in place.
The New York Times is reporting that the relief organizations are having difficulty obtaining visas to enter Myanmar. Seth Mydans and Helene Cooper, Aid for MyanmarMobilizes, Mixed with Criticism, May 7, 2008. Apparently, the government wants to be the one handing out the relief, thereby sending the message that its citizens should look to the regime for support and protection. It is unfortunate that the military rulers are more interested in maintaining their image rather than letting professionals get relief to those in need.
The resistance from the government means that it is probably impossible for the many well-known relief organization to guarantee that donations directed for Cyclone Nargis relief will actually be used for such purposes. We surveyed the Web sites of several of these organizations. We discovered that several have anticipated this potential problem. One has directly addressed the issue and another has expanded the purposes for which funds can be designated. Other organizations apparently have been able to place people on the ground or have partners who are already present in Myanmar. These organizations appear to be able to provide greater assurances that funds designated for Myanmar will be used as directed by donors.
Our advice to potential donors: The well-established organizations are all qualified and are undoubtedly doing the best they can under difficult circumstances. Consequently, if someone is considering a donation, they should take a leap of faith. Even if the money doesn't end up in Myanmar, it likely go to help someone who is facing equally dire circumstances. For that reason, we recommend not restricting the funds for Myanmar disaster relief. The people who work for the disaster relief agencies are just as concerned as everyone else, and they will undoubtedly do what they can to help the victims in Myanmar.
We also strongly recommend that prospective donors choose a disaster relief organization based on what the organization does rather than by looking at efficiency metrics like the percentage of funds that go to program services as opposed to fundraising and administration. These metrics provide a false sense of an informed decision. What counts is the pre-existing infrastructure and partnerships that these organizations have established in countries like Myanmar. No single percentage can capture the quality of relief provided by any organization.
Here are our findings:
American Red Cross: In an undated press release, the American Red Cross indicates that it "is prepared to release funds and supplies, estimated at $100,000, to help the people of Myanmar who were affected by Cyclone Nargis, a deadly storm that made landfall on May 2….The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has released an initial $189,000 to support the Red Cross relief effort in Myanmar." Those making Web contributions to the American Red Cross' International Response Fund cannot designate their contribution for Myanmar relief. To do that, the donor must call the Red Cross or mail the donation with the appropriate designation. Donors who want to earmark relief for Myanmar disaster relief should ask what happens to their funds if the Red Cross is unable to apply them to the Myanmar disaster. That advice applies equally for all other organizations.
Catholic Relief Services: Catholic Relief Services states that it is supporting relief services in Myanmar. It states that the Caritas network will coordinate with local and international agencies, but CRS does not address the potential problem of getting aid to the Myanmar victims because of the military regime's resistance. The Web page for donations is clear—amounts given will be used to respond to the Myanmar disaster "and other natural disasters across Southeast Asia." In other words, CRS is unable to guarantee that earmarked funds will be used for Myanmar relief.
Direct Relief International: Direct Relief International has committed financial assistance to support Australian Aid International's (AAI) emergency medical team. AAI is a Direct Relief International partner. It will be dispatching a five-person team to Myanmar this week. The two organizations have worked together on past disasters. In terms of honoring donor intent, Direct Relief International has placed the following statement on its Web page where it accepts online donations:
Direct Relief is working with regional and international organizations to assess and respond in the most appropriate manner to the humanitarian tragedy caused by Cyclone Nargis. Although circumstances in Myanmar, including governmental actions, will affect response efforts, our commitment is to assist people and communities affected by the tragedy in the most productive manner possible.
Doctors Without Borders: A May 7, 2008 press release indicates that Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) already has teams in Myanmar. MSF describes its activities as follows:
MSF teams, who are able to circulate freely, have distributed food and plastic sheeting, and have begun treating water in Yangon. In the outskirts of the city, MSF has organized the distribution of plastic sheeting, jerry cans, and fuel for water pumps to some 5,000 people. Yesterday, teams were also able to distribute one week's worth of food rations composed of rice, dried beans, and oil to 1,000 people in the Twantey area. Malaria and dengue fever are prevalent—even endemic—in this area, so MSF is also planning a mosquito net distribution in the coming days.
Twenty international staff, all experts in emergency interventions, are ready to join the MSF teams in Myanmar. A cargo plane containing 40 tons of first aid materials, plastic sheeting, therapeutic food, and sanitary materials, is ready to leave from Europe this evening.
MSF has been working in Myanmar since 1992. Today, 38 international staff and 1,200 national employees are working in different projects in seven areas of the country.
What appears to be the American Web site for the Doctors Without Borders does not permit the donor to designate how the donated funds are used.
International Medical Corps: According to its International Medical Corps Web site:
To help those most impacted by the cyclone, International Medical Corps is working with long-term local partners in neighboring Indonesia and preparing to deploy an emergency response team. Since 2004, IMC has been working with local Indonesian organizations to build their capacity to respond rapidly to natural disasters. International Medical Corps is also securing emergency supplies to send to the devastated population including medical supplies, blankets, water purification tablets, sanitation items and hygiene kits. With many of Myanmar's roads impassable due to flooding and debris, humanitarian agencies are also assessing how best to reach the affected areas to administer services.
The online donation Web page is captioned "Support IMC's Response to Nargis in Myanmar." Donations made through that Web page should be restricted to providing relief in Myanmar given the caption.
Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is accepting donations to help partners on the ground to assist survivors of Cyclone Nargis. The Web site does not provide much more information on the nature of the relief effort or who the partners are. The online donation Web page does permit a specific designation for "Myanmar Cyclone."
Oxfam: According to its Web site, "Oxfam has committed more than $725,000 in aid. As we currently do not run operational programs in Myanmar, our aid effort will be channeled through partner organizations." Oxfam America's Web site currently does not permit donations specifically directed to Myanmar relief.
Save the Children: Save the Children states that since Monday, it has distributed two metric tons of food, plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, kitchen equipment, re-hydration salts and other food items to over 30,000 children and families. It is mobilizing 500 employees in 35 offices across the affected region to assist vulnerable children. Its online site for donations focuses on the Myanmar victims of the Cyclone Nargis, which should mean that donations through the site are limited to aiding those particular victims rather than for general disaster relief throughout the world.
World Vision. World Vision is seeking $3 million in global donations to provide aid to children and families devastated by the Cyclone Nargis. According to World Vision,
The government of Myanmar has invited World Vision to provide assistance in the form of zinc sheets, tents, tarpaulins, and medicine. We are coordinating with authorities to explore an airlift of emergency supplies into the country from one of its global warehouses.
World Vision assessment teams have been deployed to the hardest-hit areas to determine the most urgent needs. We are already providing clothing (sarongs and t-shirts) as well as tarpaulins and blankets to 100 households in the capital, along with rice and water.
This statement suggests that World Vision already has people or partners on the ground.
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