UK and US resist aid 'bidding war'

DTop

DTop

Active member
Here's an interesting item I thought I'd share.

UK and US resist aid 'bidding war'
7 January 2005

Britain and the United States are resisting calls to offer millions more in immediate aid to the devastated Indian Ocean region, despite UN demands for an "unprecedented global response" to the disaster.

Both countries claimed they would not be drawn into a relief "bidding war".

It followed an emergency summit of global politicians in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, attended by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, to decide how £2.2 billion of international aid already pledged can most wisely be used.

With workers on the ground warning that co-ordination of relief is failing in parts of Indonesia, the World Health Organisation said that without prompt action infectious diseases could kill as many as 150,000 people.

UN secretary-general Kofi Annan called for an urgent increase in aid and told delegates the final death toll of the Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami may never be known.

"Whole communities have disappeared. Millions in Asia, Africa, and even in faraway countries, are suffering unimaginable trauma and psychological wounds that will take a long time to heal," he said.

Despite his plea, both Mr Straw and US Secretary of State Colin Powell have urged caution and claimed that simply promising cash is the "easy part".

Mr Straw said promises of money must first materialise and second, be properly spent.

He added: "It is precisely because ours always do that we have been unwilling to get involved in a bidding war with other nations who may be able to make, as it were, better headlines, but who everybody knows are good at the headline figure but not so good at actually paying out the money on time or at all."

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said his government is taking a wait-and-see attitude before pledging more cash to tsunami relief. He said: "I think it's prudent to be careful with respect to these numbers. These are not insignificant numbers."


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/PA_NEWDEATHQuakeThur18Tsunamibi?source=&ct=5
 
I agree that the money has to be spent strategically and that this shouldn't turn into a pissing contest. I didn't like the fact that the Marines were sent to help with it at first but then after i thought about it why the hell not? It is a brotherhood afterall! And all this cash is going into that poverty stricken region someone should be there in case all hell breaks loose. Cause if ppl start loosing their minds it could get real ugly real quick!
Not to mention the UN is in charge now... whether that is good or bad remains to be seen!
 
I can understand why UK won't give more money as we simply can't afford it, but we do have a lot of our disaster relief trained military out there.

On other hand ithas been said on a TV programme that USA has not even given south east asia a QTR of what it gave one of its states last yr. Think US gov gave an american state 75million for use.............yet more money is spent on the iraq war.

Kinda puts in to perspective what is more important..............

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4145359.stm

I strongly agree that the world has pulled together to help South East asia, yet why do we fight over inmoral things when there is more to life??
 
we are haivng reports here of heaps and heaps of people applying for jobs at aid agencies and they are having to turn people away because there are just too many, and they all want to go overseas to help but its not practical
 
say what

Its good that people are pulling together but its a shame that it takes a qtr of a continents population to die before people do so..................

Think about it
 
The important thing is that people care enough about complete strangers to volunteer their time and money to help their fellow human beings...........




Think about it.
 
agreed
there was this massive stink kicked up by people at new years eve there were HEAPS of angry letters sent to newspapers about how dare the government waste all this money on fireworks when it could be used far more productively by being sent to tsunami victims.
while i do agree with them i think that the point stands that there are always worthy recipents, to me i i think its a pity that its only when such a widespread disaster that people actually stop to think about how money might be put to better use
 
I guess it's all a matter of how you look at it. I prefer to see the good side of human nature whenever possible.
 
i see where they are coming from but i question there timing... where were they last year and the year before asking about the fireworks? i think that while this is a Horrible thing that happened too many cooks spoil the stew and the rest of us must help when needed but go on with our lives and let the ppl doing the job do it to the best of their abilities and the rest of us not meddle with them completing their mission!
 
DTop said:
Mr Straw said promises of money must first materialise and second, be properly spent.

He added: "It is precisely because ours always do that we have been unwilling to get involved in a bidding war with other nations who may be able to make, as it were, better headlines, but who everybody knows are good at the headline figure but not so good at actually paying out the money on time or at all."


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/PA_NEWDEATHQuakeThur18Tsunamibi?source=&ct=5
Click to expand...

:)
 
Why wouldn't we resist a "bidding war"? What other country, besides the locals, Austrialia and NZ, have dedicated Helos, Ships, and personnel to help these people. You can donate as much money as you like, you still need to get it to the people that need it. Does the EU have the ability to send massive amounts of true aid that will get to the people? Germany has pledged $600, but how is it going to get to the people? What ships, helos or personnel are going to deliver it? (THe Germans on the board. please do not take this as a slam, it isn't just an example) A bidding war is a politcal tool the DOES NOT HELP THE VICTIMS AT ALL.
 
Locke said:
agreed
there was this massive stink kicked up by people at new years eve there were HEAPS of angry letters sent to newspapers about how dare the government waste all this money on fireworks when it could be used far more productively by being sent to tsunami victims.
while i do agree with them i think that the point stands that there are always worthy recipents, to me i i think its a pity that its only when such a widespread disaster that people actually stop to think about how money might be put to better use
Click to expand...

we had that here in dunedin...but by the time the tsunami hit...most of the fireworks would have been bought and paid for.
 
It's amazing how quickly politics has taken over human compassion in a huge disaster like the Tsunami. There are people here in the US critisising the UN for demanding our help after the UN's "attitude" to Iraq.

Due to the nature of the Tsunami, I refuse to engage in any type of political debate. Everyone needs to shut up and work together to help out the best way we can.

SGT Doody
 
There are always people here in the U.S. that criticize everything. Unfortunately politics tend to overshadow the real issues too often.
I think it's good for people to talk about their feelings no matter how they feel.
The whole point of the post was to demonstrate that some governments are taking steps to get aid where it's needed most. We've all witnessed aid getting misdirected and people suffering because of it. Some of us have witnessed it first hand. So, if there anything that can be done to really help more victims, I'm all for it and I'd like to think we're all for it as well.
You bet the world needs to pull together to help these people and not let politics hinder the effort in any way. Each of us needs to do whatever we possibly can on our own individual level as well. It all starts in the home.
 
Doody said:
It's amazing how quickly politics has taken over human compassion in a huge disaster like the Tsunami. There are people here in the US critisising the UN for demanding our help after the UN's "attitude" to Iraq.

Due to the nature of the Tsunami, I refuse to engage in any type of political debate. Everyone needs to shut up and work together to help out the best way we can.

SGT Doody
Click to expand...

good call, here here!
 
Maybe Sri Lanka, Thailand and India but to do this for Aceh... well if that money goes directly to Aceh and not the Indonesian government, consider yourself funding Al Qaeda. They don't really feel any true gratitude when large sums of money land on their laps like this. It's simply summed up in one word, "Inshallah," it's God's will. The fact that we're giving it is totally irrelevent.
I say this from living many years in Indonesia.
This is really utterly stupid. Just send some money and let themselves sort themselves out because they're fully capable of doing it.
 
Anya1982 said:
I can understand why UK won't give more money as we simply can't afford it, but we do have a lot of our disaster relief trained military out there.

On other hand ithas been said on a TV programme that USA has not even given south east asia a QTR of what it gave one of its states last yr. Think US gov gave an american state 75million for use.............yet more money is spent on the iraq war.

Kinda puts in to perspective what is more important..............

I strongly agree that the world has pulled together to help South East asia, yet why do we fight over inmoral things when there is more to life??
Click to expand...

Such comparisons are tempting but lead nowhere

Many Hollywood blockbusters earn returns in the 300-500M range - and will continue to do so afterwards

Does this mean that people care more about movies than they do about the dead in SE Asia?

As for the aid to Florida - why should that be a factor?

Did Thailand send anything to Florida to help after the hurricanes?

Of course not - and it was not expected

Compassion should be appreciated - not compared to other events

Its as if you gave some poor person $100 to help them and someone said to you "but you gave your son $10,000 - why are you so cheap"

All the more galling when the other party only gave $10
 
yeah but

Hurricane is alot different to the biggest tidal wave in 40yrs...........wiped out half a population and still counting and near enough half of the islands.

South east asia do not have the money and are not equipt for such an enormous devestation were as countries like states, UK,Germany etc are equipt.

Greed stops people from giving and helping......................south east asia did not ask for help if anyhting they have asked for no more, yet the caring people in this world will stillk not let a devestation like this go..........something like 24 thousand people are dead..........i know hurricane was bad but it don't notch up to how many were killed in asia
 
Warning - UK and US resist aid 'bidding war' is the topic. Hurricanes vs. tidal wave is not. Stay on topic. You're welcome to start a weather thread. Future off topic posts will be deleted.
 
its interesting how often countries perform acts of kindness, not for the good of the act, so that they get good press. suchas little johnnies 1bil, it seems to be a very good publicity tool
 
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