Does the U.S. Get Help During Disasters?Archived Message
Posted by sleuth on April 3, 2011, 4:54 pm
Does the U.S. get help during disasters?
Q. Our church recently requested donations for the earthquake victims in Japan. That made a few of us wonder: Does the U.S. receive many donations from other countries when disasters occur here?
-- J.B., of New Athens
A. Let me tell you about what some are calling another disaster, and I'm not talking about the kind Mother Nature whips up.
Hurricane Katrina wreaked devastation from central Florida to Texas when it plowed into the United States in late August 2005. By Sept. 2, four dozen countries and international organizations had offered aid of one kind or another. Eventually, more than 100 countries and such groups as NATO and the United Nations pledged close to a billion dollars in cash, manpower and oil that was to be sold for cash.
The list went from A (Afghanistan $100,000, Armenia $200,000, etc.) to almost Z (Yemen, $100,000). The United Arab Emirates pledged $100 million. Germany and Russia readied planes to bring food, medical supplies and water purification equipment. Even tiny Luxembourg offered a team of five aides, 1,000 camp beds and 2,000 blankets.
But you know what? As of May 2007, a Washington Post investigation found that of nearly $854 million pledged by allies, only $40 million (less than 5 percent) had reached disaster victims or was used for reconstruction -- and we caused the bungling.
That's right. The White House's Karen Hughes reportedly told U.S. ambassadors worldwide to assure their host countries that their help had greatly aided Americans in a time of need. But, the Post said, many of those diplomats knew the offers of manpower, supplies and expertise had been turned down right and left. Some eventually were withdrawn or redirected to private groups such as the Red Cross.
"The rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how it can be spent," the article noted. "In addition, valuable supplies and services ... were delayed or declined because the government could not handle them. In some cases, supplies were wasted. (It is) another reminder of the federal government's difficulty leading the recovery."
For example, Italy's contribution of medical supplies were somehow left out in the weather and ruined. While people waited on rooftops for rescue, the U.S. turned down offers of allied rescue teams. In all, we reportedly declined 54 of 77 offers from Canada, Britain and Israel, according to the State Department.
So, help was there but we apparently looked gift horses too deep in the mouth.
Send your questions to Roger Schlueter, Belleville News-Democrat, 120 S. Illinois St., P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427 or e-mail rschlueter@bnd.com or call 239-2465.
on April 3, 2011, 4:54 pm