Deluge of unfocussed kindness can 'kill,' experts says

Catholic New Times, Jan 30, 2005

TOKYO -- In a report on Inter-Pares news service, "unfocussed kindness can kill." There is a risk that with direct aid, donor nations run the risk of 'killing' the already fragile tsunami-affected countries with too much kindness. Because of this, Japanese experts want the aid money committed by Japan to the devastated countries, to be spent wisely.

This call comes as Tokyo announced in Geneva, at a donors' conference that it will donate US$250 million--making it the biggest contributor in a massive relief operation in South and South-East Asia.

"The biggest donor by far is Japan which is contributing within the next few days $250 million dollars in cash," chief UN humanitarian coordinator Jan Egeland told reporters on Jan. 11.

About 18 of the 70 countries meeting with aid agencies in Geneva pledged $717 million for immediate aid, covering 73 percent of the UN's appeal for $977 million over six months launched last week in Jakarta.

The official death toll from the Dec. 26 killer waves, spawned by a 9.0 undersea quake in the northernmost tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island, is over 150,000. For millions of people in a dozen Indian Ocean countries, the situation-remains dire.

The international community has rallied to the cause: by Jan. 8, more than $5 billion had been pledged to the relief effort by governments and individuals.

"Every step must be taken to ensure the huge collections of aid are used properly and with a long-term view to help the most affected areas," said economist Daisuke Hiratsuka, an expert on Thailand at the Institute of Developing Economies.

"There is a risk that the money could just be used on producing short-term results as, for instance, pouring everything into the construction industry for rebuilding houses--rather than also focusing on people's lives," he said:

According to Prof. Hisashi Nakamura, a development expert on Sri Lanka at Ryukoku University, the rebuilding of livelihoods should take precedence over everything else.

"For example, the worst hit in Sri Lanka are the fishermen who lived on the coastal areas and depended on the sea for their livelihood. They need money fast to buy boats, nets, and refrigeration units to start their lives again."

"Donors must recognize these important needs. Aid as well as money must be channeled to help them earn a living again," said Nakamura.