Relief effort in Haiti.
15 years ago
Posts: 1310
A couple of days ago, I was wondering how come the international news are SO focused in those rescuing people out of the rubble instead of the whole picture.
Lets put it like this:
Many international news networks blamed Dominican Republic for not acting more decisively in the situation and how we weren't doing enough, but I wonder what exactly they wanted us to do?
We are not a rich nation, we can't just send millions of dollars and call the press, so they can broadcast how we give René Preval a big Check (like the ones given by Lottery), we don't have specially trained units to search for survivors in a situation like that... fuck if it had happened in this side of the island, things would probably be equally bad.
We did what we could, sent the civil defense to help the hurt and rescue those that could be rescue by us (with our limited experience), many trucks filled with food, opened our roads into haiti and told everyone they could ask for anything and we would give it to the effort, many doctors from our clinics volunteered to head there and help, and at first, I wanted to go and help as well (both of my parents are doctors so basic stuff is a given to me) until the director of the place I work simply told me, we couldn't spare a single men, and I was risking my job, if I decided to leave. (the situation is just like that).
I know what we are doing in Haiti, I see it in the news papers and our news, and at first I though my nation was biased and trying to make themselves look much better, but how come I barely hear anything about us in the international networks, I can't see any of the many pictures taken by our photographers, and how come is just USA here, France there, doctors without borders there... the answer is fairly simple (to me) This disaster is being used as promotion for all these organizations and countries that instead of coordinating the relief effort are fighting each other to see who gets more coverage... and that just sickens me... we did what we thought was right, put our resources in the hands of people with experience dealing with earthquakes of this magnitude, and instead I just see time being wasted and people fighting to see who gets the right to save the Haitians under that building.
and it doesn't seem like I am the only one that thinks that the organizations are wasting more time fighting to see who leads who and who saves who.
In an editorial, The Lancet says many of the international aid agencies operating in Haiti might be doing more harm than good by promoting themselves rather than working for the common humanitarian goal.
The Lancet says the aid industry has become too obsessed with media campaigns, despite past mistakes during the response to the Asian tsunami five years ago.
Lancet editor, Dr Richard Horton, told the BBC there was no effective common leadership of humanitarian workers in Haiti, as many non-governmental organisations were competing against each other.
Am I just bitching? perhaps, but I think the media propaganda machine is being used ONCE again, for the wrong means >_<, to inform the common idiot what THE MAN wants you to know. (Its 2 AM, and I deliberately wanted to sound like a hippie from the 60's).
Anyway, just don't be fooled into thinking that things are going well and everyone is working towards the goal of saving lives, because I am just a few miles away and the picture is NOT that nice.
