why has their been such a poor response (donation-wise) to the pakistan floods?

[Anonymous]

P.S. OP again - i'm not asking anyone to contribute money to the pakistani government, but what about US aid agencies workingg in pakistan - like UNICEF, save the children, and mercycorps? How do you explain why no one is giving there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op here - i kind of guessed all of the above reasons (minus the hateful racist comment from one poster - and 1 billion in aid is nothing), but its very sad for me, especially considering the people on this website seem to generally be well-educated, cultured, and diverse... as for the person who doesn't think its their problem b/c its far away... i think one of common perrceptions of America for people abroad is a selfish minority that controls the majority of the world's wealth, which has probably contributed to extremism. And I wonder if you also didn't contribute to Haiti, because it wasn't your country. And did you contribute to Katerina, because that's nowhere near DC? And do you contribute to children's hospital? It serves mostly black patients; if you're not black, should you bother, since its not your community or your problem? What happened to our global America?

unffortunately, starvation and the death that will ensue will only turn ordinary oblivious people (farmers) into targets for terrorists for recruitment. its the marginalized who are easy to recruit, you know? there's a great book called "spokesman for the despised" that sums up this theory really well.

I am the pp who doesnt give bc I like to contribute to the causes close to me. For me, that means my religious organization, my country of ancestry, my family, my children's schools, and other causes that are "close to me heart" although not necessarily geographically. My life has nothing to do with Pakistan. I also did not contribute to China, India, Chile, etc. I gave a very specific, targeted donation to Haiti. Unfortunately, I do not have unlimited resources and have to choose where to contribute. Pakistan is not one of those places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's because many people hate Muslims.
All the controversy over the community center, that everyone is calling a mosque is not helping things.

One of my friends who happens to be Muslim, was listening to fox news. She said " I can't believe Americans hate us so much".

Not all Americans hate Muslims, but I can see how she'd think that by watching fox news.

[Anonymous]

I'd say the recession, summer, and poor news coverage of the actual situation combined with negative news coverage of the NYC community center. I haven't heard much about any disaster relief teams going to Pakistan from the US (unlike with Haiti, when many local and national recovery groups and doctors headed there, making it seem more locally connected). News coverage has a lot to do with it, and also perception of proximity or ability of the country itself to deal with it: I donated following Katrina, the Burma disaster, and Haiti, but not the Chile earthquakes or the tsunami (which also happened over a holiday time period, if I remember correctly).

People looking for a reputable place to donate could consider CARE: they are already in place on the ground, and provide medical care, shelter, clean water, and food to those in need (often their focus is on women and children, so clean water, formula, and medications for cholera and the like are high on their priority lists). More info is here: http://www.care.org/emergency/pakistan-floods-monsoon-disaster-relief-efforts/index.asp

[Anonymous]

Not clear, OP. It boggles the mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's because many people hate Muslims.
All the controversy over the community center, that everyone is calling a mosque is not helping things.

One of my friends who happens to be Muslim, was listening to fox news. She said " I can't believe Americans hate us so much".

Not all Americans hate Muslims, but I can see how she'd think that by watching fox news.

Oh, it doesn't have to be just Fox News. That coverage of the NYC mosque is everywhere and it's horrible. Look at any poster comments on any news site, and they are filled with hatred for Muslims.

[Anonymous]

Watching the news coverage of the little kids screaming for help in Pakistan, how they haven't had any water for days, how they are dying from cholera, is just gut wrenching. I'm not sure how any parent can just walk away from that and not donate.

[Anonymous]

why we don't donate to this one or the others

1. Total mismanagement of the funds
2. Too many people making money off it- charity salaries are disgusting
3. Once a Hollywood type person gets involved you know people are getting paid and taking a cut
4. You can give people blankets, shelter, food, but they want cash instead.

Did you know the American Red Cross spent over $3000 to take staff to a movie in NY?
Did you know the Food & Friends head makes $300,000 a year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why we don't donate to this one or the others

1. Total mismanagement of the funds
2. Too many people making money off it- charity salaries are disgusting
3. Once a Hollywood type person gets involved you know people are getting paid and taking a cut
4. You can give people blankets, shelter, food, but they want cash instead.

Did you know the American Red Cross spent over $3000 to take staff to a movie in NY?
Did you know the Food & Friends head makes $300,000 a year?

That's why I recommended Islamic Relief USA -- it's rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator. You can get more information on that website about overhead, etc., if you are interested.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3908

[Anonymous]

I'll also admit, I barely heard about it. I just don't watch TV much in the summer and I guess I haven't really been reading the news - so much of it isn't really news anymore. And - well there just isn't as much coverage. For example, for Katrina, I think even when you went to Google or Amazon, there was a link to contribute. It was all much more "in your face". For this, it seems like the story isn't as out there (don't know why).

So as much as I hate media over-covering stories, I guess there is an upside (the contribution rate to the people who need it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why we don't donate to this one or the others

1. Total mismanagement of the funds
2. Too many people making money off it- charity salaries are disgusting
3. Once a Hollywood type person gets involved you know people are getting paid and taking a cut
4. You can give people blankets, shelter, food, but they want cash instead.

Did you know the American Red Cross spent over $3000 to take staff to a movie in NY?
Did you know the Food & Friends head makes $300,000 a year?

That's why I recommended Islamic Relief USA -- it's rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator. You can get more information on that website about overhead, etc., if you are interested.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3908

No thanks, we do our charity work in other ways where we see the final results

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why we don't donate to this one or the others

1. Total mismanagement of the funds
2. Too many people making money off it- charity salaries are disgusting
3. Once a Hollywood type person gets involved you know people are getting paid and taking a cut
4. You can give people blankets, shelter, food, but they want cash instead.

Did you know the American Red Cross spent over $3000 to take staff to a movie in NY?
Did you know the Food & Friends head makes $300,000 a year?

That's why I recommended Islamic Relief USA -- it's rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator. You can get more information on that website about overhead, etc., if you are interested.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3908

No thanks, we do our charity work in other ways where we see the final results

It wasn't necessarily directed at you. Something tells me you have no interest in helping Pakistani kids at all.

[Anonymous]

I read the Islmic Relief site and saw what they helped in: literacy, food, etc. Why isn't there help with healthcare and birth control? Is it against the religion to use birth control like with Catholics & Mormons? Why do people keep making more babies they can't feed or educate? Maybe there would be less "suffering" in general if people had fewer children or had number of kids they could actually care for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the Islmic Relief site and saw what they helped in: literacy, food, etc. Why isn't there help with healthcare and birth control? Is it against the religion to use birth control like with Catholics & Mormons? Why do people keep making more babies they can't feed or educate? Maybe there would be less "suffering" in general if people had fewer children or had number of kids they could actually care for.

We must not be reading the same website:

health care and medication:

Islamic Relief’s health and nutrition programs include building, equipping and running healthcare centers, training midwives and traditional birth attendants, providing medication and carrying out health and hygiene training.
http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/what-we-do/health

Birth control is absolutely permitted in Islam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read the Islmic Relief site and saw what they helped in: literacy, food, etc. Why isn't there help with healthcare and birth control? Is it against the religion to use birth control like with Catholics & Mormons? Why do people keep making more babies they can't feed or educate? Maybe there would be less "suffering" in general if people had fewer children or had number of kids they could actually care for.

We must not be reading the same website:

health care and medication:

Islamic Relief’s health and nutrition programs include building, equipping and running healthcare centers, training midwives and traditional birth attendants, providing medication and carrying out health and hygiene training.
http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/what-we-do/health

Birth control is absolutely permitted in Islam.

Actually, I went to the hyperlink that was provided earlier, I think it was to the Charity Navigator.