Thompson and Fathi start out their piece accordingly:
The people of San Miguel Arcangel know all too well what it is like to be struck by disaster, and they have watched the world rush to Asia's rescue with sober eyes.What drives the international system to engage in a "rapid response" to global crises, but then ends up leaving folks high-and-dry once the dust settles and the conditions and lives of the devastated are no longer front page news?
Elder Nahum Caceres said his entire community was swept off a hillside six years ago by Hurricane Mitch. In his wallet he keeps a handwritten list of the dozen international aid organizations that have come and gone since then.
'I don't know how much they sent, but they tell me this is a million-dollarvproject,' Mr. Caceres said, looking down over an unsightly patch of flat gray houses in different stages of completion. 'I would like them to see what has happened with all their money.'
Eric Moscoso, a neighbor of Mr. Caceres, was more succinct: 'We are abandoned.'
2 comments:
Michelle - Very true. But you know what bothers about reaction to the tsunami disaster is that it has been so profound and intense, but that similar humanitarian crises caused by human forces (as opposed to natural forces), like the problems in the Darfur region of Sudan or in the Congo, tend to elicit neglible human response and promises of aid/help when compared to natural disaster relief efforts.
M.H. - Very interesting point, and one that we hear almost nothing about. It just goes to show that human fingerprints can be found even in what looks to be "natural" disasters. This point needs to get more attention, though I wonder if making this point would only serve to minimalize humanitarian response to a real human tragedy.
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