I have to admit, I'm having trouble understanding why the response to the terrible flooding in Pakistan has not touched the hearts of Americans. So far, our charitable response has been tepid at best.
It seems as if we have turned our backs for several reasons...none of which are good enough to deny help in a situation where the humanitarian need is so great and will only grow worse. As one expert said on the Diane Rehm Show, this is a situation where the reality on the ground is far worse than it looks.
Are we loath to help people in Pakistan because:
- The reported death toll is low? The official figure stands at 1600, but that figure will surely grow as disease and hunger take their toll. We do respond to large death tolls, such as in Haiti and the Asian tsunami. Do we have to reach a certain threshold before we notice? And, why do we need bigger numbers when the disaster is in the developing world than when it is on our own soil? Sixteen hundred casualties in the U.S. would create a massive response.
- We don't like Pakistan? The government of Pakistan has a terrible reputation in the U.S. What we think we know about that country is that it is Islamic (aren't they all suicide bombers?), Al-Qaeda is probably hiding in the hills, and the government is more corrupt than not. We didn't trust the government of Haiti either but had little trouble understanding that when we give to international aid organizations, we are not giving to the government. But in the Pakistan situation, we seem to be mad at the people in Pakistan as well as the government.
- A flood is not as stirring as an earthquake or tsunami? It's true that a flood builds more slowly, but we're weeks into this crisis, and the floods have created what the AP calls an "archipelago of misery". An area the size of England has now been affected.
- We are plumb out of money and compassion? Donor fatigue is a very real thing, and 2010 has already seen more disasters than we can easily comprehend. But, small donations in quantity can be a big help, as we saw with all the mobile giving after the Haiti earthquake. We were quite willing then to pony up as little as $10 through texting, later learning that all those small donations amounted to an astounding dollar amount. It is not happening this time.
- Pakistan is far away and the areas flooded remote? We can't see quite as well what is going on, and the news media have not descended in force on the country. There are pictures and stories, but they have been mostly on the websites of individual aid agencies rather than in our living rooms on cable. Fortunately that is starting to change as the news media wakes up to the dimensions of this disaster.
- The crisis has become a political hot potato? The flooding is playing out against the background of a raging debate over whether to allow an Islamic cultural center to set up shop around the corner from the 9/11 memorial in New York City. That debate has turned nasty with the implication that Islam equals terrorism. The tone of that controversy, which Maureen Dowd calls our Mosque Madness, seems to have spilled over into the way many people seem to feel about helping the people of Pakistan. Check out the reader comments after any article about the flooding to check this out.
Whatever the reasons for our apathy, or antipathy, the shine of our reputation as a generous nation is being dimmed, and, ironically, our best political interests are not being well served. Our political leaders have made it clear over and over that our war on terrorism is not a war against Islam. In times of great need, such as the havoc the waters are wreaking on Pakistan, our compassionate hearts should trump our political brains.
For the many ways you can donate to organizations that are helping in Pakistan, check out Second Wave of Flooding in Pakistan Brings More Misery and Flooding in Pakistan Creates Dire Need: How You Can Help.
More about the flooding in Pakistan:
- What is causing Pakistan's flooding?
- U.N. Warns of Supply Shortage in Pakistan (NY Times)
- Why The Unfolding Disaster in Pakistan Should Concern You (Robert Reich)
- Pakistan's Devastating Floods (Diane Rehm Show, 8/18/10)
- Charities Sound Alarm Over High Level of Need in Pakistan and Few Donations to Meet It (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
More commentary about philanthropy during disasters:
- Disaster Philanthropy: Why Are Some Disasters More Appealing than Others?
- In fundraising, not all disasters are equal
- Why People Don't Give to Our Causes
Photo: Pakistani children stand outside a make shift tent next to the muddy rubble of their home August 16, 2010 in Charsadda, Pakistan. Paula Bronstein/Staff/Getty Images News
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