Mennonite Weekly Review

My first thought, upon hearing about the terrible earthquake in Haiti, was: “Oh God, no — not Haiti!” That’s the last thing that desperately poor country needs.

John Longhurst, of Winnipeg, Man., is a columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and a member of River East Mennonite Brethren
Church.

My thoughts also turned to Haitian friends, people I learned to know when I was involved in international development in that country. I wondered where they were and if they were alive.

My second thought was about what I could do. Over supper on Jan. 13 our family agreed on what we could all give to help.

My thoughts then drifted back to the 2006 Asian tsunami and to a series of articles I wrote back then for my local newspaper about the response to that disaster. A review indicated that what was said back then about the best ways to help people in need, and to understand the relief process, was still applicable today.

First, if you want to help, send cash, unless aid agencies specifically ask for material aid. For example, Mennonite Central Committee appealed for relief kits, comforters and sheets. These will be helpful, but cash is still the best and most useful gift that relief agencies can receive. It gives them maximum flexibility. As a bonus, money can be spent in the country affected by the disaster, or in the region, thereby giving twice — once to aid disaster victims, and again to help local businesses.

Second, be careful who you give to. Unfortunately, disasters not only bring out the best in people — they also bring out the worst in some charitable organizations. Disasters can attract aid groups like moths to a flame; they want to be where the money is going. Groups that have never been in Haiti will suddenly launch appeals, though they have no experience in the country. Worse, new groups with no international relief experience will spring up, asking for your money.

Third, don’t even think of getting on a plane to Haiti. It doesn’t matter if you swing a mean hammer or know a thing or two about plumbing. The last thing a county with millions of homeless people needs is more homeless people — particularly ones who don’t speak the language and don’t know where to begin to help.

Fourth, be patient. The response will seem painfully slow, though the needs are so plain to see. Why aren’t relief groups moving quicker? Relief work, when done well and done right, requires careful planning. There’s no point in two groups ending up in the same town or neighborhood while other areas go without, or in providing the wrong kind of assistance.

Fifth, be prepared for things to go wrong. All aid groups know that things won’t turn out exactly as planned. Some aid will go missing. Some will be stolen. Some will end up for sale in the local market. It’s normal, and they expect it.

The other thing they expect are media reports about lost, stolen or missing aid. As sure as night follows day, reports about misappropriated donations will make the news. When that happens, remember that for every story about missing aid, there are thousands of unreported stories of aid that ended up exactly where needed most at exactly the right time.

If anything, it’s a miracle that things go as well as they do, considering how difficult and challenging things are in that country.

Finally, don’t let this be your first and last donation for international relief and development this year. Long after the media are gone, the needs in Haiti will remain. Relief groups need your donations not just for Haiti but also for the dozens of other disasters around the world that receive little or no media attention.

John Longhurst, of Winnipeg, Man., spent 20 years in relief and development work with Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Economic Development Associates.