18 January 2010 What is missing in this picture?

18 January 2010 What is missing in this picture?

Haiti aid pledged by country ( from “The Guardian”)

 Country/org Funding, committed

Australia 8992806

Belgium 651876

Brazil 15530000

Canada 5491330

Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) 25727253

China 10405286

Czech Republic 288600

Denmark 7376543

Estonia 1000000

European Commission 4329000

Finland 1803752

France 14398778

Germany 3463204

Greece 290000

Guyana 1000000

Indonesia 1000000

Inter-American Development Bank 200000

Italy 1593145

Japan 5327154

Luxembourg 722900

Morocco 1000000

Netherlands 2886003

New Zealand 1000000

Norway 4939341

Others 194838546

Poland 1089466

Private (individuals & organizations) 167323361

Russian Federation 700000

South Africa 134904

Spain 4329004

Sweden 18181860

Switzerland 1941748

UN & agencies 10000000

United Kingdom 30000000

United States 100150000

WORLD TOTAL 748105860

World Bank (emergency grant) 100000000



“Friday, 15 January 2010
Turkey will send mobile hospital and humanitarian aid to Haiti, the Prime Ministry said on Friday.
The Prime Ministry Press Center said Turkey would dispatch a mobile hospital, two check-up devices, 20-member relief team, 10 tons of medicine and medical equipment.
Also, Turkey will send 20 tons of tents, blankets, foodstuffs and kitchen sets by a General Staff plane.”


“Qatar joins international aid effort for Haiti

Web posted at: 1/15/2010 4:31:52

Source: REUTERS/ QNA

DOHA/PORT-AU-PRINCE: Qatar yesterday sent a C-17 strategic transport aircraft carrying 50 tons of aid to Haiti as troops and planeloads of food and medicine streamed into a traumatised nation still rattled by aftershocks from the earthquake that flattened homes and government buildings and buried countless people.

The head of the Qatari rescue team, Captain Mubarak Sherida Al Kaabi, said the team included 26 members from the Qatari armed forces, the internal security force (Lekhwiya), police forces, and the Hamad Medical Corporation. “

Turkey, like Israel, has a history of responding to disasters in other nations. They are prone to earthquakes and know the need that develops after one happens. Like Israel, their contribution is often overlooked by media reporters who are following response teams from their own nations or following larger contingents.

In discussing the nations and organizations sending aid to Haiti since the recent earthquake, Gloria and I noted a complaint published by a right wing Israeli organization, Arutz Sheva, that Israel’s contribution is under-reported. Israel was one of the first nations to respond to the disaster, committing a field hospital and SAR team immediately. The hospital became operational on 16 January and has added forty beds to those available to Haitian patients. It can treat about 500 patients/day and includes both pediatric and maternity services. I tend to regard Arutz Sheva with less trust than Gloria allows. What press I’ve seen concerning Israel’s contribution in this disaster relief has been favorable. I heard or read of this deployment the day after the quake. I saw video footage of the hospital on CNN this morning. To be absolutely fair, I suspect that our national news coverage doesn’t report very much about the teams from other nations unless there is an intersect for some reason. And I imagine the news services from Israel, Turkey, Iceland, and other nations will focus on their national teams. I object to any propaganda source using this event to air complaints about how much coverage is directed to which nation. Its petty behavior, what I would expect from Fox News and the tea party mob.

There has been sufficient time after the quake for help from other nations to arrive and begin their part in the relief and recovery. Iceland, Denmark, Mexico, Canada, Dominican Republic and other nations are present and have been instrumental in saving lives. The immediate U.S. presence was largely the deployment of 82nd Airborne soldiers. Follow on aid includes many civic SAR teams and the sort of military aid that only we can provide. But the logistics involved in moving a Carrier Attack Group, off-loading its organic air wing and on-loading extra rotary wing craft is an exercise in speed and distance over water. It also takes time to load relief supplies. The U.S.S. Carl Vinson is a small city with a 55 bed hospital. Other ships on site include a helicopter assault carrier with a Marine unit, Salvage craft to open the harbor again, and teams to keep the airport and airlift functional as well as security troops that will be needed. The USNS Comfort, a complete hospital ship is in route to Haiti.

As in any disaster, it takes some time to assess damage, mobilize crews and troops, and physically move men, women, and materiel to the disaster site. That requires the folks on the ground when the event happens to be their own first responders. New Orleans dropped the ball when Katrina hit and that screw up was magnified by state and federal incompetency. Haiti didn’t have a ball to drop. The lack of organic government, social safety nets, and everything else beyond populace that defines a nation make this one of the worst disasters I can recall.

If one looks at the list of nations pledging aid it is easy to see that, other than Turkey, Indonesia and Qatar, there seems to be no money pledged by Moslem nations, particularly the Arab states. Given the wealth of the oil nations, one has to wonder why. A brief internet search revealed this:

From:

TheReligionofPeace.com

Guide to Understanding Islam



“Question:

Why aren't there any international Muslim charities that attend to the needs non-Muslim victims?



Summary Answer:

Muslims are not commanded to assist non-Muslims. To do so is a waste of money, because they are going to Hell anyway. The Qur'an and Hadith command that money flow either between Muslims or from non-Muslims to Muslims (Qur'an 9:29).

Neither has the Islamic community ever been particularly keen on disaster relief, even for Muslim victims. This is because the Qur'an teaches that the disasters which befall communities are a punishment from Allah.”



Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh are not alone in the depths of vile superstition-based bigotry and hatred they peddle. The only difference I see in such American fundamentalists and demagogues from the Moslem fundamentalists and Taliban is the uniform and the name on the sacred book they wave about to justify their hateful proclamations.

I have always read about and heard of the demands of hospitality and charity incumbent upon Moslems. I may need to reconsider what I have read in light of what I see. The Arab states don’t even seem to help each other when disaster hits. How very like Limbaugh stating that we should not help Haiti. To be fair, I understand that Moslem charities in the U.S. have pledged money to Haitian relief. I hope it is true.

The table of contributions by nation comes from a source I rarely use. “The Guardian” is as blatantly biased as is Fox News or Arutz Sheva. I prefer my news to be reported rather than editorialized with a blatant bias as does “The Guardian” or blatantly fabricated, as does Fox News and its newest anti-knowledge proponent, Palin. However, the Guardian’s axe seems sheathed in this offering and I feel it can be trusted.

At some time in the future I want to discuss medical triage in disasters and how it the application of triage has been broken down by emotion in recent days.