Earthquake in Nepal

It's very easy to donate to DEC-text 'donate' to 70123 and that's £5 gifted on your mobile account. So simple.

I've just started a new job with Age UK who are seeking donations, monetary and practical for the Nepal disaster relief.
It's one of many agencies involved with DEC, more info in their website should anyone be interested in donating.

The non-monetary donations include blankets and hygiene articles, again more information on web.

With deaths exceeding 4000 and countless injured and homeless the situation is beyond me being able to imagine the utterly dire conditions

I take your point about corruption which is the reason that I can and do make absolutely sure that the charity to which I subscribe gets the subscription in full. I had a friend some years ago who was living in Bangladesh, and to her amazement and subsequent anger she observed certain goods being sold at the local market on a regular basis that were clearly labelled 'Red Cross'!!! Obviously gifted aid for sale!!!

Pax.

Sorry I am a realist, and not a fantasist on this site as can be seen by my recent posts

I am not angry at the corrupt oficials, its a fact of life.

We have the same here with our beloved MPs who have their fingers in the till.

As to attactking first look at the mote in your own eye.

PAX

And why are you sorry? as though I said that it was not and you are obliged to correct my mistake..

Which hollow phrase is that?

Why are you going on at me jollyg ? I wasn't disagreeing with you. I said that organisations on the ground would be better distributing aid, that people needed essentials, not cast-off clothing sent as vast expense, that if those affected received useless things selling them would give them money to spend (if there is anything to buy!)

No I have not visited, but I am not ignorant and dreamy-eyed about the subcontinent either, and yes I have read your link and endorse what is said completely. What you put in your post was confusing. As Soutra said, "Your point is?"

I get the impression that you are so angry at the corrupt officials that it is spilling over onto the site. Keep your anger for where it can have an effect. I can't stop the officials taking aid before it reaches those who need it so stop attacking me about it.

Sorry Elegran, corruption is endemic in that area of the world as many others.

I was not ranting, horrible word, just telling it how it is.

I never use that word tho it seems to be over used on this site.

it is better that the organisations on the ground supply that from nearby.

Your above phrase rings hollow as the corrupt have already got their hands on the loot

Come June/July the SW monsoon will sweep the country and reach Nepal.

More misery then, if the tents and aid can be donated/ erected

I have never experienced it full force, If you want more info read, City of Joy, when the officials of Calcutta remove the road drains to clear the streets of water.

There they have ricksha wallahs who use man power to transport the rich in a man pulled 'cart'.

If the manholes have been removed, they fall down and break their limbs, no NHS there.

People who do this work are refugees from less affluent parts of India. Bangladesh. Nepal, they work hard and might if they are luck see their families once in 1/2 years.

BTW did you read my link.?

If people need money , of course they will sell goods for income as well as scavenging, it a bit like Tesco,, Every little helps.

I take it you have not visited.

That was a mistype, I meant to put India, not Nepal.

In your post it was not clear whether you approved or not of people selling donations. I was coming down on the side of money being more useful than second-hand clothing. What they need is the essentials, and it is better that the organisations on the ground supply that from nearby.

Ranting about babus and corrupt officials is reasonable, but not much direct use at the moment.

A tsumani is just as devastating to peoples lives as an earthquake.

They have had their lives destroyed.

Elegran Have you been to the subcontinent?

IT is Nepal who has just had an earthquake

Have you seen the rag pickers who scavenge to pick through the detritus of others to scrape a living? India and Nepal would be no different, as Haiti, Sichuan , Phillipinese residents

Nepal is not India, and Nepal has not just had an earhquake.

If you had just had your home and all your possessions destroyed in an earthquake, would you want stuff to sell or things to set up home again? if you had been given things you could not use yourself by well-meaning people, what would you do with them?

And your point, jollyg is. . . . ?

From todays Guardian

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/27/earthquake-nepal-dont-rush-help-volunteers-aid.

When the tsumami hit S India lorries came round asking for donations to help the people with nothing.

I gave bedding. Landlady said 'what are you giving that for?.

What the destitute wanted was NEW clothes that they could sell. AND btw the houses for the fishermen are still not occupied as the money went elsewhere.

In Nepal the royal family ruled a feudal state, totally corrupt, and the babus took their lead from them.

India is supposed to be democratic... ha bloody ha, every babu seeks his cut to fill in an official form, supposed to be free,........ and they get an excellent govt pension. No wonder that is what all Indians aspire to, get on the gravy train. I cant think Nepal would be any different

That sounds brilliant, Pittcity

We have local fundraising events that raise money for a Nepalese orphanage. Nobody was hurt there but they are living in tents as the buildings were damaged. There is a collection and a dinner coming up. All the money goes direct with no middle men so I am happy to support.

I support a small charity by sending 'concrete items' to a lady who runs the charity, helped by her husband and friends, all without taking anything at all from it. Their biggest stumbling block (apart from getting the aid to where it is needed ie Syrian refugee camps) is one particular Customs official in their country who refuses to let through parcels and sometimes returns them to the sender.

I also support the Red Cross because they are always one of the first charities to go into disaster areas.

I really feel that, over the years, the people of Nepal have come forward to offer themselves when we have needed them, often giving their lives in conflicts. It is our turn to help them; the Government will be sending aid but perhaps we can all spare a sum of money to help, however small, by supporting whichever charity we favour or by contributing to the DEC:

www.dec.org.uk/?gclid=CMDn5eyVl8UCFQgOwwodCq0Ahw

Yep! We have, as members of the human race, to recognise how incredibly fortunate we are, and do something.

In this context, I'm happy with Oxfam

I think people wishing to donate should just be aware that in some countries you need to establish the best way of ensuring the money goes to those agencies that can ensure it gets to the intended recipients.

Personally I regularly donate to MSF and Rotary International as well as regularly giving extra where I can be more sure it'll get there.

I certainly don't want to put people off, that's the last thing I intended.

Forgot to add that the Ethiopian famine was 1984.

Loopyloo I hope your post doesn't put people off donating - the Biafran war (Nigeria, West Africa) was in the late 60s whereas Band Aid was to raise money for famine in Ethiopa (East Africa).

If we wait for a perfect system before we or the govt donate, we'll wait for ever. And the only people who will suffer are the poor and dispossessed

Like ShelterBox, for example! I do agree that circumventing many governments is a good idea. In Rotary International, we deal directly with other Rotary clubs and districts, and everything is rigorously accounted, so we know our contributions are going to the right places.

I think it's really important to understand how much aid goes directly to charities working on the ground and is effectively managed and how much can be misappropriated. With the present situation, the government has already given £5m of which £3m is going to charities and partners on the ground and £2m to the Red Cross. This is only to be applauded and is one thing that I commend DC for, he has stood up to his extreme right wing, on the issue of overseas aid. The govt is also sending humanitarian teams. Whilst we should do all we can to make sure overseas aid is not misused, the emphasis on that by papers like the DM is a distraction from the reality that most aid is properly applied and does not consist of used fivers in brown envelopes being passed over to shady officials. The size of the tragedy is unfolding as we post - all we can do is pick up the phone and make a donation, as much as we can afford.