Over the past few years, few countries have suffered as much as Haiti. Last year's earthquake ruptured what little stability the United Nations restored, and the island country continues to be the poorest nation in the Americas. A cholera epidemic currently afflicts the already trifling population.
When the earthquake hit, a period of enthusiastic philanthropy and donation ensued for as long as the media circus could stay in town. But much of that aid has yet to reach its intended receivers, and looking back on the aftermath of the quake, it seems like just a hiccup of American altruism.
Indeed, celebrities like Wyclef Jean and countless popular publications gave attention to the catastrophe. The tremor turned into the newest concern in the American world, and to us it seemed like the only problem west of the Congo. Campaigns to "help Haiti" spawned overnight. T-shirts and generous activism made the quake an issue that would not get out of your face.
But the 2010 Pakistan floods received so much less press and public attention that many thought it to be less of a natural disaster. Au contraire: the floods affected 20 million people, almost twice the population of Haiti.
It is odd to us that humanitarian aid can be so political. The aversion toward Pakistani media coverage during the flood seems to point to a mild chauvinism toward the Middle East and human beings in need of help from our vast stockpile of emergency resources.
Some may argue that we have suffered on the home front as well and that problems overseas are beyond the reach of our humanitarian obligations. Agreed: Hurricane Katrina certainly humbled the city of New Orleans and the rest of the country as well.
But despite our inabilities to lead in practical help overseas, how shortsighted is our sympathy?
We have a stable government that can take care of its homeland, and we have trained professional emergency personnel who are paid by the state. When Katrina hit the coast of Louisiana, our self-sustaining government could tackle the problem.
Haiti is unable to do the same.
Individually, unless people can volunteer travel expenses and their presence at ground zero, there is not much to do in terms of practical help.
Unfortunately, many of the so-called non-profit organizations created to help with disaster relief are corrupt and opportunistic facades that pocket the money or spend it frivolously. Some have heard that only a handful of pennies out of every dollar donated actually go to the cause.
Though almost powerless in our ability to provide practical help, the least that each American can do is help lubricate the flow of information that the media refuses to provide Americans who are still concerned for their country's more lackluster allies.
