Letter to the Editor

The following letter to the editor appeared in the Edmonton Sun this morning. I'm still twitching with anger.

It seems that each time I turn on the TV the count of the numbers of dead from the tsunami increases by 10,000. Could it be that the numbers are being artificially inflated on purpose by these countries to squeeze more money out of the bleeding hearts in richer countries such as ours? Will the poor actually get any of this money or will it be stolen by those damn corrupt government officials in these countries? The media should be more cautious and question everything that is being done.

Dear Sir,

You obviously have not been watching the same news footage as I have been watching. You couldn't possibly be reading the same interviews with grieving relatives that I have been reading. Perhaps you missed the graphic descriptions of the recovery efforts. They are still finding bodies as they clear away debris, and it's been almost 10 days. I do not believe those numbers have been inflated. As for the media, I have seen reporters struggle to keep their composure as they report live from the affected areas.

If you are worried about corrupt governments taking the money, perhaps you should donate directly to one of the charities already working in the area. Do your research first so you can be confident that most of your money is reaching the people who need it. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) uses 10-11% for administrative costs. Save the Children claims that 90% of its donations go toward program services. Medicins sans Frontiers or Doctors without Borders has a rate of 85% of donations going toward aid, but it also does not accept money from the US government. According to CNN, Oxfam puts only 77% towards its aid programs. If you would prefer to donate closer to home, the Canadian Red Cross spent about 91% on program services in 2003 (assuming I can read a financial report correctly).

You still need to have faith in people and you can not let these people continue to suffer because you are worried about the possibility of corrupt governments. Perhaps you consider me to be just another "bleeding heart". At least I've done something to help. It's not much, but it's a start.

Update: A report on CTV tonight has Oxfam Canada claiming that 90% of its donations go toward its aid programs, which differs greatly from the CNN report. Perhaps the CNN report is referring to a different branch of Oxfam. They also reported that World Vision puts 80% toward its programs and that the Salvation Army claims that 100% of its donations are used for aid programs.