The lure of looting tsunami aid "
How scrupulously accountable are we, the custodians of tsunami aid, in our stewardship? How honest are we in the disbursement of tsunami aid to those who are its victims? How steadfast are we in refusing to be seduced by the lure of looting Tsunami aid? These are not questions that any of us may push aside. We need to ask these questions especially because many thousands of these victims still languish in camps for internally displaced people, sans homes, sans means of livelihood, waiting, hoping, for the day when the custodians of tsunami aid will hand over to them the aid that was sent for them.
The tsunami of 26/12 that swept through several Asian countries caused unprecedented havoc. Never in the recorded history of the world has so much been devastated, by so seemingly a heartless nature, in so little a space of time. It must be seen to be believed. It just cannot be imagined.
And that is why thousands of people, from within the affected countries and without, have been visiting the affected areas, meeting the affected people, to see the havoc for themselves, and to listen to the stories of those who lived to tell the tale. And they did not come empty-handed.
The rich and the poor, the great and the small, even little children, from all over, displayed a lavish generosity, many not counting the cost, in reaching out to the victims with whatever help they could offer.
As a result, the affected countries have been inundated with a 'tsunami' of food, milk-food and cereals for children, clothing, medicines, school kits and books, tents, building materials, equipment and an avalanche of cash. Much more has been promised and is yet to come. And this has created gargantuan problems of equitable distribution and of storage.
For example, the distribution of some forms of aid for reconstruction and rehabilitation causes many delays, some of them inevitable. In the first place, correct data has to be collected and certified to ascertain mid-term and long-term needs. Besides, a number of issues need to be looked into. Has the victim's home been partially or totally destroyed? If the Government insists on the 100/200 metre rule, has it found other suitable places for building new homes? When will such land be made available to the victims? Are the victims willing to wait in camps till the Government offers them land or do they wish to purchase some land and build their homes without delay? To what extent have they lost the means of their livelihood? In what practical ways can they be enabled to get back to the trades/employment from which they were displaced? As for storage, among other things, container-loads of materials and equipment, sent for distribution to victims, lie in Customs warehouses, till NGOs wade through the a maze of bureaucratic channels to get them cleared duty-free.
Because of these delays, the danger is great and most real that this aid, on its way from generous donors to deserving victim, may be looted, by its custodians, be it the United Nations, the Governments of the affected countries, the NGOs, the Churches and Religious Organisations, and a countless number of individuals, almost all of whom reveal that the response to their appeals was far, far, in excess of what they hoped to receive.
Do I dare to say that these custodians are not honest and honourable people? God forbid. But these custodians are human persons. Or institutions administered by human persons. And the seductive lure of stuffing their own pockets with the materials and cash passing through their hands, can sometimes be so great as to be irresistible, to the best of human persons. Does that make sense?
It is not blatantly that the best of us would be seduced to rob the helpless victims of tsunami. But most subtly, as by an angel of light. For example, a thousand and one reasonable arguments will emerge from within ourselves, to use a part of this aid for ourselves. 'How can you think of ascertaining the truly deserving without this, that and the other? You need to meet them personally, you need to collect and collate statistical data, you need to be in endless contact with many officials, and so you surely need a comfortable vehicle to get about, a computer, a cellular phone, in order to carry out your task as custodian with responsibility'. Can anyone deny that in some instances these items are absolutely essential? Can anyone deny that in some instances such arguments are just a veiled excuse to use a part of the aid for ourselves as well?
Besides, there are also among us many dishonest people who see that an undreamt of opportunity has come their way, that a windfall has fallen into their laps. One wonders whether all the money that was collected abroad to be sent here has come and an account given. There are others over here, hoarding the money they have received, hoping that someone else would help the victims before they do, so that they could loot the money for themselves.
It is imperative, is it not, that the custodians of tsunami aid be scrupulously accountable and seem to be accountable as well?
One practical way in which this can be done is to publish or send out a report of work done and work in progress, periodically, along with a Statement of Receipts and Payments to all the benefactors. In this way, the donors of aid will be reassured that the aid they sent us is being responsibly channelled to the victims. Besides, if this is done, custodians of aid will be able to nip any lure of looting in the bud.
Besides, to establish our own bona fides, standard accounting practices must be followed, e.g. receipts issued for all aid received, cash received channelled through banks, and vouchers obtained for all disbursements.
While expenses on the setting up of infra-structure for efficient coordination are inevitable, they must be scrupulously kept at the barest minimum. This item may never be permitted to exceed a small proportion of the aid disbursed.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2005/03/12/feat/1.asp)
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