Conghaileach
7th January 2005, 20:03
wsws.org
7 January 2005
Hypocrisy and self interest at tsunami summit in Jakarta
By Peter Symonds
From beginning to end, the one-day summit on the Asian tsunami disaster held in Jakarta yesterday reeked of hypocrisy. Representatives of the world’s richest nations, who only a week ago announced derisory amounts of aid, paraded as benefactors of the downtrodden of Asia. The leaders of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other affected countries expressed their immense gratitude for the pittance that was pledged. UN General Secretary Kofi Annan presided over the wretched affair, supplying predictable benedictions and empty phrases of concern about the plight of the victims.
The international media reported in effusive terms the amounts of aid donated by the world’s major powers, now approaching just $US4 billion. Even taken at face value, the figure is grossly inadequate to deal with the immediate humanitarian crisis confronting an estimated 3 to 5 million people, let alone the longer-term reconstruction needed to provide a decent standard of living for the tens of millions whose lives have been torn apart by the tragedy.
Many of the pledges of assistance made with great fanfare at the Jakarta summit will never be realised. Just over a year ago, a similar outpouring of promises occurred in response to the earthquake that levelled the Iranian city of Bam and killed nearly 30,000 people. More than $1 billion in aid was promised but, according to Iranian officials, only $17.5 million arrived. Likewise, in comments to the press this week, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland pointed out that billions of dollars were pledged after Cyclone Mitch devastated Central America in 1998, but just $682 million was actually realised.
In his report to the summit, Kofi Annan cautiously hinted that immediate cash, not future promises, was needed. He announced a UN appeal for nearly $1 billion in the next six months to provide emergency relief for the millions of people in Asia and Africa who lack shelter, food, water or medical care. Despite the public promises of billions, the UN relief operation still does not have the money in hand to provide basic essentials in the immediate period ahead.
Full Story (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jan2005/tsun-j07.shtml)
7 January 2005
Hypocrisy and self interest at tsunami summit in Jakarta
By Peter Symonds
From beginning to end, the one-day summit on the Asian tsunami disaster held in Jakarta yesterday reeked of hypocrisy. Representatives of the world’s richest nations, who only a week ago announced derisory amounts of aid, paraded as benefactors of the downtrodden of Asia. The leaders of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other affected countries expressed their immense gratitude for the pittance that was pledged. UN General Secretary Kofi Annan presided over the wretched affair, supplying predictable benedictions and empty phrases of concern about the plight of the victims.
The international media reported in effusive terms the amounts of aid donated by the world’s major powers, now approaching just $US4 billion. Even taken at face value, the figure is grossly inadequate to deal with the immediate humanitarian crisis confronting an estimated 3 to 5 million people, let alone the longer-term reconstruction needed to provide a decent standard of living for the tens of millions whose lives have been torn apart by the tragedy.
Many of the pledges of assistance made with great fanfare at the Jakarta summit will never be realised. Just over a year ago, a similar outpouring of promises occurred in response to the earthquake that levelled the Iranian city of Bam and killed nearly 30,000 people. More than $1 billion in aid was promised but, according to Iranian officials, only $17.5 million arrived. Likewise, in comments to the press this week, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland pointed out that billions of dollars were pledged after Cyclone Mitch devastated Central America in 1998, but just $682 million was actually realised.
In his report to the summit, Kofi Annan cautiously hinted that immediate cash, not future promises, was needed. He announced a UN appeal for nearly $1 billion in the next six months to provide emergency relief for the millions of people in Asia and Africa who lack shelter, food, water or medical care. Despite the public promises of billions, the UN relief operation still does not have the money in hand to provide basic essentials in the immediate period ahead.
Full Story (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jan2005/tsun-j07.shtml)