A question, regarding the floods in Pakistan.

[pomtzu]

I have to agree with Catty1 here - donor fatigue.

I don't believe that Islam has anything to do with it. At some point people (and nations) have to step back and say that enough is enough - unfortunately. When I see what the U.S. has given in aid over the years to many, many different countries (and cultures & religions), it makes me rather sad that the U.S. is so slow (or non-existent), in giving aid to their own people in their own country.

What's the explanation for that, I would ask...........

[sana]

I don't know if Islam has anything to do with this, but the flood wouldn't have been this bad if the government made Kalabagh Dam. And guess what the rivers and the dams are full and still, load shedding They should do something about this. The government isn't doing anything. The ppl are doing everything up till now.

[Freedom]

I would suggest the time of year may be part of the issue.

The 2004 tsunami (Dec 26) and the 2010 Haiti earthquake (Jan 12) happened in winter months, when I sit and watch TV a LOT. The scenes they showed where heart wrenching, and yes, I gave.

This time of year, I am lucky to watch 3 hours of TV per week. While I am aware of the floods in Pakistan, I am not seeing the images "in my face" every minute. So the impact, the "oh my gosh those poor people," and the feeling that something like that could happen to me, a random thing like that, well, that message is just not hitting me the same way.

[kitten645]

I agree that it doesn't have to do with Islam. I think fatigue is the main factor. I think the US needs to mind business at home. The way Katrina was handled (or rather NOT handled) was a wake up call. I also feel most of these relief efforts eventually just line the pockets of the politicians in these countries. Corruption in government is the reason they can't react to disasters. The infrastructure isn't there to cope.

[Medusa]

Donor fatigue applies to more than disaster relief for me. Daily I receive requests to donate money for abused and/or abandoned animals, for local school kids soccer uniforms, for church pantries in their food banks. It's endless. I donate plenty and I'd like to be able to donate more but I have to pick and choose. Race, religion, culture, country, none of these have anything to do w/how much or to whom I donate. It's a matter of how much I have to give and to whom I last gave so that I can rotate to some other organization or cause. Donor fatigue? Whew!

[Asiel]

I don't know if it's Donor Fatigue but I've stopped giving till I'm blue in the face. When I look around and see how our government treats our homeless and elderly it sickens me. If they spent half the money they send to every country in need in our own country we wouldn't have homeless starving people sleeping on the streets. Charity begins at home.
When school starts it will be a never ending parade of kids ringing the doorbell wanting donations for everything from hockey games to travelling abroad to expand their horizons, etc etc. When we were in school and wanted something we earned the money, we didn't get it going from door to door.

[Laura's Babies]

What chaps my hide is how everyone, including big name stars jumped in for Haiti and all that money flowed in for relief there.. Yet, nothing is being done there with all that money! People are still living in tents. The only help they are getting are from organizations that take stuff there on their own.. Where is that money that was donated there? It makes you stop and think about where you donate your money.. Why are they sitting on it? Why isn't it being used to help the people it was donated to help?

That is MY problem in donating to Pakistan. I feel so sorry for those people, no matter what religion or where they are. My heat breaks for them and what has happened to their lives.

I am sure I am not the only one who wonders what happened to all the donations in Haiti and questions donating so quickly anywhere else.