Sheer Devastation
The sheer devastation this latest round of earthquakes have left, leaves me with my hand over my mouth in horror and tears in my eyes. Needless to say, I have nothing to write about property management this week.
Our hearts go out to all those affected by the Christchurch earthquakes. I am again humbled by the sheer expression of humanity that extreme crisis brings out in people. To watch, as people covered in blood, reach out and help others in need, is moving beyond words. And all I can do from here in the North is pray. Pray and give. I don’t have skills to offer the ground teams, and the civil defence crews are like a well oiled machine anyway. They don’t need me. And they don’t need clothes, or blankets or food. What they need is money.
Please read this excerpt from the Red Cross… It explains why they need cash and not items
Unsolicited or unwanted aid especially containers can clog up ports and logistics chains creating delays and distracting relief staff and resources from more important or relevant tasks. This is widely known as the “second disaster”. Commonly organisations especially Red Cross or NGOs that are mandated to coordinate and deliver relief are left with large quantities of goods that aren’t required, sometimes at great cost.
Years of experience have taught the Red Cross the types of emergency aid that may be required during a disaster or conflict. These items which can include tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, jerry cans etc. are available in warehouses in large quantities throughout the world. Across the Pacific region there are over 80 pre positioned shipping containers stocked with such standardized items and they are brand new. In Auckland New Zealand Red Cross has stored enough emergency relief items for 5000 people.When disaster relief organisations such as the Red Cross ask for cash to support their disaster activities it is not because they are being greedy it is because buying or sourcing goods locally or utilising standardized internationally recognised relief items is by far the preferred and proven option.
Cash is more easily collected , transferred, distributed and accounted for.
Would you like to make an online donation? – if so click here Click Here
…and please donate generously. Remember, it could have been any of us.
February 23 2011 03:00 pm | Uncategorized
