If this poll was on VJ, would our results be more or less compassionate?

[jundp 191]

Lots of places accepting donations for Haiti - what's the best way to donate to minimize fraud, waste and abuse?

Red Cross?

I would not say Red Cross, but rather some of the smaller organizations, IMHO.

I prefer to give through the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul or Doctors Without Borders.

[scandal 951]

Who helps the US when we are in trouble?

Well, consider Katrina:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International...rricane_Katrina

The list is quite long, follow the link to see how many. Here are just a select few.

Many countries and international organizations offered the United States relief aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

According to the European Commission, one week after the disaster, on September 4, 2005, the United States officially asked the European Union for emergency help, asking for blankets, emergency medical kits, water and 500,000 food rations for victims. Help proposed by EU member states was coordinated through their crisis center. The British presidency of the EU functioned as contact with the USA.

Afghanistan

Donated $100,000 to the hurricane victims

Australia

AUD 10 million (approximately USD 8-9 Million), and a team of 20 emergency response officers immediately. Donated AUD 10 million to American Red Cross

Bangladesh

Donated humanitarian aid worth $1 million and said it would send 160 disaster management experts, including doctors, nurses, engineers and others.

Canada

September 5, 35 military divers were poised to depart by air Sunday from Halifax and Esquimalt, B.C., for the New Orleans area.September 4, On the request from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Canada sent thousands of beds, blankets, surgical gloves and dressings and other medical supplies. On September 2 the Government of Canada announced it was sending three warships along with a Coast Guard vessel, and three Sea King helicopters to the area. Over 1,000 personnel are involved in the operation, including engineers and navy divers. The Canadian Heavy Urban Search and Rescue out of Vancouver was in Louisiana from September 1, due to security they started their mission on Sept 3. Ontario Hydro, Hydro-Québec, and Manitoba Hydro, along with other electrical utilities, had crews set to go to the affected areas. On September 2 Air Canada participated along with U.S. member airlines of the Air Transport Association, in a voluntary airline industry initiative to support rescue and relief operations. Money donations although where very high, the province of Alberta alone threw in 5 million dollars alone. Although it is hard to put an exact number on Canadian cash donations because of some Canadians donating directly to the American agencies, but it is thought to be one of the highest international donors nation.

People's Republic of China

On September 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will offer $5 million along with emergency supplies, including 1,000 tents, 600 generators, bed sheets, immediately for disaster relief. China also offered to send medical care and rescue workers if they were needed.[11] This aid package consisting of 104 tons of supplies later arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas.[12] A chartered plane carrying the supplies arrived on September 7.

Cuba

One of the first countries to offer aid, Cuba offered to send 1,586 doctors and 26 tons of medicine. This aid was rejected by the State Department.

Iran

Offered to send humanitarian aid and 20 million barrels (3,200,000 m3) of crude oil.[17][24]

Iraq

Pledged $1 million to the Red Cross via the Red Crescent.

Israel

Offered field hospitals and hundreds of doctors, nurses, technicians and other experts in trauma, natural disasters and public health.[25]

An Israeli airlift arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas with an eighty-ton shipment of humanitarian aid, including baby food, diapers, water, ready-to-eat meals, clothes, tents, blankets, mattresses, stretchers, first aid kits, wheelchairs, and other medical supplies.

The Magen David Adom began "United Brotherhood Operation," which sent a plane-load of supplies and financial assistance.

IsraAid sent a delegation of medical personnel, psychologists, and experienced search-and-rescue divers. The 18-member team — which included physicians, mental health professionals, trauma specialists, logistics experts and a special unit of Israeli police divers — arrived in St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish on Sept. 10 and spent a week and a half assisting fire department search-and-rescue squads and sitting in on daily planning meetings that included local leadership and a complement of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), police, military and fire representativesmedical team.[26]

Five universities in Israel welcomed displaced American students from the affected areas and invited both undergraduate and graduate students to continue their studies in Israel.[27] In particular, medical students unable to attend the Tulane University in New Orleans can attend Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine.

Mexico

Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas received almost 196 Mexican troops, 14 truckloads of water, a mobile surgical unit, 45 military vehicles, 3 tons of purified water, and more than 250 tons of food, bottled water, canned food, disposable diapers and medical supplies. The Mexican Government sent $1 million through the Mexican Red Cross which collected an additional million, as well as 200 tons of food delivered in five airplanes from the Mexican Air Force by another Mexican Government body. The Mexican Navy sent two ships, 385 troopers, eight all-terrain vehicles, seven amphibious vehicles, two tankers, two helicopters, radio communication equipment, medical personnel and 296 tons of food as well. The state of Jalisco also sent four experts in disaster, while the Federal government offered to send expert teams in epidemiology and to cover the costs of returning any Mexican national back to Mexico.

Russia

Was one of the first countries to offer assistance. Up to four jets were placed on standby at the Ramenskoe airport near Moscow as early as August 30, including heavy Ilyushin Il-76-TDs with special evacuation equipment, medical equipment, a water-cleansing system, a rescue helicopter BK-117 and two special cars; and a passenger IL-62, which brought 10 coordinators and 50 rescuers, as well as 6 tons of drinking water. On September 6, the Bush administration gave its approval.[33]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Refining, a Houston-based subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, donated $5 million to the American Red Cross, as well as $250,000 from AGFUND.

Thailand

Sent at least 60 doctors and nurses along with rice.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom dispatched 500,000 ration packs worth EUR 3 million, to the region. However, many of the ration packs did not reach victims due to laws regarding mad cow disease[40]. It also offered medical experts, Urban Search and Rescue equipment, Marine engineers and high-volume pumps, skilled personnel including engineers who could support recovery efforts for installations and systems, technicians, staff trained in disaster management and emergency response activities. It also pledged to release an extra 2.2 million barrels (350,000 m3) of oil.

Vietnam

Pledged $100,000.

Yemen

Pledged $100,000 through the Red Cross.

Some really interesting and surprising ones - nations you would not expect to want or be able to help America did so. Iran, Cuba, Afghanistan, Bangladesh. Yet we see time and again that a humanitarian disaster (Katrina, the Haita earthquake) can really pull the nations of the world together. Unfortunately, we have far too many such opportunities (the earthquake in China 2 years ago, the Indian ocean tsunami in 2004, the earthquake in Turkey in 1999).