(c) United Nations Development Programme

When disaster strikes, the response can be disastrous. The reaction to the January 12^th quake in Haiti is perhaps not deserving of such derision. But initial attempts to deliver and distribute aid were disappointing to say the least. One major criticism launched by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was that the US push to get troops into the country has been a major cause of the slow influx of material assistance. Accurate or not, MSF’s complaint sheds light on what should be considered a most serious hindrance to effective emergency aid delivery and distribution: the preoccupation with establishing who is deserving of immediate assistance.

Predictably, when confronted with criticisms like those by MSF, the UN, the US and others involved responded by clarifying their purpose. They have endeavored not to dispatch food, water, medical supplies or construction materials as quickly as possible, but rather to ensure that resources were made available to those that were most desperate in an equitable way. Thus, troops and others able to provide logistical support were deemed more important than the supplies to be in their charge.

This may sound sensible enough. But let’s consider an alternative rational calculus. Surrounded by an entire city laid to waste, it seems bizarre to wring hands about some wasted aid. Of course it would be ideal for coordination to run smoothly and for the injured, aged and the young to be the first to receive food, water, medical attention and shelter. But, in the aftermath of such tragedy, the international community should be prepared to waste. Wasting aid should be an anticipated cost of responding successfully to such a crisis.

In a matter of hours, Haiti became home to several million dispossessed and wounded. Its capital – in more than material terms – disintegrated. With a flourish of poetic injustice, the quake liberated lucky inmates in the same moment it silenced many dedicated civil servants. In the chaos that ensued, how could 15,000 troops and hundreds of NGO staff possibly discern who is most in need? Even if such a judgment were possible, how could they separate and insulate the desperate majority from the minority ready to exploit assistance?

More than two weeks on, what did prioritizing logistics over immediate delivery accomplish? As time passed, the desperate and discontented began to act out their frustration by looting, stealing and hording. Reports of aid trucks being overrun leaving the UN compound or entering makeshift settlements have inspired unease. Delayed aid fostered instability, leading even more delays.

In concert with terrifying aftershocks and burgeoning gangs, the slow delivery of aid has triggered a mass exodus from Port-au-Prince. Those people most deserving of aid got sick of waiting. As they disperse into the rural countryside, the door closes on the opportunity to help them rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, the majority of coveted assistance will remain in Port-au-Prince, where thugs and swindlers become more proportionally representative each day.

The Haitian earthquake will long be remembered as a tragedy that surpassed all abilities to plan. Deaths likely exceeding 200,000 included the majority of the UN delegation and many government officials. The quake felled the country’s main control tower and rendered swift coordination of heavy air traffic almost impossible. Damage to the piers of the primary port in the area also hindered efforts to get aid into the country. Once arrived, distribution of supplies in the country confronted spoiled thruways clogged with debris and congested by fleeing homeless. A dearth of vehicles in working order and fuel shortages furthered deterred aid efforts. Three million Haitians remain in need of basic supplies and thousands need critical health care.

But even this overwhelming disaster can offer lessons-learned to improve preparedness by the UN, NGOs, and those countries offering assistance. To get to those most in need, the UN et al. should assume that some percentage of allocated supplies will fall into the hands of repeat customers and undeserving opportunists. Humanitarian aid almost inevitably spawns a black market. Poverty creates hard-hearted entrepreneurs. This is the nature of humanitarian aid in an emergency and it cannot be ignored. Yes, haste makes waste. So, when haste is non-negotiable, waste shouldn’t be either.

Like this post? Like the site? Please take a second to share this article with your friends, it makes a massive difference.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Related posts:

1. Benevolent Tourism and Exploitative Aid: how the Haiti crisis turned the world upside down.   (c) Adam Jakubiak In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, the island has experienced a sudden influx of flying...
2. Is gay marriage a waste of time? Proponents of same-sex marriages argue that this is the “perfect time” to focus more attention on the issue. But, is...
3. Trident – expensive waste or strategically imperative? (c) Andreas Hagerman It’s already been decided on our behalf that Trident is to be upgraded for the measly, pitifully...
4. What Obama means for Africa (c) EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images ‘Hey Obama!’ Someone was shouting across a busy Nairobi street. ‘Hey Obama!’ I turned round and...
5. Relabelling produce from the West Bank – is there a point? (c) Chadica This week the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) issued voluntary guidance on the...