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Too much tsunami aid?
In an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal, economist Keith Marsden argues that the world may be preparing to give too much tsunami aid to Asia. "If housing, food, health, and education services are supplied free or below cost to refugees for prolonged periods, they may lose the motivation to return to their former jobs or seek new activities," he warns. "Aid has hindered rather than helped the development process in some countries."

But more than that, he suggests that aid agencies are overstating the problem just as (he says) they've overstated past emergencies. "Without diminishing the scale of the tragedy, the number of persons affected should be rigorously checked. There are already reports that the number of refugees in Aceh camps has been significantly inflated by local officials seeking more aid," he says. The article is available only to subscribers, so here's a lengthier excerpt than Weblog normally offers:

In a press release dated Jan. 25, Unicef reported the creation of a "Tsunami Water and Sanitation Fund," and appealed for a further $763 million. In justification, Unicef says: "Many of the children affected by the tsunami lacked access to safe water and sanitation before the waves hit. Across South Asia, only 35% of people have access to a basic toilet."

The World Bank paints a different picture. It reports that toilet access rates were much higher in the three most affected countries -- 96% in Thailand, 94% in Sri Lanka and 55% in Indonesia in 2000 -- and they have all seen substantial improvements since 1990. Access to safe drinking water has jumped to 84% in India, 78% in Indonesia and 77% in Sri Lanka.

Yet Unicef claims that "many children in the region -- particularly girls -- are denied their right to education because they are busy fetching water or are deterred by the lack of separate and decent sanitation in schools." Again, other sources describe a different reality. World Bank/Unesco data show that 100% of girls in the relevant age group completed primary school in Sri Lanka and Indonesia in 2000-2003.

The article from Marsden, who has worked for both the World Bank and the United Nations, is sure to be the subject of some debate, and his critique of the United Nations may resonate with some critics. But Christian organizations involved in tsunami relief may find themselves on both sides of the issue.

They may also be divided about another growing news story on the other side of the Atlantic. Oxfam, a major British charity, says too many aid groups have entered tsunami-hit areas, and it "urged governments and the United Nations to introduce accreditation for all agencies and to monitor their ability," the Associated Press reports today.

An Oxfam press release complains,

… in some cases the influx of money has meant that there are too many organizations working without the appropriate experience, competencies and skills. In some parts of Southern India, for example, the coordination of agencies is a significant problem, while in others, local governments are coordinating the effort very effectively. The report calls on those coordinating the response to ensure that all agencies working in the region are appropriate to the task. National governments with the support of the UN need to implement processes immediately to accredit international agencies and ensure their work is suited to their experience.

Save the Children U.K. and Christian Aid, two of the other huge relief and aid organizations in Britain, told the Associated Press they weren't concerned about small organizations offering help.

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January (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49