Hatin' on the Haiti

You may remember the outpouring of money after the Haiti earthquake, when all the children (who have an excuse) and liberals (who don't) threw money at the island in a fit of wealth-induced guilt. Well, guess what: that made it worse, not better.

It was one of the most devastating natural disasters of recent years — and the world responded in sympathy. The international community claimed to have given £6.5 billion to heal Haiti’s wounds, while donations poured in to charities.

Earlier this month, on the quake’s second anniversary, aid agencies pumped out press releases proclaiming their successes. Add up all the people they claim to have helped and the number exceeds the population of Haiti.

The reality is rather different — and shines a stark light on the assumptions, arrogance and deficiencies of the ever-growing global relief industry. As promises were broken, mistakes were made and money was wasted, prices of food and basic supplies for local people soared, sanitation deteriorated, there was less safe water to drink and well-meaning interventions made matters infinitely worse.

Fernande Bien Amie, a mother of two, said they felt betrayed by aid groups reneging on promises and by their government’s failure to monitor them. ‘These NGOs just do whatever they want, then leave whenever they want,’ she said.

As so often with the aid industry, for all its undoubted achievements in difficult conditions, good intentions keep backfiring. Camps were given soap but no water, condoms but not food. Text messages told people to wash before eating when babies were being bathed in sewer water.

Payments for rubble clearance led people to stop clearing streets until given money.

Charity starts at home. Giving your money to third party "aid" organizations is just a sop to a guilty conscience. My grandfather taught me that twenty-five years ago, and it remains true today.

Give to your church. Give to your family. Give to your friends and co-workers, (though not too often). All other solicitors of charitable contribution should be told precisely where to stick their mock piety.