Rejection of International Aid

Disaster aid is a humanitarian effort undertaken by various countries in an effort to help areas of the world that are affected by natural, human-induced, or technological disasters. In the disaster studies literature, disaster assistance from one country to another is often termed disaster diplomacy. When disaster assistance, or disaster diplomacy, is offered in the aftermath of any form of disaster, a host of issues arise: human rights, vulnerable groups, international diplomacy, potential conflict resolution, environmental management, and environmentally sustainable rebuilding, or even more insidious forms of disaster capitalist activities.

The refusal or acceptance of disaster aid is based largely on the economic, cultural, and social conditions, as well as diplomatic relations, between the recipient and donor countries. Each factor impacts the quality of the aid and the decision to accept or deny disaster relief assistance. Also, the type and quality of the donation affects the acceptance of such assistance. The different types of aid offered include money, food, water, medical equipment, clothes, aid workers, and military aid. The supplies sent to countries are more readily usable than financial assistance, which must be exchanged for materials. While many forms of aid are directly sent to the government or people of the recipient country, monetary aid given to disaster-stricken areas often undergoes a filtering process before it reaches the recipient country. For example, the United States may give monetary aid to [Page 573]disaster areas by means of nongovernmental humanitarian agencies that allocate the money to the affected areas. Funding assistance, in the form of direct or indirect donations, is generally accepted. The monetary aspect of disaster aid can be difficult to accept or receive due to the process in which the money is sent. The practice of using outside organizations is often a means of preventing corruption and the squandering of monetary aid. The type of aid that is refused is often personnel and equipment.

Cyclone Nargis caused widespread destruction and death in Myanmar in May 2008. After a period of refusing international aid and bureaucratic stalling, the ruling military junta finally made a plea for help. Many agencies, such as World Vision (right), responded

Media, Politics, Pride, and Culture

There are many factors that determine the acceptance of disaster relief assistance, such as the amount of media coverage the disaster receives. For example, the Columbian landslides in 1985 and the Pakistani windstorms in 1993 both received limited media coverage, which in turn gave little international exposure to the plight of those suffering from the tragic events. Thus, the lack of media exposure caused less aid to be offered. The media is an effective tool for informing the masses; when data and news footage (e.g., that of property damage, fatalities, or images of loss) regarding disasters are not readily accessible to the masses via media coverage, the amount of disaster aid sent to those countries is limited.

Political favoritism is another reason certain disaster areas receive more attention than others. Political science professor Travis Nelson and others assert that domestic disaster relief within the United States is driven by political concerns that are important to those currently in power. However, international motives for donating disaster aid exist as well. The decision to offer disaster aid represents political reconciliation attempts, political gain, or a subliminal tactic to regain control over a past colony. Disaster aid in the form of political reconciliation is exemplified in the case of the 1999 Marmara earthquake in Turkey. The relationship between Greece and Turkey, which was often strained, grew stronger due in part to the humanitarian assistance offered by Greece. In this example, emergency aid is used as a humanitarian effort that evolved into a reconciliation of past grievances between the two countries.

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