Linda Polman The Crisis Caravan

 

What are the principal concerns Linda Polman raises in her book?

Humanitarian aids are not helping the poor and the most needed. Most of the government-donated money is going to the warlords or local governments, political elites, and business elites. Most of the money is actually worsening the situations in troubled areas. Most NGOs’ fund actually comes from governments. There isn’t any rule on how NGOs need to spend their money. NGOs’ priority is to please and keep their donors, basically the government. More aid money goes in to areas that have affiliation with the country that is proving aids and NGOs. Polman describes the vast industry that has enveloped humanitarian aid. Aid operations and charitable organizations often have ulterior motives and commercial interests. Aid workers have unintentionally become enabling agents of the atrocities they seek to relieve. They turned a blind eye on the committers of the genocide, as television viewers in the West assumed they were supporting victims of the cholera epidemic.

Why does she say “Aid organizations are businesses dressed up like Mother Teresa” (p. 177)?

Polman explains that journalists rarely question aid organizations. When it comes to aid, journalists “automatically approve.” They are far less suspicious of NGOs and refugee camps than of camps contracted to insurance companies in the Netherlands or the United Kingdom. Essentially, she argues that these organizations are masquerading as saints, but have a dark, rarely-discussed underbelly. She suggests the media isn’t critical enough of these organizations. Left unchecked, NGOs will continue to operate with harmful corruptions.

 What do journalists, the public, governments have to do to make humanitarian aid successful?

·        Journalists: Journalists need to play a watchdog role. They must maintain journalistic independence and distance themselves from their sources and subjects. They shouldn’t be supported financially by the organizations they cover. In order to improve humanitarian aid and fix the ethical dilemma faced by many NGOs, they need to talk about these issues out in the open instead of glossing over them.

·        The Public: Polman certainly doesn’t intend to curb proactive support of people in devastating circumstances. Instead, she challenges readers to be more informed. When donating, we should do our homework and ask more questions. Research the organizations and their goals. Know how they plan to allocate funds and supporting materials. Understand the cultural, political, economic and social environment in which the aid is being offered.  Do you support an organization that is sufficiently independent to decide just who gets their aid? As these organizations become more and more similar to business organizations, we supporters must become savvy and conscientious customers.

·        Governments: Governmental administrations should never rely on humanitarian aid to “save face.” We must look back at the root of humanitarian aid: to help people in need. It is the duty of the government to ensure the welfare of its citizens. When a natural disaster strikes, the government should do everything it can to support those harmed. Not for votes or for political backing, but for the sake of humanity. In 2013, the U.S. provided $4.7 billion for humanitarian emergencies, making it the largest government donor of official humanitarian assistance.