Press Room > Oxfam Ireland Press Release
Asia crisis has highlighted the suffering and deaths of touristsJanuary 3rd 2004
Much of the news from the Asia crisis has highlighted the suffering and deaths of tourists. This is very understandable as most were from Ireland
and neighbouring countries in Europe. However, our feelings of great
sympathy for the visitors caught up in the disaster should not blind us to
the fact that, as is so typical in such disasters, most of the dead and
suffering are extremely poor. Indeed, this is why so much damage and
grief has occurred.
Contrast Hurricane Mitch that hit Central America in 1998 with Hurricane Andrew that struck Florida in 1992. Both were about the same force, but in
the former 10,000 people were killed while in the US only 41 died.
Hurricane Mitch destroyed two thirds of the Honduras economy. Hurricane
Andrew cut Florida's output by a mere 10%.
Poor people are much more vulnerable because they are poor. They are less well nourished. Their houses are less sturdy. They live in more
vulnerable areas. And they have much less, and often nothing, to fall back
upon when disaster does strike.
This catastrophe, therefore, illustrates the fact that the half of the world's population surviving on less than US$2 per day are not able to live as proper human beings. Their poverty denies them the fundamental liberties that we in the rich world take for granted - basic health care, education, housing, clean water, and a reasonable livelihood. We should
not live in a world where 35,000 children die yesterday, today, tomorrow, and every other day of easily preventable diseases such as measles and malaria.
The scale and generosity of the rich world's response to the tidal wave also illustrates that the needed resources are available to make poverty history. For the first time in the existence of humanity, our generation has this opportunity. And we in the rich world do not have to deny ourselves, or reduce our standard of living, to make it happen.
Oxfam Ireland, therefore, calls on the government and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern not only to give generously now to save lives and reduce suffering, but also to work much harder to put poverty behind us all. Humanity has done it for slavery, polio, and smallpox. We can do it for poverty as well.
Specifically, we are calling for the following:
1. review our aid budget and meet earlier promises;
2. strengthen our national capacities for better aid spending;
3. act more vigorously to abolish poor country debt while also freed up
funds are properly spend;
4. put much more effort into EU trade reform.
These are all very familiar, but not any the less necessary for being so.
Dr Brian Scott
chief executive
OXFAM INTERNATIONAL WORLDWIDE DONATIONS CURRENTLY STAND AT OVER 30 MILLION EURO
500,000 FROM OXFAM IRELAND (FIGURES GOING UP ALL THE TIME via our shops, website and call centres)
Oxfam Ireland's Asia Earthquake Floods appeal : you can donate online here or lo call 1890 60 60 65 (ROI) & 0845 303 0337 (NI) or visit any Oxfam Ireland Shop.
Further information from Oxfam International website here