The Absurd Side of Humanitarian Aid

The speed and magnitude with which people have come forth to help immediately after the tsunami hit the Tamilnadu coast line, from all over the world reiterates our faith in humanitarian aid and that all is well with the world. However, as much as one should appreciate the overwhelming aid and relief support, one cannot be blind to the limitations, negative impact and most importantly the absurd side of humanitarian aid. Well into the third month of the post-tsunami relief work, this is the right time to take a look at what went wrong or what could have gone better by observing the absurdities of relief work. This is not to criticise any group or individual, but, rather to learn, to be aware of the kind of negative impact that certain types of actions, decisions can result in and to avoid the same in future.

To ensure that this document remains a learning exercise and not be reduced to development sector gossip, we have avoided references to any organisation or individual.

Stealing the farm labourers
- an interpretation of pay for work programme

This happened during the second week of February. Some paddy crop around the Poompuhar region had survived the tsunami and the standing crops were ready for harvest. The farmers who had most of their lands destroyed due to salt water intrusion, wanted to harvest whatever was possible if not for sale, at least for their own use. However, there were hardly any farm labourers available in the village for the farmers to hire!

An aid agency that was implementing pay for work as a means of mobilising labourers in the affected areas, had rounded up all the village labourers, given them some nominal clearing work and was paying them a daily wage that was way ahead than what the local farmer could pay. A farmer we met confided, "they can go to work at 10:00 a.m. in the morning, finish the work by noon time and are given Rs. 90 - 100/- per person. This is to clean the debris that has fallen in the channel in the village and also the road leading to the village, this work can go on for the next 2 years and we will have enough work. But, my crops need to be harvested now and I cannot afford to pay them such money, certainly not for doing anything". This particular farmer had some goats and was confident that they would see him through this difficult time, but, "there are others who don't have anything, and, like me cannot afford to hire them. The shame is that one or two of such farmers too have opted to go and work in this cleaning job along with the labourers just to ensure that they take back at least the daily wage", he complained.


Give me a share or give me some publicity
- Tamilnadu's perennial constipation: the kazhagam politician

After careful assessment of 2 villages, a relief agency had prepared a comprehensive list of relief materials that need to be provided and which were not yet available in these villages. Large amount of this was provisions which volunteers had packed as family packs for over a week in the field office. A truck was fully loaded with this material and ready to leave. Enter the local councillor a.k.a. the stereotype Tamilnadu politician, a low-level kazhagam functionary. He had all the required get-up: spotless white dhoti with the kazhagam stripes and white shirt with top 2 buttons undone, a prominent pot belly, a thick gold chain around the neck and a gold bracelet in the right hand, not to forget the gold ring with the appropriate kazhagam symbol embossed in glossy colour and of course smelling of liquor anywhere within the 10 feet radius.

"I want to lead this relief material distribution, it should only leave from here with me heading it", he demanded to begin with. One of his underlings meanwhile had surreptitiously climbed on the truck and ran away with a pack of the provisions. When the aid agency firmly told him that this was aid being distributed on behalf of many individuals and groups and it cannot be done with any political colours, our politician got into the street rowdy act completely. Calling the group all kinds of names, he started accusing them of collecting the relief materials only to sell the same and make money. "Just now right in front of me, I saw one fellow walk away with a package of provisions", he bellowed to the slowly increasing crowd in the road. "I don't believe these people are doing any aid, they are doing business. I want to ensure that this reaches the right people, I want to be on the truck", he continued making efforts to climb into the driver seat of the truck. As most of the volunteers and staff from the aid agency had arrived meanwhile, this attempt was foiled.

The drama continues for the next 45 minutes. At the end of which having made his presence felt, the councillor walked away only to stand in the street corner apparently to observe what goes on. The lady who was heading the aid agency's work from the field office meanwhile informed us that the same person had come the previous day to the office and demanded that he be given a few of the family packages for distribution without giving any information on where he would distribute it.


We were first here, You please stay away
- The turf war between aid groups

This trend was visible as soon as the government announced its 'allocation' of villages for long term work to different aid agencies and the collectorates were supposed to do the delegation around the second week of February. There was a hurry of activity with many aid agencies wanting to claim their turf / area of work.

One aid agency reported how when its representatives went to a village because the farmers in that village had approached the agency and requested them to come over and help them. The evening this group visited the village, another group representative came calling, "we have been there first in this village. You people please stay away". "But, we have gone there based on the request of the farmers and we can help them over come the current problem", said the head of the new team. "But, we have been there first, we haven't thought anything about the farmers so far, but, we will, but you don't interfere" responded the new 'care taker' of the village.

Another group reported how when they had finished the first phase of distribution of various immediate relief materials, the got a call from another agency coordinator. Giving the background of their work, the coordinator requested the agency to kindly 'give up' a specific village for the same relief work as they have been sanctioned funds based on a proposal from a funding agency. "But the relief work that you propose to do is already over in the village", said the second group, perhaps having approached some funding groups much earlier. "That is fine, but, if you can give up the place, we will think of doing some thing else there, but, we want that village". Turf war any one??

Added in May, 2005: A large NGO representative called this morning, "do you know of any villages where no NGO has entered and no work has taken place so far?". Rather surprised, we mentioned a remote village where some of our friends have been facilitating relief work since December with neither aid agencies nor the government their rescue except for the initial inspection and immediate relief. "That village, we are already there, our group is working there", he said. "But, so far nothing has happened there" we said. "Yes, we will be working there, we are yet to start any activity. Please tell me if you know of any other similar village", he hurried on bringing the conversation to a close. Turf is Power.

Men don't exist, women and just women alone exist in 'social engineering' projects
The obsessive gender bias of development agencies working in tsunami hit areas

"We have formed women's Self-Help Groups (commonly known as SHGs) and are conducting capacity building workshops for alternate employment", said one properly development sector jargonised tsunami update. Development agencies for over a decade are gender biased, they have often sounded as though it is their collective responsibility of reversing what they perceive as the gender bias against women in rural India for centuries. In isolation, providing more opportunities to women, helping them in a situation where they are oppressed or neglected or their rightful place in the functioning of the society not acknowledged. However, in post-disaster scenario, imagine a village where the fishermen and women are all sufferers, some of them have suffered personal loss in the family, many have lost much property, all have lost their livelihood needs - boats, nets, etc. and here walks in our friendly NGO and almost out of habit starts forming women's groups, while the met sit around in the village wondering who is going to help them. In a meeting, a friend took umbrage at the usage of the word 'social engineering' by an NGO representative. That is the problem with NGOs in many situations, once the extent of devastation and depth of human suffering has passed, the get down to their work, they are bound by their past karmas.

What do women talk to foreign aid groups??
The daily show in mid-February

I was in a gathering of women talking to a foreign aid (women's) group from USA, UK and Honduras. These women had come to provide counselling and explore opportunities to support the tsunami victims.

The women started looking at the spectre of this multi-coloured, multi-cultural people and do a slow assessment. Then the questions start, "which country do you come from?", "Why does this women look so much black?" another queried. "Do they have hair like this in their country?", "probably American", "Look at her smoking cigarette", "What do they want to know from us?", "Are these people from the government?", "Ask them what can they give us, why don't they talk about what they can give?". This was the random response of the village women.

Now for the other side.

"Can you ask them whether they have complete freedom to take their own decisions?", "Can one of them describe what happened during the tsunami?", "have they lost everything?", "what do these women want to do for themselves and their families?", "You all should not loose hope, you should fight" (when this is translated into Tamil for the women, they all take the cue that this must be the precursor to the offer of help and wear more sullen expressions). "Women have the power to change things, you should stick together to change things"…another circus that is not aware of local factors, fact finding mission in fifty minutes. They have seen it all, they have lived it all, they know all, so here they are to satisfy themselves that their understanding is correct. That is why they are there.


Being sensitive to native culture
Liberated Western Women Smokers in little ____kuppam

This happened when a group of American aid agency women turned up in little ___kuppam. The American women genuinely concerned, but, tired at the end of a 3-day journey across the tsunami hit areas had to keep herself alert by continuously smoking. Their interactive session with the local women, with the help of an enthusiastic interpreter, was reduced to most of the local women staring the women smoker and the little boys in the village gesticulating and imitating her behind her back. Blissfully unaware of the cultural shock she was causing, the lady continued to light one after the other.

Such instances could be avoided if the NGOs coordinating such efforts were to provide a cultural orientation to the visitors before they leave for the villages and if they were not forced into a break neck visit of just about every area of work.


The Comedy Show
American Missionaries and their aid operations, Feb 2005

The role played by some of the American Christian Evangelical organisations in the aftermath of the tsunami in certain parts resembles a systematic invasion on the coastal zone by them. These disturbing trend has been observed to affect the overall tsunami work in many ways:
· It has provided opportunity for the public, media and the victims to question the motives of relief work being done by all religious organizations
· It has reduced the victims of tsunami to some kind of number game, thereby in places upsetting the priorities of the victims, undermining their values and in places, abusing their culture; instead of solving their immediate needs, the evangelical missions are seen more interested in promoting their religion
· It has brought to light and question the service work done by many evangelical groups across India with much support from Christian nations

In many villages along the coast line, villagers have been subjected to unwanted unwarranted religious ministries. In certain relief camps managed by some of these evangelizing ministries, it is said that people were not provided with relief materials if they were found to be sporting other religious symbols. "We have lost everything to the sea. They said they would help us if we followed their religion. What logic is this? Are they here to help us or change our religion?" villagers from Sammandappettai are reported to have asked. (Conversion attempts in the time of grief, Shoba Warrier, Jan 24th 2005, IE). "In a camp managed by the American Christian evangelical group, the victims were expected to attend the prayer meetings every evening as part of the relief effort, this is really cheap" said one relief worker who had been in the Tarangambadi region since the initial days. "While we are worried about the rightful ownership of the fishermen to their native places, it is rather sad that there are some groups which are camping in their midst with the objective of proselytizing" complained one of the relief work coordinators who was working along the East Coast Road outside Chennai (Story about one such group has also been reported by the columnist TJS George in Sunday Express, Chennai Edition 16th Jan 2005). "I took some fishermen to a meeting of the government and NGOs to present their view regarding re-settlement. At the end of this, a foreigner came to me and gave me his card (he was from an evangelical group) and said that if we wanted some spiritual counseling they would be glad to come and help. I was shocked that some one can so openly profess their intentions like this", said another housewife working with fishing panchayats along east coast road.

In Tirumullaivasal village in Nagapattinam district, the victims have been repeatedly subjected to prayer meetings which were duly captured on camera so that their plight can be used to mobilize funds for their benefit. A news report (Dinamalar, dated 20th Jan 2005) states that such parts of the village is being targeted by the missionaries in which the people who have been least provided with the relief work are living and particularly the sections of the village which houses the poor and communities that have traditionally been considered low. The report states that this being done by some local churches along with many foreigners who are camping in the most affected areas. "It is true that in many cases that private relief workers provide speedier and immediate needs for us and we do share our needs with them. But, these people want us to get converted to Christianity" say some locals. Muruganandam, a villager in Tarangambadi says that the missionary organizations have promised all support for education for the children in these areas provided they are willing to convert". People in this ancient port town recall that it was in this very town that the early Europeans landed in the 17th century and started the work of proselytizing in the pretext of providing education and health services and say that the same is being repeated, says the report.

Children affected by the tsunami and removed from their families represent one of the most worst affected faces of the entire tragedy. Many local aid agencies and the government have tried to take care of these children not too far away from their cultural and natural habitat by providing them support and helping their own kith and kin to take care of them. However, even their plight is being exploited in the name of providing better life for them by some of the evangelical groups. One aid agency has brought to notice that in the first week of the relief work, a missionary organisation had taken away about 50 children rendered orphans from Nagapattinam region; after complaining with the police and local authorities 15 of them were recovered, however, the rest are no longer in the district and no one knows their whereabouts.

Similarly offers to "adopt" have poured in from churches and Christian organizations across the world, a group is even writing about lobbying with the government so that adoption laws of the land do not become "a hindrance for providing better life to children". It seems that their idea of better life is life spent in Christianhood. Similar efforts to take away Muslim children rendered orphans in Indonesia tsunami affected areas resulted in the missionary being banned from entering some of the relief camps. (A Virginia-based group of missionaries tried unsuccessfully to airlift 300 Muslim orphans to a Christian children's home in Jakarta. MSNBC Report, Jan 15th 2005). The American council for Islamic relationships has criticized such open efforts by some associations, in its protest it has mentioned how some of the evangelical organizations communication have mentioned that the countries dominated by other faiths have been affected by this tsunami and people have not heard the name of Jesus in this region and how as part of the aid there would be a campaign to spread the message of Christianity in this region (news report in the Dinamalar 22nd Jan 2005). There are similar information from many relief camps in Sri Lanka too.

The Macabre Theatre
Privatisation Now at all costs!!!

Government accused of using tsunami to privatise water services - A leading Sri Lankan NGO has accused the Government of pushing through privatisation in the water sector under cover of recovering from the tsunami. It has also accused the Asian Development Bank (ADB) of pressuring the Government, but the ADB has categorically denied this.

The Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) said that recovery plans released by the Government on 15 January 2005 include investments to prepare for the private sector. It says that water privatisation and full cost-recovery would be "a massive social disaster" in Sri Lanka, and could destroy traditional systems of ecological water management.

According to MONLAR the Sri Lankan Cabinet approved a water resources policy and draft bill to legalise the privatisation of water, on 30 December 2004, just four days after the tsunami struck. An understanding signed with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in June 2004 said that the Government would table a water resources bill by 18 March 2005 and implement the policy by 13 May 2005.

Sarath Fernando, Co-Secretary of MONLAR, said: "The ADB is now insisting that the deadlines previously set for legalizing water privatisation should be met on time, in spite of the massive disaster that has destroyed the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people in the coastal regions."

Recovery plans include piped water schemes for Colombo and Gampaha, which were hardly affected by the tsunami. "It is extremely questionable as to whether this infrastructure is for the purpose of supporting the affected people, or whether it is actually for the purpose of providing the infrastructure necessary to attract foreign water companies to come and start marketing water in Sri Lanka."

Thomas Panella, ADB Water Resources Specialist, told Source that 18 March 2005 was agreed as a target date by the Government and ADB long before the tsunami and said that there had been no discussions about the timetable since the disaster struck."

"ADB is, however, providing substantial relief efforts across all sectors to assist victims of the tsunami. ADB is deeply sympathetic to the suffering of the tsunami-affected countries of the region, and is showing maximum flexibility and understanding in all aspects of its approach to providing assistance."

ADB says that under the proposed Sri Lankan water policy, the government retains water resources as public property. "The policy does not mandate privatisation but provides objectives, principles, strategy, and institutional arrangements for the sustainable integrated management of water resources in Sri Lanka."

Note: This is an extended version of an article that originally appeared in Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17122] on 23 March 2005.
Contact: MONLAR, 1151/58A, 4th Lane, Kotte Road, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka, tel: +94-11-2865534, fax: +94-11-4407663, mailto:monlar@sltnet.lk
ADB: Thomas Panella, Water Resources Specialist, Asian Development Bank, P.O. Box 789, 0980, Manila, The Philippines, tel: +63-2-6324444, fax: +63-2-6362391, mailto:tpanella@adb.org.