How you can help people back from the brink
06/08/2010 at 8:34 am 2 comments
The catastrophic floods in Pakistan have shown, once again, that the poorest people are most vulnerable to disasters. It is the poor who cannot afford well-built homes, who live on marginal lands prone to erosion or flooding, and who do not have the safety nets of insurances or savings.
Poor people always live on the edge, and it takes only a nudge to push them over.
When disaster strikes, we have a duty to assist the people affected. The first people to help the victims of any disaster are always their neighbours, communities and governments. In poor countries however, some disasters overwhelm national capabilities to help. In such cases, the international community must respond.
Ireland has a proud tradition of standing by the world’s poorest people in their hour of need.
Over many years, ordinary people in Ireland have done extraordinary things, standing up for – and with – people who suffer needlessly. Ireland’s aid agencies (or “NGOs”) have a proud track record of assisting rapidly and professionally in countless crises. Irish NGOs assist people regardless of race or religion, and have mechanisms in place to ensure their aid is based on people’s real needs.
To find out more about how Irish NGOs respond to emergencies,
and how they coordinate their efforts,
log onto www.HowYouCanHelp.ie
Aid from Ireland saves lives – and so much more.
Ireland’s aid does not work simply to save lives – it also seeks to prevent future disasters. Aid from Ireland supports local communities to build their capacity, to reduce their vulnerability to future disasters, and to eliminate the root causes of poverty.
We have a reputation as a country that cares; a reputation worth preserving.
Ireland’s overseas aid programme is our calling card to the world. And as a small, open economy, Ireland depends on its reputation as a reliable partner. Through our aid programme, we can demonstrate that we are a country prepared to keep to its commitments, and willing to play its full role in the global society of nations. We truly have reason to be proud of our overseas aid programme.
Go to: www.HowYouCanHelp.ie to find out how you can keep the legacy alive.
Entry filed under: Development Effectiveness, Overseas aid, Uncategorized. Tags: Aid, donors, Emergencies, Floods, global poverty, Humanitarian Aid, Impact, Irish Aid, NGOs, Overseas aid, Pakistan, Smart Aid, UN.
1.
Pakistan & Haiti 2010: Investing in Prevention? « Dochasnetwork's Blog | 26/12/2010 at 4:08 pm
[...] The earthquake and the floods were violent reminders of the power of nature, and of the unpredictable character of natural disasters. And the enormous scale of the destruction in both countries reminded us that natural disasters always discriminate: they have much greater consequences in poor countries, and for poor people. [...]
2.
R Storey | 20/06/2012 at 8:11 pm
We will have reason to be proud of our overseas aid when there are measurable timeframed results achieved through efficient delivery and implementation mechanisms.
Spending money on overseas aid is easy and for some there is a belief that it will all do good. For most of us its not good enough and time now that the “trust us” approach to spending on overseas aid ceases to be replaced by transparency and accountability.
Neither Irish Aid nor the Irish NGOs provide any narrative and financial reports which can be checked or evidenced.
Am not saying there is mass fraud but we are led to believe that everything in aid is perfect which of course is unrealistic when you consider the difficult environment in which aid is to work.
Time to end the fairy stories and give us some hard facts.