Will We Abandon Haiti?
source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-03/where-america-gives-its-money/
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- Future_America
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Spurred by media campaigns and telethons, donations have poured into Haiti. But how long will the charity last? What happens when the cameras leave.
Data collected since Haiti’s devastating earthquake three weeks ago show the crisis has inspired Americans to donate more than $600 million to relief efforts, the largest outpouring of American support to any foreign natural disaster in history. Only the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005, Katrina and Rita, inspired Americans to give more—$580 million within just the first 10 days after the storms, and $3.6 billion by the end of 2006.
But the overwhelming response to Haiti papers over a difficult truth: No matter how shocking, reports of hunger, homelessness, and disease in the wake of a disaster do not move Americans to pay more attention to those issues on a typical day, once the camera crews leave the scene of a crisis.
Data collected since Haiti’s devastating earthquake three weeks ago show the crisis has inspired Americans to donate more than $600 million to relief efforts, the largest outpouring of American support to any foreign natural disaster in history. Only the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005, Katrina and Rita, inspired Americans to give more—$580 million within just the first 10 days after the storms, and $3.6 billion by the end of 2006.
But the overwhelming response to Haiti papers over a difficult truth: No matter how shocking, reports of hunger, homelessness, and disease in the wake of a disaster do not move Americans to pay more attention to those issues on a typical day, once the camera crews leave the scene of a crisis.
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- groups:
- Community, Haiti Earthquake, Charity
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- tags:
- Haiti, Haiti earthquake, Haiti Relief
