Rich nations guilty of neglect in disasters

Natural disasters that kill thousands of people in poor countries and wreck the lives of many more are made worse by long-term ''deadly neglect'' by richer nations, the global Red Cross body IFRC said. The grouping, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, also said in its annual world disasters report that western self-interest drives much media coverage of disasters and humanitarian crises.

''The past two years have seen unprecedented attention lavished on disasters by the media, by the public and by aid organisations across the world,'' said IFRC secretary general Markku Niskala in an introduction to the report.

''Yet for every crisis that takes centre stage, there are a dozen more waiting in the wings for a walk-on part.''

The report identified some of these as malnutrition and starvation due to drought in Malawi, social decay and crime in Guatemala, childbirth mortality in Nepal, and the death at sea of hundreds of would-be migrants from Africa to Europe.

2005's record hurricane season in the Caribbean region, the South Asia earthquake that hit Pakistan and India, and the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004 ''combined to catapult so-called 'natural' disasters into the limelight,'' said Niskala.

The response had been a record of over 17 billion dollar in international emergency assistance, according to the report.

''Yet millions missed out on vital, potentially life-saving aid because funds were directed at high-profile disasters, while countless other crises were neglected,'' the IFRC said.

The response from governments and from individual donors through relief bodies to the tsunami, which left some over 200,000 dead, including some western tourists, accounted for around 14 billion dollar of the 17 billion dollar total.

This amounted to 1,241 dollar for every beneficiary -- against an average of 27 dollar per person in response to Red Cross and other appeals for victims of humanitarian disasters and conflicts in Chad, Guyana, Ivory Coast, Malawi and Niger.

In terms of global media coverage, the Geneva-based IFRC said, Hurricane Katrina which devastated the US city of New Orleans in September 2005 and killed some 1,300 generated 40 times more than Hurricane Stan which left 1,600 dead in Guatemala a few days later.

Such disparities, said federation president Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro, are unacceptable.

''The generous response in 2005 show people and governments are committed to helping those in need. Now we must ensure aid goes where it is most needed and that it is not skewed for political, security or media reasons,'' he added.

''Common sense would dictate that the larger the disaster, the greater the media attention and the more generous the response'' said Niskala in his introduction to the report.

''That was certainly the case with the tsunami. But it is unfortunately not a universal rule. Research across a range of disasters reveals that there is no clear link between death tolls and media interest. Rather, western self-interest gives journalists a stronger steer.''

Bureau Report