ID :
47599
Wed, 02/25/2009 - 22:13
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/47599
The shortlink copeid
CREDIT CRISIS CLIPS HUMANITARIAN WORK, SAYS MERCY M'SIA
BY P.VIJIAN
NEW DELHI, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- Aid agencies fear international donors could roll back their funding, amidst the economic glum, which could hamper humanitarian efforts -- namely in tackling the pressing climate change threats.
Mercy Malaysia president Dr Jemilah Mahmood said the current state of
economic affairs could impact funding, which would in turn hamper humanitarian
work on the ground.
"There could be a shift in terms of funds to reduce disaster reduction
because of the economic impact. This year the impact may not be so apparent but
we are worried for 2010, because plenty of ODA (Official Development Assistance)
funds were given out last year for this year's activities," Dr Jemilah, who is
in Delhi to attend the Disaster Risk Reduction conference, told Bernama.
She said humanitarian agencies were experiencing slow-flow in charitable
funds for next year, since the global financial crunch began, clearly signalling
disaster risks efforts were being put in the back-burner.
"But this is worrying because the risks of climate change is on the rise
now. This year alone we saw many floods, droughts and risks for cyclone on the
rise because our temperature continues to rise now," she cautioned.
She called for renewed commitment from governments, especially in the Asian
region, which is a hotspot for natural disasters, to allocate substantial funds
for disaster management, though nations were grappling with their internal
economic shake-ups.
"This (climate change) does not only affect developing countries but also
developed countries because the climate change effect is global. Political will
and awareness are still lacking in Asia, compared to developed countries.
"This may be due to their other priorities like development. But we cannot
achieve a healthy and safe development without reducing disasters because all
the funds for development will be wasted," said the founder of Mercy Malaysia,
a non-profit agency focusing on relief works in disaster areas.
Donor fatigue is troubling aid agencies, as it would be hard to tame the
swelling tide of the humanitarian crisis -- from the increase in war refugees,
poverty, food crises, diseases and medicine scarcity -- especially in third
world countries.
-- BERNAMA
NEW DELHI, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- Aid agencies fear international donors could roll back their funding, amidst the economic glum, which could hamper humanitarian efforts -- namely in tackling the pressing climate change threats.
Mercy Malaysia president Dr Jemilah Mahmood said the current state of
economic affairs could impact funding, which would in turn hamper humanitarian
work on the ground.
"There could be a shift in terms of funds to reduce disaster reduction
because of the economic impact. This year the impact may not be so apparent but
we are worried for 2010, because plenty of ODA (Official Development Assistance)
funds were given out last year for this year's activities," Dr Jemilah, who is
in Delhi to attend the Disaster Risk Reduction conference, told Bernama.
She said humanitarian agencies were experiencing slow-flow in charitable
funds for next year, since the global financial crunch began, clearly signalling
disaster risks efforts were being put in the back-burner.
"But this is worrying because the risks of climate change is on the rise
now. This year alone we saw many floods, droughts and risks for cyclone on the
rise because our temperature continues to rise now," she cautioned.
She called for renewed commitment from governments, especially in the Asian
region, which is a hotspot for natural disasters, to allocate substantial funds
for disaster management, though nations were grappling with their internal
economic shake-ups.
"This (climate change) does not only affect developing countries but also
developed countries because the climate change effect is global. Political will
and awareness are still lacking in Asia, compared to developed countries.
"This may be due to their other priorities like development. But we cannot
achieve a healthy and safe development without reducing disasters because all
the funds for development will be wasted," said the founder of Mercy Malaysia,
a non-profit agency focusing on relief works in disaster areas.
Donor fatigue is troubling aid agencies, as it would be hard to tame the
swelling tide of the humanitarian crisis -- from the increase in war refugees,
poverty, food crises, diseases and medicine scarcity -- especially in third
world countries.
-- BERNAMA
