National

A Tsunami Of Funds

Over 11 months, 376 affected villages in TN have been treated as 'orphans' which the cash-rich NGOs have clamoured to 'adopt'. The 'adopters' sometimes neglect and abuse, and sometimes pamper their 'children'. The NGOs certainly have not proved to be

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A Tsunami Of Funds
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-- A. Selvamani, fisherman, Akkarapettai

As of 9 November 2005, according to ReliefWeb, the commitments, contributions and pledges for tsunami-related workrouted via UN agencies and INGOs from the world over account for USD6,138,895,063 (more than USD 6 billion). Compiled by OCHA (the UN office for theCoordination of Humanitarian Affairs) on the basis of information provided bydonors and appealing organisations, this works to Rs 28,853 crores. About 40percent of these are private donations. AlertNet, a Reuters-managed site thatruns a 'Global Pledge-o-meter', almost doubles the figure to USD 11,234,100,000.

The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) in London, a consortium of 12 UK-basedINGOs, raised a record £350 million (Rs. 2800 crores) under its TsunamiEarthquake Appeal. Of this, India is a recipient of Rs 565 crores (see Table).According to a senior INGO official, India is likely to be a recipient of atleast 20 percent of the overall Rs 28,853 crores (the lower world estimate). Thetsunami-related NGO aid flow into India would then be in the range of a minimumof Rs 6,000 crores. It could go up to Rs 8,000 crores. Tamil Nadu being the mostaffected, and since the government has been eager to incorporate NGOs, close to70 percent of these funds would have made their way, making it a recipient of aminimum of Rs 4,000 crores which could be used up to the next three years. Ofthe Tamil Nadu share, the worst affected Nagapattinam district would be therecipient of at least Rs 3,000 crores. All these lower-end estimates. Of theoverall fund flow to India, according to one estimate close to Rs 400 croreswould have accrued to the Catholic church (CASA, Caritas, CRS) and about Rs 200crores to Protestant groups such as World Vision.

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In Nagapattinam, in January 2005, there were 600 NGOs working. Today, thereare 193 NGOs registered with the NGO Coordination and Resource Centre (NCRC),but more than a hundred NGOs work without coordinating with the NCRC. The NGOs,ironically, have injected life into the Nagapattinam economy. Says V.Vivekandandan, chief executive of South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies(SIFFS), instrumental in establishing NCRC: "In a state that has seen 61per cent urbanisation, Nagapattinam has recorded only 14 per cent. The economyhere remains largely rural, Nagapattinam is caught in a time-warp." Nowwith the strong NGO contingent, the district is being artificiallyfast-forwarded into the future.

In Karaikal, the office of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is located in abungalow rented for Rs 33,000 per month. MSF has offices in Pondicherry andNagapattinam too. Two new Boleros and a Qualis bear testimony to the INGO's 'field-work'in 30 tsunami-affected villages in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. The World Visionoffice in Nagapattinam has rented a building for Rs 7,500. It would have fetchedRs 2,000 pre-tsunami. In Nagapattinam, the resourceful broker G. Anandan hasrented offices and homes for more than 50 NGOs and the people who work for them.One of his clients is the NGO Coordination and Resource Centre (NCRC), a nodalagency established under UNDP's supervision, housed in a sea-facing buildingrented for Rs 13,500 per month. NCRC has hired two office buildings and sixresidential ones for its staff. "The rents in Nagapattinam and neighbouringKaraikal have gone up fourfold," says an understandably delighted Anandan.As far as Annie George, NCRC coordinator, is concerned: "The generalinfrastructure in Nagapattinam has improved post-tsunami. Power cuts have comedown and the roads are much better." The district administration certainlyvalues the opinions of cash-rich NGOs which have made Nagapattinam theirtemporary home.

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An intelligent estimate of the number of vehicles - Boleros, Scorpios, TataSafaris, Qualises - procured by NGOs post-tsunami would be 80. Of these, amajority would have be servicing Nagapattinam and Cuddalore. Most of thevehicles would be disposed in less than a year. Says Eve Richard, fieldcoordinator for MSF, "We are an emergency organisation. We will leave in afew months, but our partners will work." The fuel consumption of these SUVguzzlers could perhaps meet the daily kerosene needs of the thousands ofhouseholds in the temporary shelters.

In the early weeks of the tsunami crisis, there was great concern over theorphaned children and issues of adoption and child-trafficking. Over 11 months,376 affected villages in TN have been treated as 'orphans' which the NGOs haveclamoured to 'adopt'. The 'adopters' sometimes neglect and abuse, and sometimespamper their 'children'. The NGOs certainly have not proved to be good parents.

UK-based Disaster Emergency Committee's Contribution
(to India from its overall Rs 2800 crores)

Contributing AgencyRupees (crores)
Action Aid60.46
CAFOD126.31
CARE18.44
Christian Aid84.48
Concern India2.93
Oxfam India31.57
Save the Children46.40
Tearfund*23.02
World Vision146.40
HelpAge India36.28
Total576.29

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(*Comprising Discipleship Centre (DC), Evangelical Fellowshipof India Commission on Relief (EFICOR) and Salvation Army)
Source www.tsunami.dec.org.uk

This piece did not appear in the print magazine.

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