How to help those affected by the Thailand floods
A wet Bangkok tuk-tuk
It's the eternal question of disaster response: How can aid agencies satisfy people's willingness to contribute with the relief effort? It seems to happen with every disaster in every country. People living in and out of the affected country want to do their bit to support those whose lives have been turned upside down. It's happening now in Thailand. People want to do something, but for the most part, they aren't sure how to turn this urge into effective action. Many times this leads to ineffective action.
Let's first look at people who live outside of the country affected by the disaster. What can they do, being many miles away as they usually are? As I see it, there are three main things they can do:
- Travel to the country in question and lend a hand.
- Collect items people affected by the disaster might need and send them over.
- Raise money and donate it to organisations working on the relief response in the country.
The first option is obviously going to be the least effective. Turning up independently to a disaster to help out is not the way to go. You will more than likely end up being part of the problem rather than the solution. It doesn't make sense to go and help with disaster relief unless you've been asked to. Here's a post that sheds a little more light on this issue. Give it a read.
Why you shouldn’t run out to volunteer for disaster relief
The second option is to collect items — blankets, socks, hats, gloves, T-shirts — and send them to the country that's been affected. Again, this is not the way to go, especially in developing countries. Firstly, people don't want your old socks. Secondly, most items people collect can be sourced locally in the country in question. For Thailand, I can't think of a single items that people affected by the floods could need that couldn't be bought in country. Also, now is not the time for Thailand's postal service to receive umpteen parcels full of socks.
The third option is to raise funds for organisations working on the ground. Providing you research where the money will go and which organisations actually need it, this is the best option. Raising money is a way of contributing and it's a way that isn't limited by any boundaries. The only limit is your imagination. What are you going to do to captivate people's interest and get them to hand over cash?
For those closer to home
So that's people who live outside of the country, but what about those in the country? We're going through this in Thailand right now. There is a need for people to help with certain tasks, but these tasks aren't particularly glamorous. We're talking about hard, manual work like filling sandbags or packing relief kits. There is a tendency then for people to feel like their skills aren't being best utilised and that they can do more. This from Twitter user RatasitC yesterday:
Thai relief orgs should find better ways for people to contribute other than making EM balls, packing, or filling sandbags.
So I asked what relief orgs should be getting people to do. This was the response:
Well, people have differing knowledge, abilities, & talents. Some may be able to help in areas like IT & logistics
In an ideal world, perhaps this is how things would be, but the world we live in is one where relief work is a career. If an organization needs someone for IT, logistics or anything else they will likely have already hired that person. If they need volunteers, they will ask for them. It would be counter productive for any organisation to take on members of the public and incorporate them into the logistics of disaster response. You wouldn't walk into a police station and ask if you could help out interrogating people after a large number of arrests had been made, would you?
TheLilyFish summed it up nicely:
A lot of the groups have their IT sorted already as it's a full-time job, can't take volunteers who have dayjob. Best you can do is raise money amongst yourselves in groups, buy requested supplies and send direct to distribution groups.
Raise/buy what you can in groups, then coordinate with other small groups
The other issue that I've noticed is that at times, some relief orgs in Thailand have been so inundated with volunteers that there simply hasn't been room for everyone, especially on weekends. When this happens, volunteers can quickly become a burden and counterproductive to the overall response. As hard as it may be, if you find yourself in a situation like this, it may be better to simply go home.
If you are in Thailand and want to volunteer, the Thai Flood Team website has info on where volunteers are needed. There's also a section on what items needed. I would say the best option is to get together with other people and raise money or collect items that are needed and donate them at the specified places. For more info you can email: thaifloodteam@gmail.com
TravelFish also has a post up on how to help. Here's a key section:
Places to donate funds:
Try the following: Thai Red Cross Society (you can donate to them at any 7-eleven); Rajaprajanugroh Foundation (Royal Foundation for the Welfare of the People); and banks including Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank, which are accepting donations on behalf of a variety of charitable organisations — ask for a complete list at the banks.
Thai Travel News has a post about which orgs are working on flood response. Obviously that list isn't exhaustive. There are many other key organisations working to support people affected by the floods. Plan, who I work for, have been supporting by delivering relief kits to children and families and supporting child-friendly spaces, relief centres and breastfeeding stations, among other things.
Also, Bangkok Post has a useful list.
Have something to add? Comments are always welcome.
My initial feeling when approached for money in Thailand, money for what I am told is a 'good cause', is to ask myself if this is a scam. In Pattaya right now there are several large stands with people and displays, seeking flood money. How can I be sure that the money will go to where it should go? I am not the only farang with the same thought.
It is a big worry and a big problem and I have seen no on try to solve it.
The last flood it was said that 10% of money donated made it to the victims. I am afraid I believe 10% at best
Indeed. This is a problem. And this is perhaps an argument for collecting needed goods, rather than money. In terms of donating money, I think it's important to be clear exactly who money is being raised for. But then, which organisations do we trust? Which should we trust? These are valid, necessary questions.
Also, I know that for Plan at least there wasn't any funding gap, so the money was already there and Plan didn't need to set up a specific appeal for Thailand. It's a different case entirely in Pakistan, where there is a huge funding gap, for example.
It's important to ask if orgs actually need money for their relief efforts in Thailand. If you recall, with Japan, people were raising money for orgs that had already come out and said they didn't need it!
The Red Cross tends to be the org of choice for donations here, but I haven't seen the Red Cross, or any other org actually, say X amount of money is needed for them to do what they need to do specifically related to the floods.
Money raised for "flood victims", even if it all goes to an org supporting flood victims, doesn't go instantly straight into a kitty set aside for this specific disaster. I think I'm right in saying this, unless someone can correct me here. Donations are therefore part of an ongoing process of supporting an orgs work, in disaster response or otherwise.
Might we therefore argue that doing nothing could be the best option in some cases? But that's not going to be the answer that satisfies people's desire to help.
Of course, I'm not saying don't donate to organisations like Plan, World Vision, STC, Action Aid, etc. All of those orgs do disaster response and if donations suddenly dry up then it will be a problem for the bigger picture.
But perhaps this is delving into another issue entirely. Is it the wording that's wrong? Is it the perception of how disaster response works? Is it misleading for me or anyone else to say: "This is how you can help people affected by the flooding in Thailand"? As of October 18, the Thai Red Cross website clearly states: "The Thai Red Cross has not issued any international appeal for donations."
There are two foundations helping poor kids that have been affected by the floods.
Mercy Centre (run by Father Joe Maier) – he has made an appeal for funds. See details and updates on his site here:
http://www.mercycentre.org
SET Foundation – both their office and the director's home office were flooded in Nakhon Sawan. I haven't seen any appeals for donations but I'm sure they could use it just to get back on their feet! http://www.thaistudentcharity.org/
Great post!
One comment @Lara: there is hardly any "poor kids" in Thailand and everybody deserves the help they need whatever their situations. That's patronising and Thai would find it offensive. The motto is no longer "women and children first".
@ Roger – these are organisations that are well established and work at the grass roots in helping people. I mention them because I have long been aware of their work & they are certainly in need of help.
Sorry that my narrow interest in helping children get an education offends you (and I guess all the 'Thai' for which you are the self-appointed spokesman).
Instead of sniping at me perhaps you could offer some suggestions of your own & add something of value to the conversation.
@Lara: I am not snipping at you, I am merely correcting you. Your interest in helping children is certainly appreciated and valuated but you have to consider who actullay needs to be helped in order for your work and time to have an effect.
Snipping at me won't make your help more efficient, thinking about what your help will accomplish will.