House Editorial

Another natural disaster has struck — only this time, not so close to home.  Centered in the Hindu Kush mountains of Pakistan, an earthquake struck which has killed more than 18,000 and has left an estimated 45,000 injured, many of whom reside in the disputed India/Pakistan area of Kashmir.

The World Bank has pledged more than $20 million in aid. Australia has pledged an estimated $380,000 in aid. The United Kingdom has pledged $177,000 in aid and a 60-member-strong team to assist the victims. The United States has pledged a whopping $100,000.

Wait, there’s some déjà vu going on here. Weren’t we just begging for money for Hurricane Katrina relief not a month ago? But forget the money for a moment — first the Bush administration needs to make a bunch of PR statements to major media outlets.           

According to an Oct. 9 New York Times article,  “In Washington, President Bush expressed his sympathies for the victims of the earthquake. ‘Our initial deployments of assistance are underway, and we stand ready to provide additional assistance as needed,’ he said in a statement. ‘My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this horrible tragedy.’

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also issued a statement, saying she had spoken Saturday morning with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India to offer American help. ‘At this difficult time, the United States stands with its friends in Pakistan and India, just as they stood with us and offered assistance after Hurricane Katrina,’ the statement said.”

Yes, the condolences should help. But that doesn’t make anything get done. What’s needed is money and fast, just like what FEMA and the American Red Cross needed after Hurricane Katrina.

In theory, you can talk about giving aid and how wonderful it is, or you can get up and actually do something.

The United States government accepted more than $1 billion in foreign aid for Hurricane Katrina, according to a Sept. 8 Boston Globe article. India itself donated more than $5 million in cash to our personal relief effort. Thus far, we have pledged our support but not the monetary fines we have available.

As of Oct. 5, the Katrina death toll is 1,193. Compared to the estimated 18,000 dead and 45,000 injured in Pakistan and India, there is a lot to be done.

True, death tolls also were overestimated for the Gulf Coast after the hurricane. As many as 80,000 dead were predicted for New Orleans alone. Until teams can stabilize and go into the mountains in the region, the numbers will have to be estimated for the death toll.

But even with the estimations, the Bush administration needs to pledge its monetary support now. In a time when the region is so torn, this could be a way to unite the two sides into overcoming a national disaster together. Nobody’s just going to roll over and forget history itself, but this could be a step in the right direction.

Our country accepted aid, and now it’s time to return the favor.