Photo by U.S. Marine Corps/Flickr (Creative Commons)
Since Friday, international aid organizations have been focused on the unfolding disaster in Japan, where supplies are running short and the death toll continues to mount after last week’s devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and the deadly tsunami flooding that followed.
But there are other, deadlier crises these groups contend with that go largely ignored, Tom Paulson of Multi-American’s sister blog Humanosphere in Seattle reported last week. Paulson spoke with representatives from the relief organizations World Vision and Mercy Corps who told him that while sudden disasters elicit an outpouring of public support and donations, it’s more difficult to get the public to pay attention to chronic catastrophes that play out on a daily basis.
Some, like the aftermath of last year’s disastrous quake in Haiti, continue to get some attention and receive support. Others have gone on so long they have become background noise.
