International aid agencies mobilizing Australian donations for relief work in tsunami- and earthquake-ravaged Japan have defended their fundraising efforts, saying that the scope of both disasters was overwhelming even for a wealthy country like Japan to address.
Oxfam Australia’s emergencies manager, Richard Young, said Sunday (April 3): “[T]he focus of Oxfam’s work globally is in the countries where disasters exceed the capacity of the countries to respond,” such as in the case of Japan.
Christian charity World Vision also cited the overwhelming needs in the Asian country for its involvement in the relief efforts there, The Australian reports. It has so far raised 1.4 million Australian dollars ($1.45 million) for Japan, of which a fifth has been spent.
Melbourne-based analyst Don D’Cruz said Australian regulatory authorities should look into fundraising activities for disaster victims in Japan.
“The foreign aid NGOs are doing what they always do, package misery and see how much money they can get out of it,” he said. “I am surprised the state-based fundraising regulators like Consumer Affairs Victoria and the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing aren’t asking more questions.”
In the United Kingdom, some charities have also been criticized for jumping on the fundraising bandwagon to aid affected Japanese communities without knowing whether funding is needed.
>> Critics Blast ‘Unsolicited’ Aid from UK Charities for Tsunami-Struck Japan
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