In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, some U.K. charities have jumped on the fundraising bandwagon for affected Japanese communities without knowing whether funding is needed, critics say.
GlobalGiving and the International Rescue Committee raised more than 1 million pounds ($1.6 million) to respond to the disaster. According to IRC, the funds it raised were “unsolicited” donations.
“We knew that this was a large disaster and we know that there are existing organisations that are going to need to respond and that we were in a good position to help with that,” said Gillian Dunn, director of IRC’s emergency response, as quoted by BBC.
But the manner of raising funds as what has happened in the wake of Japan’s twin natural disasters does not sit well with former aid worker Saundra Schimmelpfennig.
“Non-profits will jump into the fundraising fray before there is any clear idea of what’s happening on the ground,” Schimmelpfennig said. “They’ll start raising funds the same day that the disaster happened, before the government has even had a chance to get to most of the areas that have been hit, before you know what the government’s capability is, before you know who else is going to be responding.”
But many groups have also decided against launching aid appeals for Japan, such as the Disasters Emergency Committee, which coordinates the efforts of 13 British charities in times of international crises.
Japan, one of the world’s richest nations, has refused to accept assistance from foreign charities unless specifically requested. It did not also appeal for international assistance, BBC notes.
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