Haiti - A perspective on donations from the Gulf countries

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1 Haiti - A perspective on donations from the Gulf countries Hanane Cherkaoui, Research Associate, Humanitarian Research Group, INSEAD Social Innovation Centre and Luk N. Van Wassenhove, Academic Director, INSEAD Social Innovation Centre Oil-Rich Nations Fall Far Short in Haiti Donations headlines an American newspaper one week after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti 1. The earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit Haiti on 12 January, killing and injuring tens of thousands of people and reducing large sections of several cities to ruins. The disaster is estimated to have left up to 1.1 million people homeless. Hundreds of thousands of people required food, medical care, water, shelter and other basic needs. Donations from governments, individuals and private sector followed immediately after the catastrophe, but some expected donors were missing. Indeed, many western media criticized Arab countries, especially the oil-rich ones for not doing enough to help Haiti s earthquake victims. Not generous enough, not prompt enough, but above all not in solidarity with non-muslim victims, were the major accusations directed towards the oil-rich GCC countries 2. Among the Arab world, these countries were particularly scrutinised because they were the only ones possessing enough financial resources to participate significantly in the funding and in the relief effort to help victims of such a disaster. This condemnation has also been linked to the fact that the named countries have been known to fund humanitarian and charitable missions in many countries in the past. These criticisms should be viewed in the context surrounding the relief efforts coming from Gulf countries. On the one hand, reasons behind the public criticisms faced by these countries should be analyzed. On the other, obstacles preventing Gulf countries from being as quick and generous in their responses as expected should be assessed. Finally, the tangible involvement of GCC countries should also be highlighted. Criticism of Gulf countries involvement in the immediate aftermath International Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and governments organised the relief effort swiftly after the disaster struck the Caribbean country. The US, the European Union and other countries offered generous donations to help the earthquake s victims. Meanwhile, mainstream media and bogs reported the absence of Gulf countries from the scene as donors and as humanitarian actors. 1 Oil-Rich Nations Fall Far Short in Haiti Donations Fox news, January 21, The Oil-rich countries, is the common appellation given in the Media to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

2 Famous for their financial resources, Gulf countries were expected to pledge important funds right after the disaster. Saudi Arabia was the most heavily criticized 3 given that the country granted important donations and raised campaigns worth hundreds of millions of dollars for the victims of the Tsunami in The conclusion that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its neighbours only help affected areas when it concerns Muslim victims was rapidly drawn and highlighted. Known for its active funding for proselytism, the country faced stronger criticism for not participating in the funding appeal launched immediately after the earthquake. Moreover, voices of citizens in countries such as the UAE 4 rose to protest against the absence of information available to help victims. Many citizens from various nationalities were critical that neither donation points nor fundraising initiatives were made available that would enable them to help Haiti s victims. Whilst the UAE is gifted with a large expatriate community able to mobilize resources quickly to help stricken areas in case of disasters, locally based initiatives to facilitate donations were limited. This stood in contrast to the fundraising and collection campaigns in the case of the Filipino flood, and similarly for the Gaza crisis, organised by NGOs, individuals, and private companies. Nevertheless, the absence of a significant Haitian expatriate community may go some way towards explaining the absence of any significant community based initiative in the UAE. In the field, UAE and Qatar were the only ones to be represented. In spite of its presence in all the GCC countries, and of being one of the most important recipients of individual and governmental funds, the Red Crescent was only represented by the UAE in the field. Qatar also sent a rescue team to participate in the relief effort. This absence in the field was contrasted with the important commitment and presence of NGOs funded by the Gulf in areas such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. However, the harsh criticism faced by Gulf countries should be put into perspective, as these countries are often criticized by their closest neighbours, and indeed the entire Muslim world, for not providing enough support to their less rich counterparts. In this context, it is quite paradoxical to read the recurrent accusations claiming GCC countries are biased towards the Muslim communities. The strong perception that GCC countries favour Muslims, though being partly true, does not reflect the current trends in terms of the donations these countries have been seen to be making. 3 SAUDI ARABIA: Unlike Qatar, Iran and Jordan, kingdom fails to cough up Haiti cash, Los Angeles Times, January 17, Readers in UAE seek ways to help Haiti's starving populace, Gulf news, January 19, 2010.

3 The fundraising context in the Gulf Charitable giving is emphasized in Islamic Law. It obeys a specific codification. Zakat 5, one of the five Islamic pillars, is supposed to be directed towards certain categories of people in need. Moreover, it is commonly considered that zakat recipients must be Muslim. However, this vision is disputed today, and although some Islamic NGOs who collect zakat adhere to the classical interpretation, others adopt a broader vision of zakat funds distribution. Whilst the current trend remains to give priority to Muslims in need, some Islamic scholars have raised their voices to advocate the necessity to give wherever charity is most needed. In practice, the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), the largest international Islamic organization based in the UK, extends funds to non-muslims in Africa, whereas Muslim Aid 6 does not. It is worth noting that the IIRO is largely funded by Saudi zakat funds. Whilst Zakat is the most visible charitable tool, it is not the only religious charitable tool existing in the Islamic world. Sadaqa, which is the daily charity, is not restricted to Muslim recipients, and is largely practiced. Donations for non- Muslim recipients are possible in the majority of GCC countries through earmarking donations, since many international NGOs are present in the Gulf and support their field operations overseas. The process of moving to more neutrality and impartiality has been increasing amongst Islamic NGOs. Starting from the 90 s, these institutions have been experiencing a process of professionalisation and liberalisation which makes them more and more in phase with international standards. Consequently, the extension of aid to non-muslim recipients is starting to spread slowly amongst international Islamic NGOs. The GCC is not an exception, and the practice of including non-muslim victims relief is becoming more widespread. Also noteworthy is that raising funds in these countries, which enjoy some of the highest income per capita in the world, is strictly monitored and subject to administrative delay. The fact that many NGOs, some of which are called Islamic, were proven to fund terrorist activities has led to fundraising activities being increasingly scrutinized and closely monitored. In such a context, it is difficult for international NGOs to quickly launch emergency fundraising appeals because of administrative procedures. Finally, it is worth remembering that Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. As such, many international NGOs have been working in Haiti for years. They were already present in the field and could mobilise their staff and their resources immediately after the earthquake, although they also suffered losses in the quake. Many countries, such as the USA and France, have strong historical and political ties with Haiti, explaining their very quick reaction and their important commitment to the country. It was not the case for the Gulf countries, geographically and culturally very far from Haiti. 5 Zakat meaning purification is an amount Muslims have to give to specific categories of people in need. It is calculated on the savings one owns on a yearly basis. Jonathan Bentall and Jerome Bellion-Jourdan, 2009, The Charitable Crescent: politics of Aid in the Muslim world, IB Tauris. 6 Muslim Aid is a UK-based international relief and development agency. Their main fields are in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

4 The ambition of becoming major global donors Lately, countries such as the UAE and Qatar have affirmed their will to become not only major donors, but also major actors in the humanitarian field. Although not reflected correctly by the western media, Gulf countries have been active in the field in Haiti and though late, the Saudi donation has been significant. It is indeed worth noting that Qatar was relatively fast in sending a rescue team to Haiti immediately after the earthquake. A cargo C17 plane, transporting 50 tons of relief supplies and a team of 30 people, left Doha only hours after the earthquake struck the area. The team was composed of doctors and rescuers, charged with finding and treating victims in Port-au-Prince and neighbouring areas. Team members were well versed in emergency relief, bringing experience from the battlefields of Gaza, Lebanon and Somalia, as well as natural disasters such as the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, and Mauritania s floods in Involved in humanitarian and philanthropic activities overseas since their creation, the UAE has undertaken active initiatives in the past years to become an international humanitarian actor and a global donor. Indeed, the country has recently established a coordination office in charge of assessing the volume of aid the country has provided in the past, in addition to coordinating the field activities 7. The UAE has been the most active Gulf country in the field in Haiti. Besides setting up an air bridge on the 15 th of January, the country s largest humanitarian actors participated in the relief effort in Haiti. Abu Dhabi based charity organisations indeed played a significant role in supporting the relief effort in Haiti. The Red Crescent Authority sent relief items, medical equipment and medical personnel. The organisation established a field hospital and contributed financially to the emergency appeal launched by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation participation is estimated to be worth US$ 3.5 Million. It includes Relief items, medical equipment, 500 tons of food aid and medical supplies From the Emirate of Dubai, Princess Haya bint al Hussein 8 travelled to Haiti to oversee a delivery of 90 metric tons of relief supplies provided by Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment. She met with Haitian and UN officials, and arrived in Amman, Jordan from Port-au-Prince, with 21 evacuees from the Middle East who had been left trapped after the earthquake. The total contribution of the UAE is estimated to be US$7 Million. 7 The UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid was established at the end of 2008 with the main objective of assessing and coordinating the aid and financial support provided by the UAE to foreign countries. 8 Princess Haya bint al Hussein is the wife of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson of International Humanitarian City (IHC).

5 Last but not least, in spite of the criticisms, the Saudi donation was one of the most important received. Indeed, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia contributed US$50 million to support the United Nations humanitarian response to the earthquake in Haiti. This made Saudi Arabia one of the main contributors to the Haiti Flash Appeal, launched on 15 January The funds from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were transferred to Haiti's Emergency Relief Response Fund (ERRF), a pooled fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti. In closing, the question must be asked whether the participation of Gulf countries has been largely underestimated, and subject to biased perceptions. The participation of these countries has taken place on many levels, and should be put in the perspective of their current will to contribute actively in the humanitarian affairs. Relatively new in this field compared to European and American countries, these countries have been able to launch fruitful initiatives. Moreover, the perception that GCC countries can only provide financial resources largely undermines their recent efforts to adapt their practices to international standards, and relegates them to a status of funders instead of empowering them to become global humanitarian actors. 9 Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 28 Jan 2010

6 Annexes Table 1: Donations from UAE Based Charity Organizations Name Description Funding(US$) Pledged (US$) Red Crescent Relief items, 1,463,800 Authority medical equipment Financial contribution to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) 149,703 Medical personnel 322,271 Launching field hospital 499,465 Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation Unspecified 99,893 Relief items, medical 896,860 equipment Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian Establishment International Humanitarian City 500 tons of food aid and medical supplies Drinking water, food items and medical supplies Coordination and support services: airlift of humanitarian cargo from Dubai to Haiti 702, ,131 Total 7,185,130 2,600,760 Source: Report No 4 (9 February 2010) UAE office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (AED 1= US$ ) Table 2: Donations by Country of Origin Donor Country Funding (US$) United States 114,052,000 Private (individuals and organizations) 82,811,400 Canada 57,790,400 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 50,000,000 Spain 41,883,300 Source: Report No 4 (9 February 2010) UAE office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (AED 1= US$ )