Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2016 | Page 55
Calculation of Goodwill
Table 4: Percentage of Americans Following Typhoon Aftermath “Very Closely”
Haiti earthquake January 2010 60
Indian ocean tsunami January 2005 58
Japan tsunami March 2011 55
Philippines typhoon November 2013 32
China earthquake May 2008 30
Chile earthquake March 2010 27
Burma cyclone May 2008 23
Pakistan earthquake October 2005 22
Source: Table adapted from Pew Research Center, November 14–17, 2013; Pew Research Center
(November 19, 2013): http://www.people-press.org/2013/11/19/philippines-disaster-draws-limitedinterest-donations/.
The percentage of Americans donating money and supplies to relief
organizations dedicated to helping the Philippines lagged behind efforts to donate to
previous natural disasters receiving more media attention. Although many planned
to donate to Philippine relief efforts, just 14% made donations, which is less than
donations made after Hurricane Katrina (56%), the earthquake in Haiti (52%), and
the Indian Ocean (30%), and Fukushima Japan tsunamis (21%). 67% planned on not
donating at all, which was the highest of all five natural disasters listed in the Pew
survey. U.S. interest in the typhoon was lower across every age cohort. For example
45% of those over 65 closely following the story compared to the 67% who closely
followed the 2011 tsunami in Japan and 20% among adults younger than 40 compared
with 47% who closely followed the 2011 disaster in Japan (Pew 2013).
Americans contributed more than $300 million to earthquake relief in Haiti
within 10 days of the natural disaster compared to more than $33 million to typhoon
relief in the Philippines within 7 days of the storm (Hicken 2013; NPR 2010). While
private sector donations are more informal and difficult to record, the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that private organizations
and individuals around the world pledged $150 million of the total contributions
to Philippines relief (Troilo 2014). Previous humanitarian crises prompted higher
amounts of donations from private organizations and individuals. $3.9 billion was
raised in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, $1.2 billion for the 2010 Haiti
earthquake, and $450 million was given in response to the 2010 floods in Pakistan
(Stoianova 2012). It could be that the implementation of America’s new healthcare law
dominated the headlines and drew attention away from typhoon relief efforts. While
this may explain the smaller donations, it does not elucidate the lower contributions
from private individuals and organizations across the globe.
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