Does Helping People in a Crisis Make Them Like You?

Recent published research analyzed perceptions of victims affected by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and concluded that "hard-line Islamist charities did little to help despite the publicity they generated".  Despite spending millions of dollars on humanitarian efforts in the Muslim world, there is little research to show if aid increases perceptions of America.  Some experts are skeptical that humanitarian aid helps make lasting change.  Therefore, research by Tahir Andrabi, professor of economics at Pomona College in California helps decipher if it's worth it.   

Pakistani army unloads relief supplies
from a U.S. helicopter in Kalam, in
Pakistan's Swat Valley.

"The United States has long been unpopular in Pakistan, but the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan led to new anger. As well as distrust of U.S. motives in Afghanistan, many Pakistanis do not like what they say is Washington's support for Israel at the expense of the Palestinian people and Washington's past support for military dictators in Pakistan. Regular American missile strikes against militant targets in the northwest are also often cited as a reason."

"The presence of Islamist relief groups in the flood zone has also attracted attention, with officials in both the U.S. and Pakistan expressing concern they may gain recruits on the back of the disaster. Others have said the groups are not reaching enough people to have much of an effect on their support levels."

The magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck October 8, 2005 and killed more than 70,000 people.  Pledges totaled $6.7 billion, with $200 million coming from the United States.  The U.S. gave one of the largest and quickest responses. 

Researcher Andrabi spent 2 weeks last year, along with 70 researchers, surveying 28,000 households in 126 villages in 4 districts of Kashmir.  Data was compared to the distance of the home to the fault line.  Those living close to the fault line, who had more international aid, were more trusting of foreigners.

The research shows that less than 5 percent of quake survivors reported receiving any help from Islamist charities, regardless of where they were in relation to the fault. Closest to the fault line, 80 percent said the Pakistani army helped them, while 40 percent reported receiving assistance from foreigners and the United Nations.  Andrabi said "the militants were a tiny fraction of who came. Nobody remembers them, that's for sure, while everybody remembers everybody else," 

In conclusion, humanitarian aid is always well received.  

No good deed is ever forgotten.