Aid workers should stick to aiding

Aid workers have complained about the ‘growing struggle’ they face helping the victims of the 2004 Tsunami and blamed it on the government and bureaucracy. What they fail to realize is that Sri Lanka is at war and has been besieged by terrorist for 2 decades. There are obviously challenges working in hostile situation such as the one faced in Sri Lanka and they should realize the situation in Sri Lanka is still much better than most place that aid organizations operate. The chaos in place like Afghanistan and Iraq has forced more NGO organizations to suspend its activities in these countries. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, remains a relatively safe and accessible country. Aid workers should stop criticizing the political entities in countries they operate and adapt to the various challenges presented to them in different countries. Furthermore, it is absurd that the aid workers demand access to high security areas without any form of security clearance (which they see as bureaucracy) when some aid organizations are known to co-operate with Tamil Tigers which is listed as a terrorist organization by almost whole of the western world. Americans, for instance, denied the UN any sort of access to Guantanamo Bay prisoners who Americans say are terrorists. Yet the aid workers, who mostly made up of citizens of countries that are allies of the United States, demand free access to areas in Sri Lanka where Tamil Tiger terrorists are believed to operate.

The work done by the aid organization should never been undermined; but in order to be effective NGO, workers should refrain from getting involved in the local politics and criticizing the government, especially when they should be thankful that even under the difficult circumstances, Sri Lanka remains a country in which one is allowed speak their mind without the fear of being threatened or targeted.