Shouldn’t we give to disaster relief because the people are in more “urgent” or dire need for the money? I was reading this EA argument against disaster relief and was wondering why we are advised against disaster relief.
“The law of diminishing returns also explains why in general, it makes less sense to donate to disaster relief than it does to donate to the best charities that fight poverty. Every day, people die from easily preventable diseases like AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis. This is a disaster far beyond that of Haiti, or Tohoku, or Sichuan. Every day, eighteen thousand children —more than the number of people who perished in Tohoku—die from preventable causes.”
[Question] Disaster Relief?
Shouldn’t we give to disaster relief because the people are in more “urgent” or dire need for the money? I was reading this EA argument against disaster relief and was wondering why we are advised against disaster relief.
“The law of diminishing returns also explains why in general, it makes
less sense to donate to disaster relief than it does to donate to the best
charities that fight poverty. Every day, people die from easily preventable
diseases like AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis. This is a disaster far beyond
that of Haiti, or Tohoku, or Sichuan. Every day, eighteen thousand children
—more than the number of people who perished in Tohoku—die from
preventable causes.”