Hi Diogenesister,
Sorry, I have to play the devil’s advocate
here.
Myanmar, India and other neighbouring
countries come under the same disaster committee operations of the Watchtower.
I was not in Myanmar, but I was in Kerala, India, during the 2018 floods that
devastated the entire state, the worst in a century.
Let me clear a few things what you have
written. To put things in perspective, Myanmar is worse than India.
Watchtowers
solution? Fly in a helicopter of medics and engineers? Pay for Red Adare to
blast a path through the mud? Not quite......
During the floods here in India, the air
space was completely closed for air travel for 2 weeks. Only government owned
relief supplies and medics could enter the disaster area through air space. The
India branch of the WT had to send supplies to the government, who then flew it
to the disaster area. As expected, very few of the supplies reached the
destination due to corruption in between.
Its
solution to this unfolding tragedy was to “make a phone call” to the local
“disaster committee,” AKA the local body of elders in the next city, and ask
them to go “check” on the congregations affected.
In countries over here, the entire roadway
and the air space is closed down due to landslides and mudslides. Internet
connections are gutted down. Leave the WT, even the Prime Minister of the
country can only use phone lines to give directions.
It
was the *local people that put together the food, water and (I imagine,
pretty basic) medicine, not Watchtower, It’s local JW funds.
Not true. It is practically impossible for poor
local JW’s to come up with tons of food supplies. Even the most basic supplies
are sent by the DRC’s operating in the area. Due to thugs and looting, local JW’s
are advised not to venture out to the disaster area with supplies.
In countries here in Asia, due to the sorry
nature of communication and transport, the WT has set up disaster committees
made up of 5 full-time bethelites that live in the area and work remotely for
the branch. Each committee has been given enough funds to use when necessary.
The major chunk of the supplies comes from
these Disaster committees that get the funds from the WT well in advance before
the disasters. In fact, during the 2018 floods in India, a letter was issued to
all congregations not to collect and sends any food supplies to the affected
areas due to looting and corruption.
Not sure about the western and the European
world, but WT’s response to the disasters here in India, Myanmar and other
Asian countries is pretty good considering the type of countries these are.
Been there, seen there.
