<% ballot="208521" ' Check nothing is broken broken = 0 if ballot = "" then broken = 1 end if set vt = Server.Createobject("mps.Vote") openresult = vt.Open("Vote", "sa", "") ' Created object? if IsObject(vt) = TRUE then ' Opened db? if openresult = True AND broken = 0 then ballotresult = vt.SetBallotName(ballot) ' read the vote votetotal=(vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes")+vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no")) if votetotal <> 0 then ' there are votes in the database numberyes = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes") numberno = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no") percentyes = Int((numberyes/votetotal)*100) percentno = 100 - percentyes ' fix graph so funny graph heights dont appear 'if percentyes = 0 then ' percentyes = 1 'end if 'if percentno = 0 then ' percentno = 1 'end if else ' summut went wrong frig it numberyes = 0 numberno = 0 percentyes = 50 percentno = 50 end if end if end if %> Votes so far:

100% 0%			>		>
			Yes: <% =percentyes %>%		No: <% =percentno %>%

We, who are members of the international community, have the responsibility to help those countries in Central America that have suffered losses. This is really a measure of our charity and concern for fellow citizens of the world. And, that is a responsibility for us all. Hopefully, all of us will do what we can to help.
Dave Adams, USA

Enough? Ask yourself this simple question. If hurricane Mitch swept its terrible path of destruction slightly further north, crushing into the US mainland, do you think the coverage would as 'limited'?
Roger Robinson, UK

We are not doing enough. I just returned from Jinutega Nicaragua and the devastation is beyond comprehension. We rely on this area's preservation of the rain forest but we do nothing to protest these resources we so desperately need. It is also my feeling that our humanity is specifically tied to the response we show these beautifully spirited people.
Margie Centrone, USA

No, we are not doing enough. It is our moral and ethical obligation as fellow human beings on this planet to help those who are suffering. The apathy of most of the world is a sad statement about our society.
Tracey Kerr, USA

I've concentrated hard on the news this week and in the English press consistant priority has been given to minor, pathetic local and insignificant incidents - indeed, on one day in a major broadsheet the entire Central America crisis didn't even make it into the world news section, an attitude that typifies the whole governmental and societal reaction to the event - and any other like it - if its not happening to you then why do you need to know... how much longer are we going to let the population of the world suffer and die in conditions they wouldn't want their pets to live in?
Nick Reader, UK

The numbers of deaths, missing and displaced persons are stunning. One estimate that the region will take 40 years to recover is heart-boggling. Nation-state pledges are of course appreicated, even if $70M from the US is barely what major US political parties spent in the past 10 days for mud-sliding political campaign ads. Beyond the numbers, we need to move from disaster-of-the month to a lifestyle of empathy, from charity to community, from deeds to eliminate debt to indebtedness to one another. We like to believe we are generous--with charity and concern--yet how much energy have we put into habitat and environment, so that people would not be living in shacks. (Granted, high-tech homes in California fall prey to landslides, but the people have a chance to escape.) We might not be facing as much relief-fatigue if we had engaged in more development education and placed our political will towards a human rights campaign FOR the poor rather than a political economy campaigning AGAINST the poor. Mitch raises the bar of what it means to be ready, to be connected, to be responsive to one another. We need to do more. Not just for sake of our own conscience, but because what is good for the "least of these" global citizens is good for our whole global community.
Jim L Nelson, USA

Are we doing enough in response to the natural disater in Honduras? We will only be doing enough when all possible preventative measures are in place prior to disaster and effective and sufficient relief is provided quickly. How will we know that we are doing enough? Given the amount of resources available today, we will know we are doing enough when we feel the contribution affecting our disposable income.
Tom Bowshall, Australia

I have some research experience in mobilization issues, and know that the US can put 30,000 troops and 1,000 transport helicopters in Centam on 48 hours notice. We can maintain a daily airlift rate of more than 200,000 tons without contracting civil air freight, and our food stores run into the millions of tons. Our current monetary pledge is 0.0004% of our annual budget, yet is 875% of the contribution of all Europe (the UK's contribution wouldn't buy half a helicopter). Only those who belive that more Central Americans need to die can think we are doing enough.
Phillip Barber, USA

No, enough is not being done. It is impossible to put a price on human lives. For those devestated countries, it is high time to stop being apathetic, thinking "I'm glad it's them, not us", and feed and clothe them, and diminish their debts or throw them out altogether, to help them reconstruct. Those of us who can, should. It is the right and proper and humane thing to do.
Joan Lisa, USA

I think the community, especially, the United States, Britain, Spain, and Mexico, responded quite promptly. The question whether the assistance offered so far is enough or not is rather premature. Who determines what is enough? The other countries do not owe those people anything. Did these countries receive advanced warning about the storm? If so, could they have done something to protect themselves? If the answer to any of the above is _yes,_ then, if anyone is guilty of anything, citizens of these countries themselves must take most of the blame. The lesson here is very clear _ political independence for a tribe, or nation is not enough. It is time for the citizens of all third-world countries to get functional scientific and engineering education and extend the benefits of such education, which includes the expertise of design and construction of hurricane-proof structures, to their countries.. Every nation must embrace superior science/engineering education because it makes life a little bit more predictable. No citizen or nation should accept inferior education. I am sure each of those countries affected by this hurricane could have constructed a bunker that could have saved some lives during that hurricane.
DaEtim Edem, Nigeria

I think we should help the poorer countries get on their feet again.
Chris Timmons, USA

I am sure that the West could do more, but like you said in your article, we have become immune to disasters, because they happen too often.
Paulius Kuncinas, UK

Writing off these crippling debts to these poor countries would be a start. What we need is to allocate several billion dollars used to make bombs to feed the children crying from hunger. Imagine your own family in that situation. We are all personally responsible for helping once we are aware of the problem and though we might not be able to go to Central America, we can give what we have in abundance - money.
Kevin Skinner, Canada

Are we doing enough? Well it's an easy question to answer. The answer must be no. We should do everything we can to prevent any suffering by any human being on this planet. The problem is that the individual generally speaking believes they cannot make a difference to what happens in a country far away.
Coupled with the constant barrage of disasters not just every year not just every month not even every week but day by day, we as the general public are now generally immune to the suffering of others, unless we are forced to become involved at a personal level. It's too easy to turn over the page of your newspaper, or to change channel on your television or radio to another topic which is easier to deal with, and to ignore this suffering.
John Foster, England

On a global basis, countries are far too concerned with protecting their borders, which are only an artificial construct. If less money were spent on defending these borders against 'enemies' perhaps there would be more money left to help disaster victims. It doesn't matter where people come from; we are all equal in importance and value. The prevailing 'us and them' attitudes do nothing to aid sympathy.
Having said that, we should also ask whether it is right that people should live in such dangerous places. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions constantly revisit these affected areas. If people were allowed to migrate naturally, to safer areas, perhaps fewer lives would be lost in the long term. The answer then is a united, peaceful world. In the meantime, encourage your governments to send more aid.
John Cox, Australia

I totally agree with Dheeraj Jain. Unless we take some drastic steps to save the environment and reduce pollution, we are all in very big trouble. MITCH is only nature's warning to us. MITCH is not the end but only the beginning.... more will follow.
Aarthi Raghavan, India

As ex British military who was on the Ethiopia famine relief, no....the agencies such as Oxfam etc are not the right people to send in, dispatch the RAF and Army and get the people who can really help in there, self contained, reliable...and good at it!
Chris Clarke, Canada

It is pointless to write off third-world debt. All they would do is borrow again, and typically most of the money would be misappropriated by the ruling class in each country. The national economy and infrastructure would get little benefit. This means it's better to give discretionary aid rather than alleviate debt; if trade credits can be given, then so much the better for our own economy. Basically we should keep their credit cards maxed out for their own good!
Mark Parker, United Kingdom

I would say to the IFM: don't you think it's time to cancel this debt? Are you waiting for the last Nicaraguan to die to cancel it?
Andrew, UK

NO! We are not doing enough. The UK has added $800,000 dollars to the fund. The USA has only added around $2.5 Million, yet they offer $5 Million for a terrorist. These people are desperate and a lot of them are going to die. We need to help them, not only by throwing money at the problem but in other ways such as helping them to rebuild their infrastructure.
David Warburton, USA

With so much death and destruction, why is the BBC and other news organisations not covering this as the main headline. Yesterday, a report on marriage beat mass death and hardship, and today, a small interest rate cut beat it. Is it not time news organisations got their act in order?
Kevin Heywood, England

A lot more disasters are coming; does a government or organization have the resources to cover the expenses of every one of them (tragedies)? All nations, not just industrialized nations, (who are expected to "foot the bill,") should make contributions toward resolving the problem(s), of world tragic proportions. Everyone has a role, and prayers (continuously uttered) can make a whole difference. Prayers to God for forgiveness of past sins can lead to the lifting of God's wrath on a people.
Evan, USA

I was worried about my flooded cellar on Sunday - then I found out about this.
Larry Boyd, UK

I feel that it really is about time that the richer nations of the western world, wrote off the debts of theses poorer nations to give them a chance to have just a little of what we in the west have. Its just not right for richer nations to continually keep smaller nations poor, and let's be honest it is from the raw materials that some of these smaller nations provide that keeps the west as rich as it is. Richard Wilson, USA

Of course we're doing enough. Don't try to make us think that our lives are so wonderful that we have time to spend worrying about if we've done enough to help Central America. We still have to work 40 hours a week and hear about how we shouldn't smoke cigarettes or drink and drive. Let me put it this way, how much had the Central Americans done for us?
Gideon Stargrave, USA

Jamaica was hit by hurricane Gilbert in 1988 so I can empathise with the people who have been affected in Central America. I don't think enough is being done to help these people because, as one article I read said, the US is sending a few millions in disaster relief and it sent over $1B to the Sandanistas. I think our priorities are wrong and we should send a lot more aid and also forgive some of these counties' debts.
Joan Gordon, Jamaica

Enough will never be done for these victims. The west must pour in more aid relief to these unfortunate souls.
Herb K, USA

The western countries haven't done enough because the victims are brown and there's no oil in Central America.
Shane Russell, California USA

Reading some of the stories. One interesting thing that I noticed was that some villages, or the places that were heavy hit by the storm, people can not get to them in order to help them. With the US having all these bases around, we can easily help them. What good is giving them money when their will be no country left. We must send people down to help get those victims out of that turmoil. Yes, they need food and water, but they need to get a hold of themselves as a country. I believe if more nations come together as a whole and agree to send more assistance, than more things would not look so bad.
Lorany Vazquez, USA

The reaction is slow because we do not relate to the lives of these people. It is human nature I'm afraid. We do however eventually get around to reacting. Like to Kosovo and Rwanda. Places we cannot locate on our maps. Now it is these poor Central American countries that the Caribbean cruise ships pass by. It takes time for us to register that they are on this planet.
ERD, USA

As a British ex-patriot in a zone that is frequently plagued by localized outbreaks of devastating severe weather -- in the form of violent thunderstorms and tornadoes, I do believe that the studied and almost total indifference to ANY foreign news has meant that a pre-occupation with local political changes is pre-empting any humanitarian initiative or even any expression of sympathy and empathy from here. Communities that have suffered devastation here (albeit on a very localized basis) should express some solidarity with survivors in the third world not too far away, south of here-in my opinion.
Ian Gibson, USA

Any and all natural disasters should be met with a global assistance package. This package should consist of fully-trained and equipped personnel supplied by the global community. Money, in itself, is not the prime requirement. Housing, food and medical help, are. Can we not get to a UN type of arrangement which only has the function to garner assistance in a planned and coordinated fashion from its members? Perhaps a GNP of some small percentage should be made available to fund such operations. A sort of global insurance policy.
Anthony Levine, Western Australia

There is never enough aid to restore what disaster victims have gone through. The media can heighten awareness by in depth reporting of these types of disasters even when there are "other" news-worthy items to be covered. Here in Southwest Missouri we have heard little of what type of aid is required. Perhaps there are other events that take precedent such as an election or the fate of an embattled president etc.
Dhr. Willem G. Shields, USA

The world has been slow to react and it's very disheartening. Relief measures should have been sent to Central America sooner as the whole world knew that the storm would hit and hit hard. No proactive steps were taken and even after the ravage, its sad to see aid only trickle in.
Aarthi Raghavan, India

No. We don't seem to learn enough from the disasters. This question is raised after every disaster and debated all over the world and then forgotten and left until the next disaster to bring it up again. Everybody knows that the main cause behind it is pollution but no measures are being taken to control it. Everybody thinks what difference would his lone efforts make. But everything has to start right from the bottom. So, the best way to face it is to start controlling pollution at your individual level and the world will follow.
Dheeraj Jain, India

The question that is begging to be asked is 'Why is the world not doing enough to help the victims of Hurricane Mitch?' My answer: The victims are NOT white. Had this disaster happened to a population that was predominantly white, the response would most definitely have been humane.
D Payne, Canada

It should be. It is vital we protect our planet while we can. 'Lost in Space' may be a solution but at the moment it is not a practical alternative. I am in my teens now and I want my kids to grow up in a pollution free zone and unless this is dealt with soon they won't get to grow up at all.
Layla, UK

£0.5m from our government is a pathetic response to a human tragedy of this scale.
Paul Eaton, England

In all human suffering I think we are all too slow to react. Back in the early 1980's when the Brundtland Report highlighted the excessive differences between north and south we were slow to react. A lot of suffering could have been averted if Third World debt were to be completely written off. Then many of these countries could have had the chance to develop their potential; their resources to develop their own economies, their food and water supplies and above all their people. Now, with disaster after disaster, witnessed I may add in the comfort of our homes, many nations are in dire need of resources and assistance. Yet we, in the west are still too slow to react. We owe it to ourselves to support one another if we are to avert worldwide catastrophe.
Anne Prout, British Student in Canada

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | ©