In Theory: Humanitarian lessonsat the peak of tragedy

In the aftermath of the tsunami, the UN Deputy Secretary General criticised industrialised nations for failing to provide sufficient aid to the Asian countries hit by the disaster. These countries already suffer from poor economic growth rates, poverty and unemployment.

As evidence of being "stingy", he compared the amount of aid given provided by industrialised nations to developing countries in the past and the current level of aid. The comments caused widespread anger in Western countries, especially in the United States.

The total aid provided by the industrialised nations was initially $35 million (Dh128 million), while the GCC states provided a far larger aid package. Thousands of citizens of industrialised countries were among the dead and missing people in this horrendous human tragedy.

The critical remarks of the UN official helped raise the amount of aid to $500 million (Dh1.8 billion) and then to $2 billion (Dh7.3 billion). He did not, however, bring up the matter of how changes in international relations over the last ten years, such as the fall of the Eastern Bloc and the restructuring of global alliances, have affected aid flows.

During the Cold War, the Western and Eastern Blocs competed for support from the developing countries in a process of polarisation generally favourable to the developing nations. For example, when the World Bank and Western states refused to finance the construction of Egypt's High Dam, the Eastern Bloc announced its willingness to finance the project and to provide the necessary technical assistance. This led to the formation of a strong political alliance between Egypt and the Eastern Bloc.

The situation today is completely different. The Eastern Bloc no longer exists. The world is now dominated by a single super power, and there is no competition between two power blocs. The global balance of power has radically changed. Yesterday's enemies have become today's allies, as we can see in Europe. Yesterday's friends have become today's enemies. There are many examples to illustrate this.

No one needs developing states today, as was once true during the Cold War. Developing states have to accept the leftovers thrown their way. This reflects the saying "take it or leave it". Only India, with its deep-rooted culture and civilisation, refused the modest Western aid package and declared it could provide relief to its citizens without outside help.

The human tragedy of the tsunami has highlighted many things. One is the fact globalisation has made the global community more materialistic and less humanitarian than before. This tragedy has also demonstrated, however, a spirit of human solidarity transcending religious, political and ethnic differences.

Almost all Israeli newspapers have publicised the story of the young Israeli couple who went to Thailand to spend their honeymoon and who lost everything in the catastrophe. A Palestinian family from Jerusalem offered to provide the couple with hotel space, boarding and transportation assistance until they could make it to Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian family offered this help in spite of the daily massacres committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the occupied territories. This noble Palestinian humanitarian treatment contrasts sharply with the ongoing unjustified arrogance of the occupation.

The lesson that can be drawn from this tragedy: all peoples of the world are in the same boat. The victims of the tsunami belonged to many countries. This reminds us of the need for human solidarity. Man should rise above petty differences and extend aid to those in need, just as the Palestinian family rose above petty differences to show solidarity with the Israeli couple.

In this context, the peaceful diplomacy and the generous aid provided by the UAE and other GCC states provide a living example of a better model for the crafting of international relations. The GCC countries, including the UAE, provide the highest levels of foreign aid to developing countries, relative to their GDP. Such aid amounts to 5 per cent of GDP high when compared with the average of less than 0.5 per cent of GDP the industrialised countries annually provide in aid.

GCC states do not attach any political conditions in distributing such aid. Rather, they pursue neutral and peaceful policies, despite the huge wealth and resources they possess. They set a humanitarian example by distributing aid without any conditions, showing how international relations can be conducted without polarising the world community into clashing camps, as happened in past eras.

The writer is a UAE economic expert.