MSF Takes Heat

Last week, Jen and I were considering which worthy charity to which we should contribute tsunami funds. We decided on Medecins Sans Frontieres, aka Doctors Without Borders, after talking it over with friends and seeing it recommended by Kos.

At the time I made the contribution, there was a checkbox that said something to the effect of "I would like this contribution to aid tsunami victims but understand that MSF will use the contribution where it is determined to be most needed." Which I found a little odd, since I definitely wanted to contribute to the tsunami relief effort.

This week, the story has been making the rounds on NPR's Marketplace and other sources that Doctors Without Borders has met its immediate need for aid efforts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The organization has received some flak for publicizing this, and it struck me as strange when I heard it.

The more I thought about it, the more I found it rereshingly honest rather than irresponsible. The Red Cross caught some grief a few years ago for diverting funds to support 9/11 victims to other resources and not telling anyone. So I think it's simply a matter of trusting the agency to do its job and make the right decision about how to use the money.

There are still plenty of agencies who will ensure that money goes directly to the tsunami victims, but I applaud MSF for their integrity.