And so, in the present disaster in Pakistan -as in the Tsunami of 2005, the 'World' automatically seems to expect that it will be the wealthy Western countries who anti-up millions of dollars to aid those in need.'

But what about other countries - those wealthy mid-Eastern oil-producing states for example?

A quick check of the donor list to The World Food Programme, for example - reveals that the following countries have been donors in 2009.
USA - $1,761,022,050
EU - $ 349,678,448
Canada $ 225,343,299
Then followed by Spain, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy, etc., etc.

The ONLY Arab country on the WFP donor list for 2009 was Saudi Arabia that contributed $23,340,830 - thats only 1/10 of Canada's contribution. Canada, with a population of only 30 million people can be proud of our record of compassion, when it comes to aiding people of the world in need.

Absent were: Dubai (who spends billions on indoor ski hills), United Arab Emirates, and all the other major oil producers of the world.

In view of the fact that by far the majority of the money spent by the WFP goes to Islamic Republics of one sort or another - Somalia, etc., It is amaziing that little help for the WFP, or indeed for disasters such as the tragedy in Pakistan - comes from those wealthy middle Eastern Arab kingdoms/Republics. But they seem not to be interested in humanitarian contributions, even when it is fellow Islamists that are suffering.

As much as my conscience urges me to open my wallet and send money to aid those in need in Pakistan, I will not do so until there is some evidence of a major contribution from those oil-rich Arab countries of the middle-East.