In the light of Peter Lee's letter , I thought a little perspective on this subject might be in order.

The UK Financial Times newspaper, in its Asian edition dated Jan 20, carried a report on the 2003 Bam earthquake in Iran and subsequent aid to the victims. Allow me to quote from the report:

'The final aid figures are hard to establish, but it is clear that many international donors failed to live up to their promises.

'Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, has urged donors not to forget their financial promises to tsunami survivors as they did about Bam. The UN asked a year ago for US$32.7 milion aid for victims of the Bam earthquake. It received just over half of that. Iran says it was promised as much as US$1.1 billion in donations, but got less than $17 million.

'The Rehabilitation Organisation in Bam has concerns about 2,400 female breadwinners and 5,000 orphans who need financial support and protection. They have received only two aid payments over the past year, each worth between US$50 and US$100'.

Not a very edifying picture of international generosity , is it?

Poignantly, the report added, 'Bam's residents have responded to the Indian Ocean disaster by donating 50 tons of dates, their main source of income'.

Maybe the truly marginalised are destined to remain just that - marginalised and destitute. Meanwhile, the US spends in excess of US$40 million on one event - President Goerge W Bush's inauguration.

Strange how priorities change, and how needy people are swiftly forgotten, after the first rush of do-gooders, aid convoys and photo ops.

It would be interesting to find out, if the figures were available, just how much the US contributed to the Bam relief effort, both in kind and in cash. One suspects that Peter Lee and his ilk would find the answer disturbing.