<div><p>The leading medical journal The Lancet on Friday accused major aid organisations of corporate preening and self-interest that had contributed to bedlam in the effort to help Haiti.</p><p>"International organisations, national governments and non-governmental organisations are rightly mobilising, but also jostling for position, each claiming that they are doing the best for earthquake survivors," it said in an editorial.</p><p>"Some agencies even claim that they are 'spearheading' the relief effort. In fact, as we only too clearly see, the situation in Haiti is chaotic, devastating, and anything but coordinated."</p><p>The Lancet did not name names and gave credit to "exceptional work in difficult circumstances" by aid workers.</p><p>But, the British journal said, "the aid sector (is) undoubtedly an industry in its own right" and, unpalatable as it might seem, scrutiny of motives and performance was justified.</p><p>"Large aid agencies and humanitarian organisations are often highly competitive with each other," The Lancet said.</p><p>"Polluted by the internal power politics and unsavoury characteristics seen in many big corporations, large aid agencies can be obsessed with raising money through their own appeal efforts.</p><p>"Media coverage as an end in itself is too often an aim of their activities. Marketing and branding have too high a profile.</p><p>"Perhaps worse of all, relief efforts in the field are sometimes competitive with little collaboration between agencies, including smaller, grass-roots charities that may have better networks in affected countries and so are well placed to immediately implement disaster relief."</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=67532457&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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