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Tsunami Aftermath: Plundering of Foreign Aid
The problem with much of the charity sent through the US government and some other organizations is that it goes through the hands of other governments, not directly to the people who need it. TLet the corrupt officials of other countries get their hands on their money, and you'll soon see why their oppressed people are so poor.
In Sri Lanka, there have been serious complaints about misuse of international aid. See the story, "Sri Lankan Tsunami Survivors Await For Help As Officials Are Accused Of Plundering Aid" and more recently, "Tigers Accuse Army Of Blocking Tsunami Aid."
If you want to help victims, give it to a private charity with very little overhead that directly serves people. As a Latter-day Saint (Mormon), I am pleased to know that when I give through the LDS welfare system and humanitarian aid programs, corrupt foreign officials are unlikely to touch the money. There is zero overhead. There are many other organizations with similar standards. But don't expect the money forcibly taken from you through taxation to do much good for the poor.
Remember the billions of dollars that Clinton took a few years ago to bail out Mexico in a time of crisis? We were led to believe that we were helping our poor neighbors in Mexico. Wrong. Nearly all the money went to bail out wealthy bankers on Wall Street who were losing money on bad loans to Mexico.