As floods ravage northern and central Việt Nam, people across the country are mobilizing to help, from cooking rice and baking bread to sending donations. Despite these efforts, many relief goods never reach those in need. In some areas, supplies have piled up and spoiled, leading residents to plead on social media: “Please stop sending goods to this area.”

This situation has led to criticism that such charity is impulsive, uncoordinated, and ineffective. These criticisms, however, are not entirely fair. While many acts of charity do arise from a “movement” of collective emotion, this is not necessarily something to blame. Faced with heartbreaking scenes of flooding, people feel a deeply human and valuable impulse to contribute through food, labor, or donations.