There is an irony of empathy in that the most empathetic individuals can appear to be, or behave in accordance to being, the least compassionate. Viscerally feeling the pain of another creates a strong motivation to flee the cause of the pain; the suffering individual. The nurses which were rated to be highest in empathy were the same nurses that spent the least amount of time with patients.
The “Effective Altruism” movement acknowledges that what is most effective is not what feels good. Giving money to fight malaria may not be as satisfying as handing a child £5, but we must take seriously the law of unintended consequences. By giving money to this child you may well be indirectly incentivising the maiming of children within an organisation created to obtain your money. This organisation would have determined that disabled children are most effective at drawing Western empathy and attention. By being empathetic, and acting in accordance to silencing this feeling, one can find themselves living in a manner which creates a worse world.