Padangs Food

When Relief Operations Get Overwhelmed
By M E Reza


The principal challenge in any emergency following a natural disaster comprises providing immediate relief support to the worst affected populations. In practically all of the cases, the vulnerable groups disproportionately affected by natural disasters are the women and children. Lest we forget, the elderly were not spared and suffered equally in these situations. Humanitarian assistance hence has to focus on attending to the greatest needs including food, water, sanitation, and public health. Inordinate delays will exacerbate the crisis, propelling such situations into another full grown disaster. A fresh review of the experiential lessons learned in recent natural calamities will put this subject in a better disaster management perspective.


The series of disasters in Asia over the past six months underscored the need for greater preparedness. In many instances, when nature vents its fury, it cuts a disastrous path across borders, leaving catastrophic devastation in countries affected. 26th September 2009 saw tropical storm Ketsana tore through Philippines, killing at least 292 people and affecting another three million. Ketsana barreled through Philippines to Vietnam, Cambodia, and also Laos, leaving in its wake damage and destruction including the death toll. In Vietnam more than 170,000 homes were flooded while in the Quang Nam province 6,300 houses were destroyed. The impact on the world's second largest rice exporter can best be illustrated through scenes of thousands of farm animals dead and almost 50,000 hectares damaged.


Then on 29th September the Pacific islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga were battered by a tsunami. Earthquakes struck the city of Padang, Western Sumatra with at least 1,100 people killed. Philippines again received another blow with the arrival of typhoon Parma in October. Relief efforts were thus stretched with field operations spread out at different areas/countries requiring almost simultaneous emergency humanitarian assistance.

At the peak of the Ketsana emergency response in the Philippines, the UN World Food Programme had to rapidly expand its relief operations to provide one million people with food and other vital supplies. In the Philippines' experience, Ketsana caught rescuers and emergency response team off-guard. With the typhoon rushing in on a weekend, emergency response grounded to a slow pace, and coordination being stuck since government offices were closed. To top it all, emergency and relief workers were trapped in their own homes.


With much of the suburban areas remained waterlogged logistical problems delayed relief efforts. Access for delivery of assistance was impeded with much of eastern manila immersed in knee-deep mud and out of reach. Faced with the logistical problems, relief items dwindled fast within just three days of the floods. Food and water supplies were inadequate. As such many people have to endure hunger and pain waiting for humanitarian assistance. At the evacuation centres there were scenes of long lines of hungry and tired flood survivors. Manila's health infrastructure were substantially destroyed, the full magnitude of the disaster simply overwhelmed emergency response capabilities. A general appeal went out to the private medical and health services to assist survivors especially the children cope with post traumatic stress. Beleaguered by the enormity of the calamity the situation forced Philippines President Gloria Arroyo to appeal for international assistance on 28th September.


The challenges were enormous. After Ketsana's onslaught, the resulting floods, the worst in decades shattered many infrastructural facilities. Toilets at emergency centres overflowed, water supply and power still knocked out, and piles of rotting rubbish abound. The capital Manila and the suburbs were under threat from disease outbreaks. In one of the worst hit areas, only three battered portable toilets were installed for more than 3,000 flood survivors. Administrators of some schools turned into emergency centres had to padlock bathrooms since the toilets had clogged posing hazards to occupants sleeping on the grounds with only cardboard matting. (i)

Just two days after Ketsana pummeled the northern island of Luzon and Metro Manila, rescuers and relief workers were pushed to the limit. Maintaining basic standard of sanitation remains challenging. As flood waters recede, piles of rubbish and debris appeared everywhere.

By then almost half a million were affected and 116,000 already moved to 200 evacuation centres. The ensuing floods wiped out entire villages, particularly the poor communities in the low-lying areas along river banks and tributaries. In all, more than 2.5 million people were affected. The numbers alone were mind boggling. As the days went by, those evacuated increased to 700,000 people and the number of evacuation centres went up to 700 scattered around Manila.