| The principal challenge in any emergency following | | | | President Gloria Arroyo to appeal for international |
| a natural disaster comprises providing immediate | | | | assistance on 28th September. |
| relief support to the worst affected populations. | | | | The challenges were enormous. After Ketsana's |
| In practically all of the cases, the vulnerable | | | | onslaught, the resulting floods, the worst in |
| groups disproportionately affected by natural | | | | decades shattered many infrastructural facilities. |
| disasters are the women and children. Lest we | | | | Toilets at emergency centres overflowed, water |
| forget, the elderly were not spared and suffered | | | | supply and power still knocked out, and piles of |
| equally in these situations. Humanitarian assistance | | | | rotting rubbish abound. The capital Manila and the |
| hence has to focus on attending to the greatest | | | | suburbs were under threat from disease |
| needs including food, water, sanitation, and public | | | | outbreaks. In one of the worst hit areas, only |
| health. Inordinate delays will exacerbate the crisis, | | | | three battered portable toilets were installed for |
| propelling such situations into another full grown | | | | more than 3,000 flood survivors. Administrators |
| disaster. A fresh review of the experiential | | | | of some schools turned into emergency centres |
| lessons learned in recent natural calamities will put | | | | had to padlock bathrooms since the toilets had |
| this subject in a better disaster management | | | | clogged posing hazards to occupants sleeping on |
| perspective. | | | | the grounds with only cardboard matting. (i) |
| The series of disasters in Asia over the past six | | | | Just two days after Ketsana pummeled the |
| months underscored the need for greater | | | | northern island of Luzon and Metro Manila, |
| preparedness. In many instances, when nature | | | | rescuers and relief workers were pushed to the |
| vents its fury, it cuts a disastrous path across | | | | limit. Maintaining basic standard of sanitation |
| borders, leaving catastrophic devastation in | | | | remains challenging. As flood waters recede, piles |
| countries affected. 26th September 2009 saw | | | | of rubbish and debris appeared everywhere. |
| tropical storm Ketsana tore through Philippines, | | | | By then almost half a million were affected and |
| killing at least 292 people and affecting another | | | | 116,000 already moved to 200 evacuation |
| three million. Ketsana barreled through Philippines | | | | centres. The ensuing floods wiped out entire |
| to Vietnam, Cambodia, and also Laos, leaving in its | | | | villages, particularly the poor communities in the |
| wake damage and destruction including the death | | | | low-lying areas along river banks and tributaries. In |
| toll. In Vietnam more than 170,000 homes were | | | | all, more than 2.5 million people were affected. |
| flooded while in the Quang Nam province 6,300 | | | | The numbers alone were mind boggling. As the |
| houses were destroyed. The impact on the | | | | days went by, those evacuated increased to |
| world's second largest rice exporter can best be | | | | 700,000 people and the number of evacuation |
| illustrated through scenes of thousands of farm | | | | centres went up to 700 scattered around Manila. |
| animals dead and almost 50,000 hectares | | | | Health officials reported about 80 per cent of |
| damaged. | | | | Manila's health infrastructure was destroyed. Even |
| Then on 29th September the Pacific islands of | | | | many of the state hospitals were forced to |
| Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga were | | | | evacuate. Threats from water borne diseases |
| battered by a tsunami. Earthquakes struck the | | | | including Leptospirosis and diarrhea reached |
| city of Padang, Western Sumatra with at least | | | | alarming levels.(ii) |
| 1,100 people killed. Philippines again received | | | | The consequent devastation and loss of life in the |
| another blow with the arrival of typhoon Parma in | | | | Philippines from typhoon Ketsana portends of |
| October. Relief efforts were thus stretched with | | | | future events influenced by extreme weather |
| field operations spread out at different areas | | | | disasters brought about by climate change. The |
| countries requiring almost simultaneous | | | | sheer magnitude of the disaster and its intensity |
| emergency humanitarian assistance. | | | | were obviously overwhelming. To undertake the |
| At the peak of the Ketsana emergency response | | | | massive relief operations, the Philippines |
| in the Philippines, the UN World Food Programme | | | | government appealed for international |
| had to rapidly expand its relief operations to | | | | humanitarian assistance. (iii) "With more than 20 |
| provide one million people with food and other | | | | typhoons hitting the country every year |
| vital supplies. In the Philippines' experience, Ketsana | | | | whatever progress is made in handling disasters |
| caught rescuers and emergency response team | | | | get eroded in the cyclical onslaughts. It's not for |
| off-guard. With the typhoon rushing in on a | | | | the lack of both preparation and mitigation |
| weekend, emergency response grounded to a | | | | measures, yet the subsequent rounds of |
| slow pace, and coordination being stuck since | | | | disasters still leave a major impact. The |
| government offices were closed. To top it all, | | | | destruction and high death tolls persist. For the |
| emergency and relief workers were trapped in | | | | survivors, they felt it was like they are back to |
| their own homes. | | | | zero". (iv) |
| With much of the suburban areas remained | | | | The barrage of natural disasters that hit the Asian |
| waterlogged logistical problems delayed relief | | | | Pacific region, and the cross border impact of |
| efforts. Access for delivery of assistance was | | | | these disasters posed a grim reminder that |
| impeded with much of eastern manila immersed in | | | | emergency preparedness cannot withstand |
| knee-deep mud and out of reach. Faced with the | | | | intense wide-ranging devastation without efforts |
| logistical problems, relief items dwindled fast within | | | | involving full collaboration, cooperation and |
| just three days of the floods. Food and water | | | | coordination of regional stakeholders. |
| supplies were inadequate. As such many people | | | | References:- |
| have to endure hunger and pain waiting for | | | | (i) IRIN. Philippines. Disease threatens as Manila |
| humanitarian assistance. At the evacuation centres | | | | braces for another storm. Manila, 1 October, 2009. |
| there were scenes of long lines of hungry and | | | | (ii) PHILIPPINES: Government appeals for |
| tired flood survivors. Manila's health infrastructure | | | | international help. MANILA, 28 September 2009 |
| were substantially destroyed, the full magnitude of | | | | (IRIN) |
| the disaster simply overwhelmed emergency | | | | (iii) IRIN. Philippines. Ketsana underscores climate |
| response capabilities. A general appeal went out to | | | | change imperative. Bangkok, 30 September 2009. |
| the private medical and health services to assist | | | | (iv) Ketsana. Philippines. Typhoon Leaves 72 Dead |
| survivors especially the children cope with post | | | | and Missing. Jim Gomez. Associated Press. 27 |
| traumatic stress. Beleaguered by the enormity of | | | | September 2009. |
| the calamity the situation forced Philippines | | | | |