One Nepali's experience during the Pakistan Earthquake in 2005
One Nepali's experience during the Pakistan Earthquake in 2005
What Nepal Can Learn From 2005 Pakistan Earthquake
Parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (previously North-West Frontier Province) and Pakistan-administered Kashmir region was hit by a major earthquake on Saturday 8 October 2005. The 7.6 magnitude quake, with epicenter at a depth of 19 KM, shook the entire Kashmir region and affected parts of India, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Western China.
The major devastation occurred in Muzaffarabad, a bustling town in the Paksitan-administerd Kashmir, which suffered 70% causalities. In some places, entire section of towns were slid off, buried under the weight of landslides and most families were perished. Muzaffarabad suffered severe destruction and the town of Balakot in Pakhtunkhwa Province was almost completely buried and destroyed. This earthquake of unprecedented scale took lives of some 86,000 people; over 100,000 were injured and 3.6 million people became homeless.
An amazing comradeship was witnessed between rivals India and Pakistan, for they dropped their hostilities on Kashmir region and cooperated in the field for relief efforts. Five crossing points were opened on the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to facilitate humanitarian and medical aid flow to the affected areas. Several foreign Search and Rescue team also participated, and the US Army and Air Force provided massive operation to bring relief in the region in full cooperation and collaboration with Pakistan and India.
The Government of Pakistan moved swiftly within hours of calamity. For early response, a military command was set up and army medical corps, engineers and aviation supported by large military infantry units were deployed on the ground. The command structure was headed by one army general, appointed by the President General Musharraf, and reported directly to the Presidency and Prime Minister’s Office. Foreign relief was coordinated by the command and control structure and warehouse set up in Mansherra, a town between Pakhtunkhwa Province and Muzaffarabad.
The organization and management structure to deal with earthquake emergency, reconstruction and rehabilitation work was organized under the command of a military general and army was mobilized accordingly. The initial response, carried out as per the Command and Control Structure, proved to effective and efficient. The United Nations Systems, foreign and local non-governmental organizations collaborated with military in the quake response efforts. Large number of foreign Search and Rescue teams arrived within hours to the sites and some stayed until the job was done.
I was then the Head of UNHCR Operation in Pakhtunkhwa Province and mobilized distribution of tents and tarpaulins from the local warehouse and coordinated UN assistance in the initial days. UNHCR was on the ground in less than 48 hours with the cooperation of military. The devastation was so widespread that the overall extent of destruction became clear only after 10 days of the earthquake. The earthquake, the damages it caused and the rescue, relief operations had some important lessons. The experience offers some practical lessons for effective response mechanism.
The Government appointed a competent Army General, reporting directly to the Chief Executive (The President). His job was to streamline aid delivery, bureaucratic hold ups, visa processing and was the one-stop coordinating body of the government.
Pakistan Army swiftly mobilized resources and took charge of the operation and coordination (bureaucratic procedures were not warranted).
Military command coordinated the Search and Rescue and distribution of relief supplies from all donors. Field-based Military Command Centre was set up at a strategic location near quake affected area.
Foreign Search and Rescue team arrived through Islamabad airport and went straight to affected sites as directed by Military Command Centre.
The fund pledged for reconstruction was used by the authority called “Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority" established for the purpose.
UN Country Team was set up in Islamabad, which soon commenced its work in coordination with the Army.
Goods and personnel were given unrestricted access to the affected areas and relief items were distributed by army, NGOs and other agencies working in the affected areas.
Local governments were to follow Military Command and Control (no political party could interfere).
WFP, UN logistic cluster lead, located at the Islamabad airport, coordinated relief arrivals and personnel.
Relief workers' permits were stamped on arrival at the airport – probably valid for the next 90 days of relief activities.
Warehouse was set up at strategic locations to receive relief supplies and further movements by helicopters and small trucks to outlying villages.
UN system had a large number of country staff and most were temporarily deployed to the affected areas. Subsequently, additional UN staff were recruited for rehabilitation and reconstruction work.
No political parties and their outfits were involved in this for it was efficiently managed by the Army Command.
A separate but competent body headed by someone (not affiliated with any political party) who directly reports to Prime Minister and cuts across all bureaucracy could be to a way to address the post-earthquake reconstruction and challenges. Collaboration with United Nations system, international and local nongovernmental agencies is vital for the implementation of the projects. This is important as the government bureaucrats are not able to grasp the scale of the devastation that has hit the nation and they have not been trained to manage such an unprecedented task.
- See more at: http://setopati.net/opinion/6525/What-Nepal-can-learn-from-2005-Pakistan-earthquake/#sthash.XmK4FxTl.dpuf
Kedar Neupane
With courtesy copy and pasted from setopati.net
