by Mohammad Amjad Hossain
The earthquake in Haiti: lessons for Bangladesh
HAITI, a tiny island state in the western hemisphere which is smaller than Bangladesh, has been devastated, beyond imagination, by a severe earthquake. The earthquake, measuring seven on the Richter scale, has left in its wake a trail of death and destruction; the havoc it has wreaked could surpass, in terms of human casualties, the 2005 tsunami in Asia and east coast of Africa.
Screams of children, cries of men and women trapped under rubble, corpse with expression of shock indelibly etched on their faces, as broadcast on television, are heartrending. The poverty-stricken island state is in the midst of a crisis of an unprecedented scale. From shacks to the presidential palace to the UN peacekeeping headquarters have been razed to the ground. The president, René Préval, was fortunate to survive; his palace in the capital Port-au-Prince was torn apart.
The Roman Catholic archbishop and the head of UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti were among the several hundred thousand people believed to be dead. At least 37 UN personnel and 16 Americans, including one official of the state department, are dead. The death counts are not yet finished. Luckily, Bangladeshis serving in the UN peacekeeping mission are safe and sound.
The Roman Catholic archbishop and the head of UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti were among the several hundred thousand people believed to be dead. At least 37 UN personnel and 16 Americans, including one official of the state department, are dead. The death counts are not yet finished. Luckily, Bangladeshis serving in the UN peacekeeping mission are safe and sound.
Since its independence in 1840, Haiti has been plagued with coups, countercoups and political bickering while natural disasters from flood to hurricane to earthquakes has visited the country quite frequently. There appears to be a striking similarity between Haiti in the western hemisphere and Bangladesh in South Asia. Politically, Bangladesh has also been confronted with coup, countercoups and political bickering. Like Haiti, Bangladesh is also a disaster-prone country. Both Haiti and Bangladesh are considered poor and have been governed by one corruption-tainted government after another.
The Haitian government is in such a fragile and vulnerable condition that the quake-hit people did not receive any food, drinking water or shelter for four consecutive days. The government announced that 300,000 people are living in the streets of the capital. Clearly, there was no disaster preparedness. One wonders how any government could work under such a disaster. We have seen the failure of the most powerful country, the US, during the Katrina disaster.
The Haitian government is in such a fragile and vulnerable condition that the quake-hit people did not receive any food, drinking water or shelter for four consecutive days. The government announced that 300,000 people are living in the streets of the capital. Clearly, there was no disaster preparedness. One wonders how any government could work under such a disaster. We have seen the failure of the most powerful country, the US, during the Katrina disaster.
Tears, anguish and frustration are plentiful while enough aid is not mobilised. Rescue teams from Florida and Turkey did some wonderful work. It was really a miracle that three children and seven men and women were rescued alive by rescue teams five days after the earthquake hit the country. Aid distribution is going on slowly because of destruction of airport, seaport and roads and other basic communication infrastructures. On the other hand, hundreds of people mostly women were seen on the streets of the capital on January 15 – three days after the disaster – singing and chanting. Some analysts characterised such display as a sign of resilience amid mountain of rubbles.
Aware of the political price paid by President Bush for an ineffective response to hurricane Katrina caused to the southern part of the United States in August, 2005, President Obama dispatched thousands of troops along with tonnes of food aid to keep order as well as to rescue the suffering lot in a country dysfunctional in the best of times. President Obama has spoken to a number of friendly countries in Europe, including France, and Latin America to mobilise resources for reconstruction. President Obama has declared $100 million emergency aid to Haiti. Obama also designated George W Bush, the 43rd president, and Bill Clinton, the 42nd president, to spearhead a nationwide fundraising campaign for quake victims in Haiti. The effort of the president was well received in the United States and the president of Haiti said 'the American people's friendship has touched him' and thanked Obama. On January 17 Bush and Clinton appealed to the Americans from the White House to donate generously for the quake victims in Haiti. President Bush came out first time from his secluded Texas ranch since handing over the power to Obama on January 20, 2009.
Aware of the political price paid by President Bush for an ineffective response to hurricane Katrina caused to the southern part of the United States in August, 2005, President Obama dispatched thousands of troops along with tonnes of food aid to keep order as well as to rescue the suffering lot in a country dysfunctional in the best of times. President Obama has spoken to a number of friendly countries in Europe, including France, and Latin America to mobilise resources for reconstruction. President Obama has declared $100 million emergency aid to Haiti. Obama also designated George W Bush, the 43rd president, and Bill Clinton, the 42nd president, to spearhead a nationwide fundraising campaign for quake victims in Haiti. The effort of the president was well received in the United States and the president of Haiti said 'the American people's friendship has touched him' and thanked Obama. On January 17 Bush and Clinton appealed to the Americans from the White House to donate generously for the quake victims in Haiti. President Bush came out first time from his secluded Texas ranch since handing over the power to Obama on January 20, 2009.
Cuba, an adversary of the United States, permitted use of its airspace by medical evacuation flights from Haiti to the US for treatment. By now hundred children and wounded persons have been flown to Florida from Haiti for treatment following the visit of the secretary of state Hillary Clinton to Haiti on January 16 to see the devastation and assure Haitians of all possible help.
The United States is not alone in mobilising humanitarian assistance to Haiti. On January 15, the president of the Russian Federation, Dimitry Medvedev, announced deployment of a rapid response search and rescue team, dog teams, psychologists, doctors, special search equipment including tower and powerful floodlights. Many countries with poor relationship with Haiti have shown sympathy and willingness to provide help to the victims there. Bangladesh is one such country. The Bangladesh government has decided to send medical teams to Haiti.
The United States is not alone in mobilising humanitarian assistance to Haiti. On January 15, the president of the Russian Federation, Dimitry Medvedev, announced deployment of a rapid response search and rescue team, dog teams, psychologists, doctors, special search equipment including tower and powerful floodlights. Many countries with poor relationship with Haiti have shown sympathy and willingness to provide help to the victims there. Bangladesh is one such country. The Bangladesh government has decided to send medical teams to Haiti.
Severe earthquake in Haiti is a lesson for Bangladesh. Geologically, Bangladesh and parts of the subcontinent are sitting on one of the four most earthquake-prone landmasses. With unplanned growth of high-rise buildings and malls and rampant violation of building, Bangladesh, especially its cities, is extremely vulnerable; loss of human lives and damage to property could be colossal if an earthquake of the magnitude similar to the one that hit Haiti were to strike. Most structures in Bangladesh are not built according to quake-resistance protocols. Hardly enough space has been kept between two buildings in many places in the capital. Bangladesh is also densely populated.
If such an earthquake were to strike Bangladesh, the human toll could be devastating because the country lacks emergency rescue team as well as resources to restore power and water supplies on an emergency basis. Disaster preparedness for emergency has become imperative for Bangladesh and the time has come to start enforcing building codes. People who can afford should reinforce their houses to prevent catastrophic destruction. The government should prepare emergency teams in Dhaka, and other important cities in cooperation with army, fire-fighters, civil defence, etc. Scientists and engineers must help raise awareness about disaster preparedness among the public.
Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a retired Bangladesh diplomat and a former president of Nova Toastmasters International club, writes from Virginia
Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a retired Bangladesh diplomat and a former president of Nova Toastmasters International club, writes from Virginia
__._,_.___
