Disaster Relief: Katrina Huriccane - Assignment Example

MHE-512 – Disaster Relief Module 2 – Case Assignment Answer It has been observed in many situations, and, was once again manifest when Katrina was about to strike New Orleans, that many people have a tendency to ignore official requests and pleas to evacuate to safer places. Also, there is always an element of incredulity attached to anything that is official or government sponsored. NGOs can play a very constructive role in dissolving this barrier of incredulity that oftentimes prevents proper and timely evacuation. However, the scenario changes drastically once disaster strikes. It is at this juncture that NGOs and government should not only step in and arrange for as orderly an evacuation that is possible under the circumstances, but also search and identify a proper location for effectively settling these evacuees till the situation returns to normal. As a matter of policy, the evacuation routes should be kept as short as possible and maximum security is provided so that the traumatized evacuees get to settle down and start feeling slightly reassured at the earliest without being harassed by criminal elements that often try to take advantage of such chaotic situations. This helps in preventing them to be panicked and switch over to survival mode. While this massive movement of humanity is in progress, relief organizations must be ready with sufficient supplies of clean, pure and safe drinking water at the rate of approximately five liters per person. Also, distribution of some non-perishable dry rations would only assuage evacuees that much more. If temporary shelters for taking rest en route can be erected it would be a great help for the young and infirm. At such temporary shelters proper sanitation facilities and subsequent disposal of human excreta and other garbage should be in place. Hygiene has to be given highest priority to prevent outbreak of any epidemic. This will be possible only when there is a smooth flow of evacuees without any large build-up of people anywhere along the route. (Wisner & Adams, 2003) This is equally true for the place where these evacuees are to be settled. NGOs and government must ensure that the local infrastructure is adequate to cater to demands of hygiene, sanitation, security, distribution and logistics of settlers and ensure there is no tension between the host community and their ‘guests’. (Lindell, Prater, & Perry, 2006) Answer 2 Proper dispersion of evacuees while being relocated from the disaster zone to resettlement area is possible only when there is a smooth flow of people along the entire route without any congestion. This helps in maintaining discipline and proper distribution of relief supplies and does not cause excess strain on available infrastructure en route. The same hold true while deciding on the size of a settlement. Adequate sanitation facilities and hygienic disposal of human waste is absolutely necessary to prevent break out of epidemics. Many planners have an impression that if a large number of people are kept in closely monitored and somewhat restricted confines, it becomes easier to manage and administer relief measures and health vaccinations but it might totally backfire if the available infrastructure in unable to support the sudden additional pressure of so many evacuees. In such situations it is always preferable to opt for dispersed but adequately equipped smaller settlements. But evacuees generally prefer to stick together and, with the in-built distrust for anything that is offered and arranged by the government reigning supreme, it becomes difficult for government agencies to convince evacuees to break up in small groups and settle in relatively smaller and dispersed settlements. Thus, NGOs have a bounden duty to convince people to agree to such a proposal. (Wisner, Blaikie, Cannon, & Davis, 2004) Answer 3 The disaster managers at work after Katrina wrecked havoc in New Orleans were unfortunately not quite adept at handling resettlement issues properly. After the initial bugling of rescue efforts, one expected that resettlement would follow some norms of rational planning which however was not the case. Though the $10 billion federal post-Katrina rebuilding program, Road Home Community Development Block Grant, was aimed at removing some of the inherent design flaws of New Orleans, including dense settlement in areas below the sea level; these were not looked into. In fact, quite a substantial quantum of reconstruction has taken place in these disaster prone zones thus creating a potentially catastrophic situation that is susceptible to the mercy of the gods of sea and wind. Not all those who fled New Orleans at the wake of Hurricane Katrina have yet returned as is apparent from the fact that there are 132,000 fewer people in New Orleans now than before Katrina.(744) (Grace, 2008) Answer 4 A natural disaster where human life is at risk needs to be tackled with all available resources and that surely includes foreign military assistance. A case in point is what happened in Mozambique in 2000 after heavy rains and cyclones Connie and Eline caused widespread havoc and catastrophic flooding in six provinces that affected two million people. National Institute of Disaster Management (Instituto Nacional de Gestão de Calamidades, INGC) was completely overwhelmed by the situation and the Government of Mozambique unhesitatingly appealed for international assistance that elicited response from over 2500 foreign civilian and military personnel from 100 NGOs and 11 national militaries. At the height of the operation, 56 foreign aircraft and over 1000 foreign military personnel were deployed and such foreign military assistance indeed remarkably helped in reducing human suffering notwithstanding political and other defense considerations that might have prompted the Government in seeking foreign assistance especially from Spain who deployed only three helicopters that in reality helped the pilots of Mozambique air force to get extended hands on training in handling those sophisticated flying machines rather than any tangible help in relief operations. However, military assets employed by United States, France, South Africa and Malawi indeed brought relief and succor to the suffering millions and the Government did not hesitate to request foreign military assistance once again in 2007 when the situation demanded so. The limits that need to be imposed on such foreign military should be dictated purely by political considerations and these foreigners should never be allowed to engage in activities that might compromise national security, intelligence and sovereignty.(1008) (Elmquist, 2001) Answer 5 The response to Katrina was far from satisfactory in spite of adequate warning from the Federal Government. Some dub it as a case of gross incompetence on the part of Ray Nagin, mayor of the city and Governor Blanco when they hesitated and fumbled in taking crucial decisions as hundreds died. It is indeed true that those at the helm of affairs could not correctly gauge the ferocity of the impending disaster and were completely overwhelmed by the fast unfolding chain of catastrophic events. The obvious fallout of such a miscalculation was inadequate levels of supplies and provisions that are greatly needed to provide succor to the affected population. (joellerose, 2008) Bibliography Elmquist, M. (2001). Remarks. In F. Christie, & J. Hanlon, Mozambique and the Great Flood of 2000. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Grace, G. (2008, September 3). NowPublic Crowd Powered Media. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Katrina Pain Index: New Orleans Three Years Later: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/katrina-pain-index-new-orleans-three-years-later joellerose. (2008, Sepetember 2). The Real Difference Between Gustav and Katrina . Retrieved July 22, 2009, from NowPublic Crowd Powered Media: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/real-difference-between-gustav-and-katrina Lindell, M., Prater, C., & Perry, R. (2006). Fundamentals of Emergency Management. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Emergency Management Institute: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/fem.asp Wisner, B., & Adams, J. (2003). Environmental Health in Emergencies and Disasters. World Health Organization. Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., & Davis, I. (2004). At Risk - Natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters. 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