Kara Gorey

Natural disasters make headlines around the world, but within weeks we forget about the death tolls and the mournful faces of those affected fade. But this does not stop their suffering.

The initial impact of the disaster brings about enormous loss of life, but it is the after effects such as homelessness, unsafe water supplies and no access to medical attention, that makes natural disasters a human rights issue.

Many Asian countries are most at risk of natural disasters, but they are also the least prepared to deal with them. The poorer the country, the less able it is to handle the aftermath, which means the most vulnerable people are pushed further into danger.

The recent catastrophes in the Asia-Pacific highlight the impact that natural disasters can have on human rights. A few months on and people are still feeling the pain.

Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

On September 30, 2009 a powerful earthquake measuring 7.6 degrees on the Richter scale struck the West Sumatra coast in Indonesia. The epicenter was 45 kilometres from the city of Padang, which has a population of approximately 900,000 people. Two subsequent quakes measuring 6.2 and 6.8 struck within 24 hours.  

• In the Padang Pariaman and Agam districts alone there are 8,000 people displaced. The loss of homes has forced people to live out in the open, making them susceptible to diseases and giving them little access to clean water. The Government of Indonesia said that the number of severely and moderately damaged homes is 181,665.

• In West Sumatra many people rely on the rice harvest for their income, but if the irrigation canals are not immediately fixed around 7,000 hectares will have to be abandoned next season. This means that thousands of people could be left with no source of income next year. Despite this, the Indonesian government has reported that its relief fund will only cover 30% of needs.

• The UN has reported that a lack of available funds is seriously threatening education projects for children with disabilities and training programs for teachers to address the psychosocial needs of the children.

  Typhoons in the Philippines

On September 26, 2009 Tropical Storm Ketsana (also known as Ondoy) hit the Philippines and then extended into Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China. The storm caused the worst floods in Manila in 5o years, affecting over 80% of the city’s population.

Just over a week later Typhoon Parma (Pepeng) hit the Philippines. At least 1,125 people died from the combined typhoons and more than nine million were affected. 

• There are between 90,000 and 120,000 people in evacuation centres. These centres are extremely overcrowded, some have no electricity or telephones and there are no 24/7 health services available for the people living in these centres.

• There has been an outbreak of leptospirosis, a water borne disease caused by contaminated water. In some parts of the country there are still high floodwaters and evacuation centres in Manila and outlying areas are swamped with dirty water. 

• People who were living in makeshift shelters before the floods are some of the worst affected people. Being displaced and separated from their livelihoods and support structures have put the most disadvantaged section in society even more at risk.

The people of Indonesia and the Philippines, along with many other countries in the region, will feel the psychological effects of natural disasters long after their homes are rebuilt.

The series of environmental impacts in the last decade has impacted the Asian regions catastrophically, affecting the fundamental human rights of the poor, displaced, homeless and hungry.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 7:59 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.