http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/MUMA-7WG45B?OpenDocument&rc=5&emid=TS-2009-000209-ASM

 

Triple punch tests disaster preparedness in Asia- 
Pacific region 

Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 

Date: 02 Oct 2009 

 
NEW YORK, 2 October 2009 – A convergence of severe natural disasters has left millions 
of people in distress across Asia and the Pacific this week. Since 26 September, a total of 
six countries have been hit by flooding, a typhoon, a tsunami and earthquakes.  

UNICEF's emergency preparations are in full throttle in the region, with death tolls still 
rising in Indonesia's earthquake zone; more severe tropical storms targeting countries from 
the Philippines to Viet Nam; and relief efforts continuing in the Samoan Islands.  

"These disasters are larger than what the country can respond to," says UNICEF Director 
of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault, who called the triple punch in the 
Asia-Pacific region an "extraordinary" event.  

More rains to come  

In the Philippines, UNICEF emergency teams have been responding to the worst flooding 
in 40 years, triggered by Tropical Storm Ondoy. Teams are also being deployed to the 
north of the country in anticipation of a new and even more powerful storm, Parma, which 
is expected to make landfall this weekend.  

With parts of Manila under six feet of water and hundreds of thousands of people in 
evacuation centres, the Government of the Philippines is breaking with past policy to solicit 
international aid.  

"In the past, they have been reluctant," says Mr. Arsenault, who notes that the country is a 
model of disaster preparedness. "But this time, they had no hesitation whatsoever," he 
adds.  

The United Nations will issue a joint appeal next week to respond to the crisis in the 
Philippines. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes says the amount of the 
appeal will be in the "tens of millions of dollars."  

Meanwhile, the Philippines and its neighbours – including Viet Nam, the Lao People's 
Democratic Republic and Cambodia – are bracing for Tropical Storm Parma, which 
meteorologists are calling a 'super-typhoon'.  

 

 

 

Quakes in Indonesia  

UNICEF is also working to deliver relief for children and families affected by two 
successive earthquakes in Western Sumatra, Indonesia. The first, a 7.6-magnitude 
temblor, hit on 30 September; it was followed within 24 hours by a second, slightly smaller 
quake.  

Hundreds are already confirmed dead in the affected areas. That number is expected to 
rise sharply as bodies trapped in the rubble are removed. Mr. Holmes suggested the death 
toll could surpass that of the 2006 quake in Central Java, which killed more than 5,000.  

In addition, tens of thousands have been displaced. The Indonesian Government, like its 
counterpart in the Philippines, has issued a request for international aid.  

UNICEF is providing emergency supplies for 50,000 families in Western Sumatra, and 
UNICEF Representative in Indonesia Angela Kearney plans to visit the quake zone over 
the weekend.  

Tsunami in Samoa and Tonga  

Separately this week, an earthquake in the South Pacific caused a series of tsunamis that 
swept coastal villages in the Samoan Islands.  

Though the population of these islands is relatively small, children in Samoa and Tonga 
are at risk of respiratory disease, measles and tetanus, as vaccination rates in many 
communities are low. On some islands, all medical facilities have been lost along with 
water supplies.  

In response to the crisis, UNICEF will coordinate an effort to provide safe water and 
adequate sanitation for tsunami-affected areas of Samoa and Tonga.  

Improved preparedness  

UNICEF acknowledges government efforts to improve emergency preparedness in all of 
the affected countries, especially in the wake of the 2004 tsunami and other disasters. But 
no amount of preparedness can prevent such disasters from happening.  

Meeting the immediate food, water and shelter needs of millions of people simultaneously 
exceeds the preparedness capabilities of these countries. Therefore, it is crucial that the 
world community redouble efforts to support the Governments of Indonesia and the 
Philippines, in particular.  

"They will need international support. These are very strong human catastrophes we have 
to deal with," says Mr. Arsenault.