Super Typhoon Haiyan - How much is really being done?

So today I want to talk about something serious.

Something that isn't going to be light-hearted reading - and for that I apologise.

This isn't going to be a funny little philosophical blog about my thoughts or grumbles about life or observations about society. And if that's the type of post you are looking for, my dear readers, then click away now.

Because today I need to talk about something that has destroyed thousands of lives, homes, families and livelihoods. A disaster of record scale. A tragedy.

I am talking of course, about Super Typhoon Haiyan.

Even before Super Typhoon Haiyan struck on Friday morning, forecasters warned it might be the strongest storm in recorded history. Predictions were made that it would be 3.5 times more ferocious than Hurricane Katrina -- and big enough to stretch from Spain to Sweden. And they were right.

The typhoon hit the Philippines on Friday the 8th of November, affecting over 11.5 million residents. It is estimated to have caused $390 million in damaged infrastructure and the same amount again in ruined crops. No one knows how many people were killed in the disaster. By the 5th of December the death toll reached 5,719, but officials say difficulties recovering bodies mean that number may just be scratching the surface. Some say a death toll of 10,000 is entirely possible. 

In a time of such overwhelming devastation, countries all over the world have joined forces to offer much needed aid to all those affected. From the UK alone, 14 major charities united as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to appeal for aid and send help to those in need. The UK public has donated an inspiring £55 million to help Filipino citizens, and more donations are flooding in.

However, questions have been made - and questions I am keen to have answered - with regard to the organisation and management of aid efforts in the Philippines, and whether enough is really being done. In particular, the government of Philippines is under pressure with queries as to why citizens weren’t better prepared and protected for such a disaster, considering the warnings of its severity and the frequency of typhoon conditions.

To make matters worse, allegations have been made of government restricting aid and using aid as advertising opportunities. (Although in the spirit of remaining unbiased, I have yet to discover irrefutable evidence of this).

Alas, it begs the question... How truthful are these claims, how were things allowed to get in such a state, and how much is really being done to help?

In an ideal world, as soon as authorities were aware, the severity of the situation should have been communicated to the population of Philippines in enough time to be able to ensure citizens can prepare a safe place to shelter from the disaster. However, according to chairman of the Philippine Red Cross Richard Gordon, this measure was not met.

Critics argue the government failed to stress the severity of the typhoon and did not provide adequate places of safety for citizens to take shelter. Richard Gordon told the BBC "People didn't know about the storm surge. The government should have said 'You're going to have big waves, tsunamis'." He went on to say that some people did not heed the evacuation warnings, and many shelters which had been deemed as safe were destroyed. (BBC News, 2013)

Government claims to have evacuated up to 800,000 people from vulnerable areas, while constantly issuing warnings to and coordinating efforts with various local government units, especially in places such as Cebu and Bohol, which were hit by an earthquake earlier this year.

However, the lack of precautions prior to Super Typhoon Haiyan suggests a sheer lack of thought or care by Government for the safety of the population. Knowing how powerful, unpredictable, and disastrous conditions could be in the Philippines, and bearing in mind the average of eight to nine typhoons that hit the country per year, why is it that citizens were left exposed and vulnerable?

According to Richard Javad Heydarian of the Huffington Post, government could easily have “implemented mandatory evacuation amongst areas most at risk, in particular especially shanty towns and coastal communities”. He added that bunker houses to shelter people fleeing the storm would inevitably have saved thousands of lives, and communicative technologies with local authority units (LCUs) could have assured an organised and strategic response for aid. (Huffington Post, 2013)

In moments of crisis such as this one, it is the responsibility of the government to be the first and ultimate source of refuge, providing relief for citizens, rehabilitation, and rule of law in affected areas. Therefore, the key values in this case are to do so quickly and effectively. Richard Gordon states "In situations like this, the government should take care of re-establishing lifelines - power, water, communications, and helping NGOs find where they should be," says Richard Gordon (BBC News, 2013)

But yet again, it appears the government fell short in fulfilling its duties.

Reports suggest that thousands of Filipinos struggled with injury, hunger, chaos, and disease only days into the typhoon. Critics turned to President Benigno Aquino III for answers regarding the life-threatening delays and shortfalls in aid and support. However President Aquino defended the response of his government, saying it was reassuring to the vast majority of those affected. In an interview with Christianne Amanpour, Aquino's argued that “the national government did the best that it could within the confines of its constitutional responsibility, but the sheer strength of the typhoon was just too overwhelming" (CNN, 2013).

It appears as if even the President did not foresee such catastrophic repercussions and, to his credit, made a reasonable attempt to manage the situation with the resources available.

Several principals are crucial during a disaster such as this, but the essentially the highest importance must be placed on preserving human life by preventing further loss and aiding those in need.

However, yet again allegations have been made that local authorities hoarded aid supplies and distribute it only to political supporters or family members. An aid worker, who was too afraid to identify himself, told the Daily Mail that “Relief is not being distributed fairly in the Philippines. The government is prioritising the areas that vote for them. This is happening with all the large aid. The government is holding funds back and distributing on vote” (Mail Online, 2013). If this is the case, actions by local government directly violate the Agape principal.

Surely the simple case of whether someone has voted should not be enough reason to deny them basic necessities?

Above all, the whole disaster and its questionable method of management by Philippine Government has laid bare the injustice of how developing countries have been increasingly footing the bill for climate change.

And I for one don't think it should be allowed to be swept under the rug and ignored.

So please, dear readers, share this and other stories with your friends.
Use your voice to speak out against injustice and demand more.

Because, armed with knowledge, good conscience and a large enough audience, we can generate positive change.

Sorry this post is so long, I guess I got a little carried-away there!

Thanks for reading, over and out.