Aid agencies often refer to what they call 'complex emergencies'.
In short, these are disasters that call for large scale multi-faceted assistance. The earthquake in Nepal is once such instance.
Almost always in the wake of such a disaster the emphasis in media coverage shifts from the immediate plight of victims to the logistical failings of delivering aid. Our own coverage today in our world section is no exception. That such a shift in focus takes place is understandable when those failings result from unnecessary bureaucracy or an apparent inability to implement an effective response despite lessons learned from past crises. That said, it's all too easy to finger point without properly recognising the considerable challenges involved. In Nepal's case it's important to remember that that even before the quake this was one of the poorest countries on the planet.
Here is a place where one third of people live on less than £1 a day and half of the country's population is made up of youth, 90 per cent of which are unemployed. It is a nation too with limited infrastructure the little of which that did exist notably around the capital, Kathmandu, has now been destroyed.
Given that the world has experienced and responded to many such disasters it's understandable that many of us would expect a now well oiled humanitarian machine to kick into gear quickly. To be fair much has been learned and the ability of aid agencies much improved in reacting to floods, tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes and other disasters.
This is especially true of many independent non-governmental organisations (ngo's) that have often spent years working in countries like Nepal, capacity building in poor communities and establishing a solid network of contacts and understanding the most pressing needs of local people. Some have even been stockpiling in Nepal in preparation for just such a catastrophe like the quake last week.
Where things have been much less successful however is in governmental responses where financial pledges are made but money not released quickly enough to help the authorities of an afflicted country.
Yes, there has to be a system of checks and balances to make sure that financial support provided quickly is also accounted for effectively. But in situations like that in Nepal where time is of the essence, overbearing bureaucracy and political strings cannot be allowed to hinder this process.
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