By Brooke King, Staff Writer
In the past decade, this world has seen its share of natural disasters. From floods to hurricanes, and from earthquakes to volcanic eruptions, the statistics show that we are in for a wild ride.
While the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan left thousands missing, millions homeless, a rising death toll, and the amount of devastation in the millions of dollars price range, Japan is not the only country in this decade that has suffered a massive natural disaster.
On Dec. 26, 2004, an earthquake under the sea caused a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake triggered a series of tsunamis that swept across the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean, affecting 14 countries and killing over 230,210 people. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the waves produced by the earthquake were over 100 feet tall. The magnitude of the earthquake was between 9.1 and 9.3, which is the third largest earthquake recorded in history. The damage and effects done by the earthquake and tsunami triggered a massive humanitarian effort, raising over $14 billion in relief funds. While the relief effort is still ongoing, the amount of world humanitarian aid relief is the largest in history.
On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, also known as Burma. The tropical cyclone hit landfall causing over $10 billion worth of damage. While the death toll reached 146,000, it was reported that the Burmese government stopped counting the deaths for fear of political fallout. According to the NASA website, the Cyclone Nargis flooded over 5,561 square miles in the Irrawaddy River Delta in Burma, which is an area about the size of Connecticut. The relief efforts for the disaster were slow due to political resistance, but eventually UNICEF and private organizations were allowed to provide relief. While controversy over the relief effort sparked political upheaval, the nations affected by Cyclone Nargis are still trying to pick up the pieces of what is left.
Who could forget Jan. 12, 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake leveled the city to the ground? It left 316,000 people dead, and over a million homeless. Everything from the Presidential Palace to the houses in the ghetto was flattened parallel with the ground estimating the total damages in the millions. The United States raised over $48 million in the relief effort, as well as the assistance and aid from the UN and UNICEF. The Haiti 2010 earthquake is the highest reported death toll in 20 years, but is also reported to have received the fastest amount of aid to a country that has just experienced a natural disaster in history.
The catastrophe in Japan has weighed heavy in the minds of the public since the 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit off the northeast coast of Japan on Mar. 11, 2011, causing a massive tsunami. The waves were 33 feet tall and traveled over six miles inland. While the death toll is still unofficial, it is estimated to be in the thousands as whole villages were wiped out. The Prime Minister Naoto Kan called this disaster the worst since WWII. The rescue effort is continuing, however, millions are without water, food, and electricity. A nearby nuclear power plant exploded causing contamination and radiation poisoning. The country is still in a state of shock, and while it continues its efforts to aid and rescue its crippled population, there has been some efforts by the worldwide community in assisting Japan’s recovery efforts. The U.S. alone has sent to Japan 14 naval ships. While there are 17,000 troops stationed over in Japan and helping in the relief mission, there are thousands of skilled service members that are trained in hazardous material cleanup. The only problem is getting Japan to accept the aid of the U.S. In a press release by the Pentagon on Mar. 16 in regard to the nuclear facility Fukishima, Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan said, “We have, in the military, all types of capabilities from equipment to trained personnel. But it all goes back to a request from the government of Japan for assistance. And we just have not gotten that at this point.” The amount of devastation and death would warrant any outside help from any other nation. However, Japan’s government is picking and choosing the aid in which they will receive. How much radiation poisoning and death will it take before Japan’s government realizes that they are in way over their heads?
In the case of the Indian Ocean tsunami, relief efforts took only two days to dispatch and reach the devastated countries. Last year’s Haiti earthquake took only a mere day for foreign aid to reach the demolished country. However, for Cyclone Nargis, it took over a week to reach those in need of aid because of government interference. Why is it that Japan does not feel that they need all of the resources available to them for disaster relief? Is it because of their national pride, or is it because the country has the money and resources to overcome this trying time? The question should not be why does it matter, but rather how can the worldwide community convince them to take as much as aid as possible in order to stabilize the country?
While millions are still missing and supplies are few and far between, the current U.S. administration should seek out to aid the country whether or not it asks for help. It is hard to sit back and watch on the television as many Japanese citizens hold up signs asking for help in both Japanese and English, while their government is not asking for as much help as they can possibly afford to receive. President Obama issued a statement at the White House on Friday, Mar. 11. He said, “The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakable and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy.”
Though natural disasters are far from over for this world, the humanity that the world reaches out with should not be judged by how wealthy the country is and whether or not they ask for help, but how disastrous the circumstances have become for the country. It is our duty as human beings of the planet to help and aid those who are struggling and suffering. Since when has aid and help from a country come with conditions and fine print? Is Japan so self-absorbed that they cannot see past their own pride and see the despair and suffering that they endure? While headlines across the globe read the same devastating news, Japan’s government has not concluded to ask for as much aid as they can humanly obtain, leaving its citizens utterly defenseless in their time of need.
As the death toll from natural disasters is rising without signs of slowing down, and relief, even to wealthiest countries from the world community is starting to be dismissed as unneeded, one has to ask: what does Mother Nature have in store for humanity next, and will we be able to band together and overcome it?
