Czech Red Cross worker back from Nepal says monsoon rains could wreck fresh devastation
Among the humanitarian organizations providing lifesaving aid in earthquake stricken Nepal is the Czech Red Cross. The organization released 13 million crowns to the Nepalese Red Cross in the immediate aftermath of the natural disaster and has since been flying out tons of medical supplies which it is helping to deliver to remote health posts and villages. Richard Smejkal of the Czech Red Cross is just back from an aid mission to the country and I asked him to share his impressions.
How were you able to reach remote health posts and villages?
“Well, actually the original plan was for us to deliver the materials – bandages, gauzes, antibiotics, painkillers - directly to the Kathmandu military hospital and a number of other public hospitals. But when they saw what we had brought –things that were very useful and badly needed – they asked us to deliver it ourselves to remote health posts. They offered us the use of an Indian Army helicopter and asked us to accompany the deliveries to areas that were far from Kathmandu and were located close to the epicentre of the second earthquake, that which happened on May 12th.”
“It was really a disaster, there was no building left standing, no police station, no post office, no houses, no schools.”
I understand you even stayed overnight in one village. Is that right?
“Actually it was an unexpected situation because the helicopter had to rescue people who were found high up in the mountains and so the pilot decided to leave us in the village. This village – Singati – about 100 km east of Kathmandu was located in zone A – that means that almost 95 percent of all infrastructure and houses were destroyed – and this area had only just been approached by the Nepalese Army, the day before, so they asked us to do some monitoring, assess the situation and after 24 hours they picked us up and took us to another health post.”
And what did you find in this village?
“It was really a disaster. It was a village that served as a business hub for other villages in the area –it served about 6,000 people – and there was no building standing, no police station, no post office, no houses, no schools. People were living in very primitive shelters, just under tarpaulins; they did not even have tents. On the other hand, I must say that the locals were coping with the situation really well. They saw that we were from an international aid organization and came to talk about what was on their minds. One interesting thing was that they were very concerned about schools. They said - Ok, we can manage with hygiene and food, but what about schools? Two people approached me about this matter and each time they said - please try to help us with the schools. We had three schools, two government and one private school and all were destroyed, so we know that for the next three or five years our children will be without education.”
“Fortunately, I was accompanied by Nepalese doctors from the Nepal Red Cross and the interesting thing is that many educated Nepalese persons speak English. There is a general rule that if you can read, you can also speak English.”
What was cooperation with the local authorities like?
“Again we have an advantage that we cooperate with the huge network of the Red Cross –so for me as a member of the Czech Red Cross it is easy to cooperate with the Nepalese Red Cross, but what I found interesting was that there was also very close cooperation with the Nepalese army and the military police. I did not expect this. The rescue effort – rescue teams, first aid teams – the organization was in the hands of the army. The soldiers had the same problems as everyone else –they too had destroyed houses and families in uncertain conditions – but they were ready to work and help and rescue other people.”
And how coordinated was the international aid effort?
“The soldiers had the same problems as everyone else –they too had destroyed houses and families in uncertain conditions – but they were ready to work and help and rescue other people.”
“You can imagine that with planes arriving every hour with humanitarian aid you need a great deal of coordination – volunteers who will monitor what is coming in and where it is needed. You need assessment of the affected areas, to make an audit and find for instance that while there is a lack of tents somewhere there is not a lack of foods because there are shops which are still functioning. And this process takes time, but it is necessary. Also, what you need in such situations is help from volunteers. There are people living in Kathmandu – local people, Europeans or Americans, who just arrived or who live there and who say “ OK, let’s take a car, let’s take 200 dollars and buy food and tarpaulins and go somewhere for two days, to some village. We know what is needed there because our friends live there.” These volunteers provide help on their own, without any coordination. The only coordination works on the level of Facebook or the local network. But I think that both these things are very important – a coordinated international effort, but also volunteers proving help by themselves –I think these two forms have to coexist together. ”
And what is the situation now? I understand the country’s own medical facilities are badly damaged, as you said schools are badly damaged….what is the situation at present?
They will clearly need help for months and years to come. Will they get it? Because in the wake of a disaster international aid is always fast and generous, but after some time it fizzles out and people forget…
You have gone on many volunteer missions with the Red Cross previously. Is there anything that sticks in your mind from this trip?
How long will it take for things to return to normal in the country?
