SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO BE ON THE GROUND!!! Mr. Gordons frustration shows when he discusses the difficulties that arise even after donations roll in. On Nov. 14, Israeli and German jumbo jets full of supplies couldnt unload at the Cebu International Airport, near the worst-hit provinces, because equipment was missing on the ground. Can you imagine? The government should be ready with these things, he shouts. One of his aides laments that the crucial port of Matnog, which wasnt hard hit by the typhoon, still became paralyzed because it maintained regular staffing despite the obvious demand for increased shipping. No government is that strong against a disaster like this, Mr. Gordon acknowledges. After all, Haiyan was three times as powerful as Hurricane Katrina and the Philippines is a third-world archipelago of 7,000 islands with weak central authority, major corruption problems, a perennially ill-equipped military and poor infrastructure. These problems demand fixing, but they were present before the storm and could only be expected to hamper relief efforts afterward. Still, he adds, no government should act like this after it happens. The moment theres a disaster, stores are closed, people cant go to work, people will be dead. Wheres the army? Wheres the police? There never should have been any looting if the soldiers were out in the field, he charges. Local governments have the primary responsibility, but they were hit, they were bombed, so responsibility falls to Manila. Somebody has got to be on the ground. online.wsj/news/articles/SB10001424052702304337404579211992390691358
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 08:52:09 +0000
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