Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Have we done enough to help them?

[SHASH2K2]

Given the amount of damage and loss of life and property help is pouring in from all parts of the world. India has also sent a plane full of blanket . My question is have we done it quickly and is a plane full of blanket enough for them . shouldn't we send in rescue team or team of doctors as well.

 

[pmaitra]

I think we should send a large team to help. Here's why:

• We need to be charitable and be willing to help.
• Our rescue workers will gain valuable experience in dealing with similar situations in India.

India has had Tsunami before. India has many nuclear power plants and we could have similar tragedy here. The Russians have extensive experience in dealing with such crises (Chernobyl/Pripyat) and are mulling help to the Japanese (http://rt.com/news/russia-stand-help-japan/). Indian rescue workers could also get valuable first hand experience in dealing with this scenario while working along with rescue workers from other countries.

A plane full of blankets is not enough, but something is better than nothing.

 

[SHASH2K2]

This was a time to show people of Japan that we are not their business partners but friends as well. we should have shown them that we are with them in hour of crisis. but we missed the chance. Even their sworn enemy china has done more than when we did . a plane of blanket was too late and too little. hope MMS wake up even now and do something to control the damage. Act like this will help to build only one reputation of India ie we are selfish people and are with them only for FDI and to score points against China.

 

[pmaitra]

^^ SHASH2K2 bhai, I can sense the drift buddy. I would not drag MMS into this and turn this into another political tu-tu-main-main. When it comes to international events, we should speak together as Indians. So any help that India is providing is to the credit of all Indians and any lapse is to the discredit of all Indians.

 

[SHASH2K2]

^^ SHASH2K2 bhai, I can sense the drift buddy. I would not drag MMS into this and turn this into another political tu-tu-main-main. When it comes to international events, we should speak together as Indians. So any help that India is providing is to the credit of all Indians and any lapse is to the discredit of all Indians.

Pmaitra bhai whether we like it or not MMS is head of the country . In situations like this its foreign ministry and PMO that decides what needs to be done and how. so if we failed to perform basic duties as country its the government and its head of the government who needs to take responsibility and rectify it .

 

[Rage]

No, we have not. We've sent a plane load of blankets with the promise of a planeload more. Ideally, we should've deployed a warship to help with relief operations off the coast, iff it were available. This is a good opportunity, to get in Japan's good books.

The Japanese govt. has been rather slow to sanction rescue teams, tho, so I wouldn't blame the Indian government. But, it seems anomalous to me that we don't have an International Rescue Team on the lines of Indonesia, Australia, China or Korea.

 

[pmaitra]

Pmaitra bhai whether we like it or not MMS is head of the country . In situations like this its foreign ministry and PMO that decides what needs to be done and how. so if we failed to perform basic duties as country its the government and its head of the government who needs to take responsibility and rectify it .

Agree. You said he is the head of the government, I would say he is the elected head of the government, so he represents all Indians. I agree that a plane full of blankets was too little too late, but then we all need to take the blame for this, not MMS alone, because he is the PM elected by us, regardless of whether we individually voted for his party or not.

Hopefully, people at PMO will take note of the discussion here at DFI and do more to help the Japanese.

 

[pmaitra]

One thing to note here is that India was already struggling to evacuate Indians from Libya and I wonder if India has the capability to help Indian citizens in the first place. India really needs to bolster its rescue capabilities.

 

[SHASH2K2]

The Japanese govt. has been rather slow to sanction rescue teams, though, so I wouldn't blame the Indian government. But, it seems anomalous to me that we don't have an International Rescue Team on the lines of Indonesia, China or Korea.

completely agree and it may slow down our response in situations like this. But given we had Gujrat earthquakes which was also very devastating and lots of people have very good experience in dealing with it . Where is will there is way. a day or two should be enough to form such rescue team .
Even if there was no rescue team we could have helped them with some other emergency items like medicines, foods etc which will be very much appreciated.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Agree. You said he is the head of the government, I would say he is the elected head of the government, so he represents all Indians. I agree that a plane full of blankets was too little too late, but then we all need to take the blame for this, not MMS alone, because he is the PM elected by us, regardless of whether we individually voted for his party or not.

Hopefully, people at PMO will take note of the discussion here at DFI and do more to help the Japanese.

He is elected head of the government and represent all Indians thats why it become even more important to respond wisely and promptly in events like this . Its because its prestige of whole nation is at stake. And he opted for the post , it was not that he was forced to be the PM of India.

 

[SHASH2K2]

One thing to note here is that India was already struggling to evacuate Indians from Libya and I wonder if India has the capability to help Indian citizens in the first place. India really needs to bolster its rescue capabilities.

I dont think evacuation of people from Libya will be done by Airforce. we can always spare few cargo planes from Airforce to send in relief materials.

 

[pmaitra]

I dont think evacuation of people from Libya will be done by Airforce. we can always spare few cargo planes from Airforce to send in relief materials.

It probably will be done by the Navy. Same thing in Japan. If we have to help, we need to use our Navy. For any large scale operation, we need to move our assets to places like Libya or Japan, and the Navy is the best bet. However, Air Force also plays a major role in similar situations. See the quote below:

India

The Indian government has outlined a $600m reconstruction package for the tsunami-affected regions in India. The military staged its biggest relief operation ever in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. This involves at least 16,000 troops, 32 navy ships, 41 aircraft including at least 16 helicopters, several medical teams and a mobile hospital. The air force has so far lifted 10,000 tonnes of relief supplies.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145259.stm

 

[Rage]

completely agree and it may slow down our response in situations like this. But given we had Gujrat earthquakes which was also very devastating and lots of people have very good experience in dealing with it . Where is will there is way. a day or two should be enough to form such rescue team .
Even if there was no rescue team we could have helped them with some other emergency items like medicines, foods etc which will be very much appreciated.

No, it's not that. We have a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in place, but operations in foreign conditions are very different from operations in Indian ones. We are largely ad hoc, improvising where we can to save lives, in both men and material, but in the West- as in Japan - there are different procedural considerations, pre-plans, stages of response, ICS roles, documentation, interviewing, investigation, search theory and probability, team callout and lost person behaviour, none of which our teams have been exposed to. And all this, in an environment that is new and foreign.

What we could do is use our Navy to send larger amounts of relief material, and help with operations along the coast, as long as the waters are subsided. But that is an operation that requires prior and high-level formal approval.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Rage I think Navy will play its part when it comes to rescue and rehabilitation but when it comes to sending in essential items I think Air force cargo planes will be better option as theyt can reach there much quickly.
I know its far fetched but I think Japan being much richer country and stronger economy feels its inappropriate to get any help from weaker nations or a third world country ? May be that reason why they are taking time to allow foreigners for Aid.

 

[SHASH2K2]

International aid efforts mobilize quickly for Japan


Massive international relief teams, aid offers and fundraising efforts — from national governments to the Red Cross to faith-based agencies to Major League Baseball teams — are pouring into disaster-stricken Japan.
Eight U.S. Navy warships and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force humanitarian assistance teams were dispatched immediately. The Japanese dubbed the Marines' effort "Operation Tomodachi" for the word "friendship."
Search and rescue specialty teams from Fairfax County, Va., and Los Angeles County, dispatched by the U.S. Agency for International Development, have landed in Japan with 140 specialists, 12 search dogs and 45 tons of rescue equipment, ready to begin efforts at dawn today, the USAID said Sunday.
Japan's specialists in earthquake rescue efforts were serving in Christchurch, New Zealand, which was devastated by a quake last month, when the tsunami struck their coast this weekend.
Now, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says New Zealand and 68 other nations — including China, historically a military and economic rival of Japan — are offering assistance to Japan.
The State Department said Sunday that it wasn't aware of any casualties among an estimated 160,000 Americans in Japan, including about 1,300 in the most affected areas.
Non-governmental aid groups and global faith-based relief efforts are galvanizing with Japanese and Pacific Rim partners to step in where they can with food, shelter and medical assistance.
The American Red Cross, in addition to addressing needs of victims of tsunami damage on the U.S. West Coast, is supporting the Japanese Red Cross, which has 62 medical relief teams fanning out with mobile medical clinics to the most damaged areas.
But the international aid group Doctors Without Borders' website struck a poignant note. While its assessment team in Japan is "closely monitoring the situation around the Fukushima nuclear power plants. In the event of a serious nuclear incident, it is only the Japanese government that will be in a position to react."
Dozens of non-governmental groups are listed at InterAction.org, an alliance of U.S.-based agencies focused on humanitarian relief, including the Salvation Army, Doctors Without Borders, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and Samaritan's Purse.
Sports teams are also stepping up. The Los Angeles Dodgers will gather funds for the Red Cross from fans arriving at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. The San Diego Padres will collect donations May 20 as part of their Japanese Heritage Night, according to the website for Major League Baseball.
Americans without expertise should not head for Japan, the State Department said. It issued a travel alert strongly urging Americans to avoid unnecessary travel there now, including tourist trips.
Although flights have resumed at all major airports except Sendai Airport in northern Japan, travel inside the country remains difficult in some areas and the threat of aftershocks continues. Trains and subways in Tokyo have resumed service, but many roads have been damaged in the Tokyo area and in northern Japan.
Many major U.S. airlines are letting passengers delay their trips without having to pay re-booking fees. Some cruise lines and tour operators have postponed stops or tours. Azamara Club Cruises, for instance, canceled its stop in Osaka on Sunday.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Singapore organizations move to help quake-hit Japan


Some organizations in Singapore are moving to help those affected by the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake in northeastern Japan.

The Singapore Red Cross Society is hoping to set up a hotline soon to help Japanese people in Singapore get in touch with their families back home, local media reported Monday.

The plan is for those who need help to register their names with the Singapore Red Cross Society, which will get in touch with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Japan to check for the information needed, said Lim Thiam Poh, head of international services at the Singapore Red Cross Society.

The organization is looking for volunteers who can speak fluent Japanese to help man the hotline when it is up and running, the Straits Times said.

Mercy Relief, another aid organization, also said it was ready to offer help if needed.

Meanwhile, the Japanese expatriate community in Singapore is also planning to raise funds after getting the approval from authorities.

Kazuo Sugino, secretary general of the Japanese Association in Singapore said the organization will talk with Red Cross about the arrangements to raise funds.

It is estimated that there are about 25,000 Japanese in Singapore, most from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. The Japanese Association in Singapore said about 100 of its 4,500 members have families in the quake-affected prefectures.

Kazuo said he was sure that some of the Japanese in Singapore must be very worried.

"I think at this moment, they are just concentrating on collecting the information. I think they are trying to contact the relatives or parents in Japan," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese language daily Lianhe Zaobao said the Singapore rescue team has arrived in the quake-hit city of Soma in Japan and started rescuing operations on Sunday afternoon.

The team, with some of its members having taken part in the rescue operations following the recent earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, left Singapore for Japan on Saturday.

 

[SHASH2K2]

GBA appeals for help to Japan, & to Discover Formula to control Tsunami


Tokyo, Japan: March 14, 2011 – Though it is tentatively worked out that around 10,000 people were killed in the massive Tsunami that hit Japan but if the number of missing is accounted for, there are around 20,000 who have either lost lives or are missing, they are believed to be killed. GBA has appealed to the world NGOs to send their help and assistance to Japan for their people affected by massive earthquake, tsunami and Nuclear radiation.
God Believers Association (GBA) has expressed great sympathy with the people of Japan and its Govt. at this hour of crises.
Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist, GBA lead man said, "The whole world should learn lesson from this greatest catastrophe of the world that hit Japan and make all serious arrangements how to control the Tsunami in future."
The radiation risk in Japan is also spreading more and more, however, Japanese authorities are able to evacuate over 80,000 people from a 20-km (12-mile) radius around a stricken nuclear plant in Fukushima, joining more than 450,000 other evacuees from quake and tsunami-hit areas in the main island Honshu.
GBA (God Believers Association), which is a world peace & human right mission and especially dedicated to suggest how to save the earth from the Global Climatic Disorders under the Copenhagen spirit, appeals to all countries and non Govt. Organizations to send their maximum help to Japan in whatever way they can to rescue, feed and supply warm clothes & blankets to the affected people due to massive earthquake and tsunami and also by radiation due to nuclear crises.
"Around 70 countries including United States, South Korea, China, India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Britain, Russia, Afghanistan, and Thailand among others have already rendered their initial assistance and aid, which is a great humanitarian gesture that they have shown, and this should be the spirit to come to the rescue of a country under natural calamities.
Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist and GBA Lead Man said, " The GBA has decided to find out a probable and permanent solution for the iaffected counties in the world how the Tsunami can be controlled with least damages in futur and it shall release its guideline in due course after getting their final opinion from different experts working in this field and also seek suggestions and cooperation in this regard.

 

[pmaitra]

Rage I think Navy will play its part when it comes to rescue and rehabilitation but when it comes to sending in essential items I think Air force cargo planes will be better option as theyt can reach there much quickly.
I know its far fetched but I think Japan being much richer country and stronger economy feels its inappropriate to get any help from weaker nations or a third world country ? May be that reason why they are taking time to allow foreigners for Aid.

I doubt if Japan is going to be egoistic about getting help from India at such tragic times. Japan is not Pakistan you know.

 

[Rage]

I doubt if Japan is going to be egoistic about getting help from India at such tragic times. Japan is not Pakistan you know.

Rage I think Navy will play its part when it comes to rescue and rehabilitation but when it comes to sending in essential items I think Air force cargo planes will be better option as theyt can reach there much quickly.
I know its far fetched but I think Japan being much richer country and stronger economy feels its inappropriate to get any help from weaker nations or a third world country ? May be that reason why they are taking time to allow foreigners for Aid.

No, they might be. The Japanese have a history of pride, and often intransigence, in the most pithy of circumstances. That could, possibly, be one reason for the delay in sanctioning of aid. They may be wanting to see, how much they could handle alone. Seems obscure, I know, but I wouldn't put it past the extremely patrimonial, bellicistic male Japanese leadership.