mkcassidy

Disaster Relief and Other Issues Following on the S Asia Tsumani Mike Cassidy and Gerald Ohlsen Jan. 29, 2005 . The South Asian disaster has entered a new phase. It is time for Parliament, for NGOIs and for Canadians in general to start thinking about the lessons of the tsunami and the implicatins of what has been learned for Canada’s response to future disasters and for this country’s commitment to foreign aid. Through the past month Canadians have been far ahead of their government on these issues – as witnessed by the extraordinary level of voluntary donations that eventually drew an appropriate response when Canada's official commitment to tsunami relief was raised to $425 million. So where should Canada go from here? . We are concerned that there has been little public discussion on this issue - whether in the media or from our political leaders. Leadership is needed to focus on an agenda for action going beyond the immediate response to the tsunami. We believe that the Foreign Affairs committee of the House of Commons, or one of its subcommittees, should act immediately to hold hearings on the lessons of the tsunami disaster. Witnesses should include government officials, people from NGOs and international organizations, academics and other experts on international development, persons with direct experience of the S Asian disaster, and Canadians in general. A lot can be learned from this exercise - and it would serve to help sustain public interest and expand public knowledge of the issues surrounding foreign aid and development. We see the following as three issues that should be considered as matters of priority: I. Disaster Response Coordination: Canada should name a senior official or credible outsider with profile to head up this country’s continuing response to the South Asia disaster. This person’s mandate should be to cut through red tape in order to ensure that aid from Canada reaches the region without being bogged down in turf wars and bureaucratic delays. The concept of naming a coordinator to direct efforts at relief and reconstruction – last used by Canada at the time of the Ethiopian famine in the 1980s – should be consistently used by Canada when it seeks to help in major disasters abroad. II Coordinated Fundraising for Disasters: Canada should use the impetus of the tsunami disaster to rationalize fund-raising for disaster relief along the lines of what is now being done in Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The goal should be to move to holding consolidated appeals. More money could probably be raised in this way, and the funds cold be directed to those NGOs or other agencies that are most capable of delivering disaster relief. This could also ensure a more balanced spending of funds among popular and ‘‘forgotten’’ disasters, and permit the creation of a reserve.. III Canada’s Commitment to Funding for ODA: Canada should also use the impetus of the South Asia disaster to make a concerted and sustained move to bring our overseas development assistance (ODA) budget from the present level of 0.27% of GNP to the longstanding target, accepted by Canada in the 1980s, of 0.7% of GNP. As many observers have noted, S. Asia is not the only disaster area in the developing world. AIDS, malaria, and lack of vaccines and basic health care account for far more deaths every year than the lives lost in the tsunami. The best way to ensure that these long-term crises are addressed is for Canada and other developed nations to raise their commitment on ODA up to the 0.7% of GDP goal. Canada’s current commitment is to increase this country’s current level of development assistance by 8% per year. At this rate, it could take half a century to bring Canada’’s overseas development assistance (ODA)) to .07% of GDP; if this could rise to 15%, we could reach the target in a decade. Some signs are emerging of greater commitment, both here and around the world. The recent statement on the tsunami from the Global Call for Action against Poverty is a sign in point, as is the decision of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation to be its Canadian partner. The GCAP statement can be reviewed on the ccic website at www.ccic.ca. We intend to continue lobbying for a thorough review of the post-tsunami issues and would welcome ideas and assistance from individuals and organizations. Please contact: [email protected]. Michael Cassidy Gerald Ohlsen Ottawa -