Boston Globe
August 11, 2004
Bangladesh, the land hit so hard by famine in the past, is now suffering from devastating floods, with more than 600 dead, millions marooned or homeless, and water-borne diseases on the rise. The World Food Program of the United Nations estimates $400 million in crop and livestock losses in a country where 60 percent of the work force depends on agriculture to survive. Although the flood waters have receded, another blow of monsoon rains is expected in mid-August. And the work of alleviating human misery continues long after the dramatic pictures have faded from the public eye.
In many ways, the situation in Bangladesh is typical of natural disasters in the developing world. Often overpopulated, with a poor physical infrastructure and inadequate health care, these countries suffer disproportionately from earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and floods. Buildings crumble easily, power and freshwater systems collapse, and diseases rage through densely populated slums, easily overwhelming local resources.
Luckily, the World Food Program is in a good position to help because it already has a presence in the country. Through its development programs and Unicef, the UN children's education fund, the agency was able last week to plug into an existing distribution network to dispense high-energy bars and rice to 1.8 million people.
Having this kind of infrastructure at the ready when disaster strikes is a little-recognized part of why ongoing support for the United Nations is so crucial. Donor nations such as the United States need to look beyond the geopolitical squabbles that consume so much energy to the quiet healing work the organization does every day.
The UN Development Program, in particular, helps countries to build the capacity to withstand future disasters. In 2001 in Gujarat, India, for example, a devastating earthquake killed 20,000 people and left communities in ruins. The Development Program worked with the government to build sound houses, repair dams and restore electricity. It also supported longer-term efforts such as literacy for women and sustainable economic development.
For all its bureaucratic inefficiencies, the United Nations is one organization that takes the long view, understanding that the immediate relief period after a disaster is more urgent, but no more important, than the recovery period that follows.
Floods and fires are often called natural disasters, but the keys to alleviating them are man-made.
