(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-23 07:19

Without our government making any formal appeal for international assistance, pledges are pouring in reflecting humanitarian concern worldwide for victims of cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

From UN organizations like the United Nations Development Program, United Nations Children's Fund, World Food Program through Red Crescent, Red Cross and other international NGOs to the EU and individual donor countries have come expressions of condolence for the dead and moral and material support for the survivors of cyclone victims.

After having suffered two successive bouts with floods and the onslaught of this hurricane, Bangladesh is today being acknowledged as a frontline victim of the global climatic change.

There is a realization overseas that countries like Bangladesh, who are at the receiving end of the fallout, deserve to be recompensed. We are not asking for charity, but as a matter of right, a hands-on save the world policy from major polluters of the environment.

That our people have grown resilient through baptism in nature's fury, and our disaster management capability in terms of forecasting and evacuation of coastal people, have been noted with appreciation.

So the groundswell of support for Bangladesh that is in evidence now and is likely to increase is spontaneous and we are grateful for that. That is all very good.

But the real task at hand is coordination among the various sources of international assistance at the field level on the one hand and that between them and the government of Bangladesh on the other.

The assessment of the damages is being done by the donors through their own channels and also by the government of Bangladesh through their own agencies. These need to be broadly synchronized to avoid duplication of assistance or gaps in relief provided.

These assessments are primarily done at the macro level, but we would insist on micro-level assessment, because the affected individuals have to be identified and assisted. We must not miss the trees for the wood.

The Daily Star/ Asia News Network

(China Daily 11/23/2007 page11)