The News, 5 December 2005

Humanitarian Response – Our Common Concern

By Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway

The sub-sea earthquake almost a year ago will long be remembered for its shocking effect. Still we are faced with the grief of victims and of all those who where left behind. People, countries and organizations responded with donations and assistance, often far beyond expectations.

The tsunami was one of the worst disasters ever to strike Swedes, Danes, Germans, Italians. Instead of being yet another terrible natural disaster suffered in the third world and ignored by the west, it brought tragedy to families all over the world. In Norway almost everyone had a friend, a family member or knew someone who had been afflicted. But the large numbers of our deaths were dwarfed by the number of casualties suffered by Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

In a different way, globalisation has also brought the devastating effects of the 8 October earthquake closer to home for people living outside South Asia.

Following a sluggish initial response, the world is gradually facing up to the disaster in Pakistan on 8 October. The pledges made at the November 19 donor conference in Islamabad are heartening, but have taken time.

Every country and people responds to disasters abroad in their own way. Norway is different from other Western countries in the sense that people of Pakistani origin make up the largest ethnic group of non-Scandinavians living in our country.

Almost 1 per cent of the people of Norway are of Pakistani origin. Consequently, many Norwegians know someone who come from Pakistan. They are our neighbours, colleagues, and our children go to school together and play football together. Their grief and worry is felt very closely and shared by a great many of us.

Norway’s aid and assistance to the tsunami victims set a yardstick for our solidarity with Pakistan as it is now coping with the ordeal of saving lives and reconstruction. Substantial shares of the Norwegian donations come from the Pakistani community. Furthermore, the Norwegian Pakistani community is ready to make skills and expertise available as well. This is a new dimension of globalization for us. My government’s contributions has now reached nearly 80 million US dollars.

Pakistan is facing grave conditions in the ravaged areas. The almost 80 000 who died, the 70 000 who were injured, and the more than 200 000 units of housing destroyed leaving 3 million people without shelter, are all part of the gravest natural catastrophe in the history of Pakistan.

Agonizing stories are told of orphaned children in great numbers. They are the ones in greatest need of immediate care and protection. Now, when temperatures are dropping below freezing in the quake-struck areas, we have to be prepared for heart-breaking images. And we should not give reason to be ashamed of our initial response to the calls for relief.

I understand the President’s Relief Fund has now reached PKR 6,7 bn – and I am glad to know that Norwegians have also contributed. The UN, Red Cross and Red Crescent have so far received a mixed response to the appeals for relief assistance. The pledges made to the coordinated UN assistance have been weak and slow. This is particularly regretful if critical transport and logistic services suffer. And without such support aid will hardly reach people in need in mountainous areas, many of which are difficult to reach even under normal circumstances. Unless the relief organizations are able to bring in tents, fuel, blankets, food, water, and help to start reconstruction, the toll of lives may be grim.

The immediate relief period following the tsunami was relatively brief. In the case of the Pakistani quake, the immediate relief period will last much longer for climate and logistic reasons. Each day will bring daily struggles for survival.

The Katarina devastations in the United States served to remind us that even the world’s most powerful country is exposed to the powers of nature. We know full well that we are presently waiting for the next natural disaster. It could happen anywhere. We do not know when or how, but we do know that disaster will strike again. Time itself will be a critical resource when it does. Our ability to understand the scope of the catastrophe, identify needs and to shore up capacity and relief workers is put to the test every time.

We need to organize such initial response in a more effective way. We can hardly rely on the mood of a few countries, hoping that also this time we will somehow muddle through and somehow pass a test of human decency.

We need a humanitarian fund, vested with the United Nations emergency relief coordinator. A humanitarian fund would be a reserve source of finance pending further financial contributions. I favour such a fund, and Norway will contribute.