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ROLE OF NEPALESE ARMY IN SAFEGUARDING OF RIGHT OF PEOPLE IN IMMIDIATE AFTERMATH OF DISASTER: The earthquake April 25, 2015[1]
Introduction
- During the last earthquake of 25 April 2015, the Nepalese Army provided all kinds of resources to respond to thenational disaster. It mobilized almost 90 percent of its operational strengthin the immediate aftermath of the response. The soldierswholeheartedly shared their own space, shelter, food, and water with displaced people. Although Nepalese Army's stipulated primary task in the disaster response framework was search and rescue, the Nepalese Army was asked to take the lead role in other disaster relief functions since other entities were tooincapacitated to perform effectively during the initial period of the disaster response. It was not by design but by default thatthe Nepalese Army had to carry out other functions such as medical support, logistics support, and camp establishment and management. But the Army went all out to the extent possible in helping needy countrymen irrespective of roles and tasks allotted.
- One of the most important functions the Nepalese Army carried out was coordination. It played a pivotal role to coordinate with various sectors at various levels. The Multi National Military Coordination Center (MNMCC), National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC), On Site Operation Coordination Centre (OSOCC) and Joint Coordination Center (JCC) were the mechanisms to coordinate a plethora of activities and agencies. Someone had to take the imitative in functioning and coordinating all these emergency set ups.
- It is very pertinent to note here, the Nepalese Army barracks, including army headquarters, were severely damaged by the earthquake. When the national military itself becamea significant victim of the disaster, it definitely created challengesfor resource mobilization. On top of the damages on the militaryfacilities and capability, the military personnel and their family members also became victims. Although national militaries are the first responders in many countries, it can be assumed their integral capability would be insufficient in mega scale disasters. So it becomes a mandatory task for all governments to make its army resourceful in saving lives and handling any disasters.
Aim
- Aim of this presentation is to highlight the role of Nepalese Army in rescue, emergency supply and protection of Humanitarian and Human Rights aftermath of disaster.
Role of Military in Disaster Management
- The National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management and the National Framework for Disaster Management prescribe the Nepalese Army for roles like search and rescue, damage and need assessment; debris clearance; opening and maintaining lines of communication and provision of security. Each of these tasks requires elaborative and meticulous planning along with acquisition of huge resources. Disaster cycle includes work from prevention efforts all the way through long-term recovery and building back better. In broader terms, thearmy will be engaged in following activities during the each cycle of disaster management.
(a)Mitigation - Army is mainly engaged in preparing earthquake resistance structures, identifying disaster prone areas and conduct awareness campaign.
(b)Preparedness- Preparing trained manpower through trainings, workshops and exercises. Meanwhile acquisition of rescue equipments and disaster planning goes together to respond quickly and efficiently.
(c)Response - Employs all available means and efforts to minimize the effectsof hazardthrough search and rescue operations and emergency relief campaign.
(d)Recovery& Reconstruction - Helps the community in returning to normal, it may include temporary housing, medical care. Reconstruction may apply a broader national consensus, in which army can be detailed for whole set of responsibilities as per need and capabilities.
6.As per National Disaster Framework, the role of army is to employ its resources in saving lives and properties. It is activated immediately after the disaster hit the nation. At the early stage of disaster, the army gets involved in following areas;
(a)Initial survey, reconnaissance and damage assessment.
(b)Provision of composite task forces to lead in search and rescue; support evacuation and provision of immediate relief services, to include medical aid, trauma management, water, food and establishment of relief camps.
(c)Light search and rescue
(d)Collapse Structure search and rescue
(e)Life saving engineering tasks
(f)Medical assistance through establishment of field hospitals
(g)Foreign military assistance management.
7.In the later stage of disaster, the army performs following critical roles:
(a)Debris clearance
(b)Dead body management
(c)Opening of line of communication
(d)Provision of infrastructure for command, control and communications.
(e)Transportation and supply of relief material.
(f)Maintenance of essential services, especially in the initial stages.
(g)Restoration work on bridges, roads and helipads.
(h)Restoration of basic utilities, especially water supply and electricity in coordination with other authorities.
(i)Stage management of international relief, when so requested.
(j)Assistance in maintenance of law and order.
(k)Water purification and distribution
(l)Establishment and securing of distribution point
(m)Establishing and managing shelters
Contribution of Nepalese Army During Last Earthquake
8.Immediately after the earthquake of 25th April 2015, Nepalese Army mobilized almost 90% of its operational strength to provide immediate search and rescue and relief operations. It has conducted “Operation Sankatmochan” to conduct relief activities in the most affected 14 districts where troops were deployed in every VDCs. The major activities carried out during the operation are as follows:
(a)Search and Rescue: - Unprecedented surge of troops into 14 most affected districts, immediatemobilizations of 90% of operational strength. Thereafter 67,071 worked selflessly to save the lives and properties in affected areas.
(b)Most lives saved: -1336 rescued alive from collapsed buildings. Total 23,594 rescued. Unique reach into higher altitudes, including Langtang. 41% of all lives saved were in first 72 hours, before most of the foreign teams arrived and became effective.
(c)Most Initial Medical Assistance: - 85,954 treated in affected districts. NA treated almost all Air-MEDEVAC’d casualties.
(d)Difficult Task of Body Recovery:-1729 bodies recovered. 177 bodies recovered from Langtang Avalanche alone.
(e)Emergency Water: - distributed 275,000 liters/day and established up to 45 public sites.
(f)Fully committed despite own losses: - 22 NA personnel dead, 10 went missing and 99 injured. 15,908 houses fully and 3889 partially damaged.271 family members killed and 279 injured.
(g)Relief Supply: - 5,352Tons (219 by Air) relief items distributed. Employed all operational aircraft to extent of its optimum capabilities. VIP Helicopters were also used for rescue and relief works. All available were used and if all else failed soldiers had delivered relief on foot.
(h)Demolishing Unsafe Structures: - 1135 houses in the valley and 6757 in outside the valley.
(i)NA barracks welcomed and sheltered15,000 people. Soldiers helped to recover properties from 51,646 structures. 12,752 temporary shelters erected for the needy ones. 2,718 tents distributed from Emergency Stocks. Helped repair 399 roads and vital infrastructures.
9.Army as a Trusted Organization for HADR.Thereare inherent characteristics of the army as an organization that makes it the most trusted organization for disaster management;
(a)Leadership - professional and committed leaders down to section level
(b)Reach - army is deployed in every part of country and has ground & air transport to reach almost everywhere
(c)Crisis Resilient Organization : trained disciplined, motivated to serve in crisis and under acute stresses
(d)Niche Capabilities - manpower, training and resources
(e)Ethos and Values- nation and people first
(f)HADR Exercises - joint Exs with other agencies and Armies
(g)Resources - over 8000 HADR trained manpower, SAR Equipments, mobility and medical capabilities
(h)First Responder - a team is always on standby in every barracks for rescue purposes, can move as early as 20 min of notice
10.Requirements for HADR Capabilities Enhancement of Nepal Army.In the last earthquake army utilized all its resources to the optimum limits, yet we had to rely comparatively more on friendly armies resources. That is because of some critical capabilities that our army didn't have.In order enhance our army capabilities to manage large scale disasters, army requires resources.
(a)Requirement of critical air assets ie; 2x fixed wing, 5x rotary wing
(b)Provision of TIA ground handling /material handling resources
(c) Increase Ground transport ; Forklift, low bed trucks, flat body trucks, recovery vehicles, mobile workshop van, water tanker, fire fighting trucks, Crane
(d)Providing special Collapse structure search and rescue (CSSR) equipments
(e) Required amount of Heavy Equipments, Bailey Bridges required for road and highway opening
(f) Capability development of Army medical core to treat huge casualties at once
(g)Equipments for Emergency Communication system
Reconstruction Mechanism
11.Last earthquake left behind big scale damages, reconstruction and recovery of such damage required organizational structure which can run effective reconstruction and recovery tasks while managing organizational capacity, skill, making decision and managing resources as such in order to achieve defined goals within prescribed time frame. The disaster management does not limit up to the local concern; sometimes it goes beyond national capacity therefore efficient authority is needed for such management. Government's regular bodies are engaged in regular businesses. In addition, their regular tasks may become cumbersome following the disaster.
12.Thus Nepal government formed an independent body, National Reconstruction Authority(NRA) to oversee all post-earthquake reconstruction works in the country, through an ordinance before the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction on June 25 to attract funding commitments from donors. But the failure to replace the ordinance with a bill has made NRA ineffective putting reconstruction works into uncertainty.
National Vision for Reconstruction
13.Reconstruction of the damage and impact left behind at national level by this devastating earthquake should be dealt as per the unanimous national insight and perspective. Policy, implementation and midterm evaluation should be carried out as per the respective national insight and should be targeted and directed to achieve defined goal.
14.A reconstruction policy document prepared by the government, which details central and local-level programs for post-earthquake rebuilding, is still awaiting the Cabinet nod in the absence of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA). The Ministry of Urban Development has drafted the Post Earthquake Recovery and Reconstruction Policy-2015 which has already been approved by the National Planning Commission. The draft prescribes blueprints for earthquake-resilient houses, use of materials, areas for government funding and plans for settlement re-establishment. But unless the NRA, which is non-existent currently, approves the document, it gets no legitimacy.
15.The government’s reconstruction policy seems based on the principle of decentralization and envisions trusting local actors and the affected people themselves to “build back better”. According to the policy, homeowners should rebuild their damaged houses while the government provides financial and technical support. Moreover, the policy calls for cooperation between the owners and local municipalities to renovate and reinforce damaged settlements.
The policy states further that badly damaged neighbourhoods, which need relocation, should be kept close to the old place as far as possible, and within the same electoral constituency or the district. Such new settlements should have drinking water facilities while roads, schools and hospitals should be built there.
16.On my view, the reconstruction efforts should be directed by following fundamental guidelines in order to make it more effective and resilient.
(a) This is the situation of national emergencies. All Nepalese along with different political parties should be unitedto deal with this situation. Theselossesshould be cashed as an opportunity for rebuilding the nation.
(b) Nepal itself should plan and prepare for the reconstruction and recovery modality on the basis of needs, values and culture. Donor countries and agencies should be made clear on this.
(c)On the firm background of national unity we should be able to formulate national of action along with the support and cooperation from our friendly nations and agencies. Nepal is in need of international support therefore we should accept international aid as per our needs.
(d) Along with the reconstruction drive, the country should plan and move forward with economic development agendas.The action would required to develop disaster resilient society and develop own capabilities to fight any shorts of disasters.
(e) Nepal and Nepalese should have subtle gratefulness and gratitude towards foreign friends, organizations and people who extended their support, been part of search and rescue and relief, and showed their altruism.
(f) Nepal should employ its own technical skill and expertise to carry out reconstruction of national heritage, and sensitive structures and areas. (Eg:,Pashupatinath Temple and premise maintenance, Gorkha and Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square etc.)
(g) Government should prioritize vulnerable individuals and group, poor families and communities. Families losing their members and people seriously injured should be given special privilege.
(h) Transparency of relief fund is the most crucial aspect. Operation should be effective with clear balance, proper use and full proof transparency of cash and goods spent on relief, reconstruction and recovery.
The Role of Nepal Army in Reconstruction
17. The role of Nepal army is mainly catered for the immediate rescue and reliefefforts. But the army doesn't have the capabilities for recovery and reconstruction efforts as well. The government is yet to unveil the overall national reconstruction plan, which will be the key guidelines for the possible employment of national army for post disaster reconstruction. But the army has done the internal homework and alerted own rank and files accordingly.Army has been proactive in suggesting concern authorities regarding the possible employment areas. In nutshell the army is very much committed and ready to take up any responsibilities within its capabilities listed below:
(a)Army's contribution can be crucial in important policy formation and decision making as a member of central governing body for reconstruction and rehabilitation. Likewise, planning staff can be involved at various levels.
(b)Nepal Army can provide tradesman training like brick layers, plumbers, electricians, welders etc in order to produce technical human resources that is needed in big number for reconstruction.
(c)Army has huge manpower both skilled and unskilled; it can assist government in constructing selected schools, health posts and other priority service sector buildings.
(d)Army does have expertise, manpower and equipment for debris clearance.
(e)Armyhas been building roads and bridges in remote and difficult areas. Army can provide engineer effort/resources to reconnect obstructed roads and building special bridges within very short period of time.
(f) It has the manpower for technical and inspection team at VDC level.
(g)Help to demolish unstable building and dangerous structures if provided with the specialist equipments.
(h) With the help of deployed district level units and skilled manpower NA can support in VDC level for the early recovery of the society.
(i) Transportation of construction material both by roads and air.
Conclusion
18.Army will be ready and trained to serve the nation at the time of crisis. It has been proving selfless service to the countrymen and it will continue to do so in the future as well. After vigorous rescue and relief works, army is equally committed to contribute the best possible way in reconstruction efforts. It has already suggested the government authorities regarding the possible areas and capabilities of Nepal Army. We are hoping to receive relevant responsibilities which we can plan and implement accordingly.
1BinaskariBhukampama Nepali Sena – 2072, (Kathmandu: JungiAdda, B.S. 2072), pp.7-48.