Roundup: UNGA okays resolution on improving quake relief aid coordination in Nepal

UN General Assembly on Friday adopted by consensus a resolution to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance in the wake of devastating earthquakes in Nepal since April 25.

Each vote for the resolution is seen as "a message of hope to the people of Nepal," the representative of Spain said of the new UN document, which expressed condolences to the Nepalese people and government in the aftermath of recent earthquakes and called for action to speed recovery and reconstruction efforts.

"You are not alone," delegates of UN member states, such as China, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Cuba, told Durga Prasad Bhattarai, the representative of Nepal to the United Nations, in echoing the Spanish diplomat's remarks.

Efforts must be intensified to address the needs of eight million people affected by the earthquakes of April 25 and May 12, which killed 8,000 people and displaced more than three million others, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said while providing an overview of the damages and subsequent response.

The disaster had caused Nepal to be torn apart, setting back years of development gains, with millions of people that had risen out of poverty facing the risk of being pulled back.

More than half of Nepal's 75 districts had been affected, Ban said at the General Assembly meeting, who also briefed the meeting on the world body's response measures to devastating quakes in Nepal.

According to Ban, within 24 hours of the first earthquake, the United Nations had sent a team to help coordinate the arrival and deployment of search-and-rescue crews from 31 countries over the following days. Overall, more than one million people had been reached with food, 350,000 had been provided with clean water and 150,000 families had received emergency health care.

Ban warned that the coming monsoon season posed grave threats, including the spread of cholera and other diseases. A flash appeal had called for 423 million U.S. dollars, of which, currently only 14 percent had been made available, and an additional 365 million U.S. dollars were needed, the secretary-general said, adding that there was an opportunity to make a real difference in the coming weeks and months.

Kaha Imnadze, who spoke on behalf of the president of the General Assembly Sam Kutesa, said that while long-term recovery and rehabilitation efforts would play a crucial role in rebuilding the country, immediate concerns warranted the international community's full support.

Humanitarian needs were urgent and significant, and providing access to health care, sanitation and hygiene services were critical priorities, according to him.

With outlining contributions being made towards the emergency response to the quake disasters in Nepal, some speakers highlighted future plans for short- and long-term assistance. Delegates of countries in the region, including from China and Pakistan, pointed to their swiftly provided supplies and personnel.

Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, told the General Assembly that China's response teams, including rescue, medical and relief, started working in Nepal shortly after the quake.

As the sudden natural and humanitarian disaster struck, China, as one of Nepal's immediate neighbors, swiftly acted while it strove to launch rescue operations in its quake-impacted Tibet Autonomous Region, dispatching dozens of rescue squads and medical teams to Nepal to extend a helping hand to the country which is short of disaster relief resources and means.

More than 1,000 people sent by the Chinese government, military and police were in the earthquake-struck country, performing the biggest international humanitarian rescue-and-relief operation there since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Liu said.

Two batches of emergency humanitarian aid totaling 60 million yuan, or 10 million U.S. dollars, had been announced, and 650 metric tons of tents, generators, water-purification facilities, blankets and other emergency supplies had been delivered through more than 30 military flights and 10 chartered cargo planes.

Upon the news of a major aftershock in Nepal on May 12, another batch of emergency aid totalling 80 million yuan had been announced by China, Liu said, adding that in the days and months to come, China will maintain close communication with Nepal to get updates about the disaster situation and needs on the ground.

Durga Prasad Bhattarai, the representative of Nepal, thanked the General Assembly for convening the meeting on a disaster that had devastated his country and also thanked the secretary-general for his attention to the matter.

Amid those crises, international support had been tremendous, he said. "The generosity and spontaneity shown in emergency responses, including from India and China, is heartfelt," he said. "Those actors directly contributed to the rescue of hundreds of people. Nepal cherished those friendships in the face of the great calamity."

The scale of destruction is immense, shutting roads and leveling areas, he said, adding that prospects for the future looks grim, as many who had crossed the poverty line had seen their gains lost. Cultural heritage had been heartbreakingly reduced to rubble.

The most pressing challenge in light of the common monsoon season is to find shelter for the millions of displaced persons. Linking recovery to long-term development is needed, he said, adding that a full assessment of the damage was now being conducted by the Nepalese government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He estimated the damage caused by the quakes could amount to more than 1 billion U.S. dollars and encouraged all member states to contribute to help Nepal emerge stronger. Endite