Speaking to the leaders of the special meeting of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the aftermath of
the earthquake and tsunami, World Bank President James D.
Wolfensohn Thursday issued a plea that the long-term recovery of
the devastated areas be carried out in a way that will break the
cycle of poverty, and restore hope to those affected for a better
future.
"Let us rebuild in a way that will make the poor more secure and
less vulnerable to future disasters," said Mr. Wolfensohn. "And let
us rebuild in a way that alleviates future conflict and restores
the hope for lasting peace. This is well beyond restoring water and
sanitation and roads -- it is going to be about rebuilding
communities and the lives of many people that were shocked and
traumatized by the sheer devastation of the tragedy."
Mr. Wolfensohn made clear that the immediate goal should be to
ensure that those affected by the devastation have the immediate
basics -- water, food, sanitation and medicine -- as the
international community pulls together to help the affected
countries make the transition from humanitarian relief to long-term
recovery. "We need to help people get back on their feet so they
can begin to rebuild their lives," said Mr. Wolfensohn.
Since 1980, the World Bank has financed 550 disaster-related
projects worth US$40 billion. As in most natural disasters of
recent years, Mr. Wolfensohn noted that it was the poor who were
the most vulnerable to the effects of the tsunami, because the poor
are the most likely to occupy dangerous, less desirable locations,
such as flood plains, river banks, steep slopes and reclaimed
land.
Mr. Wolfensohn told leaders attending the meeting that, in the
World Bank's experience, four critical points should be taken into
account for the region to successfully recover from the effects of
the tsunami:
"First, we must ensure that communities are involved in
assessing their needs and designing their own, homegrown recovery
programs. Second, emergency assistance must be kept simple and
focused on the most urgent recovery priorities. Third, the longer
term recovery and development planning must integrate disaster risk
reduction to avoid future losses from disasters. Fourth, the
international community must work in a coordinated way and help
countries with the transition from relief to recovery to
reconstruction," said Mr. Wolfensohn.
Mr. Wolfensohn called the catastrophe "a true test for the
international community and its willingness to help the most
vulnerable and poorest in the world." He noted that this test comes
just as we enter 2005 -- a year many have called "The Year of
Development," falling 10 years away from the year 2015, when world
leaders had promised to slash world poverty by half from its 1990
levels.
In the conclusion to his address, Mr. Wolfensohn made a call for
partnership: "This massive rebuilding effort must humble all of us
to work shoulder to shoulder. The challenge for all of us here is
to remain united in the months and years ahead in helping the
region recover from this tragedy. United in restoring hope for a
better future. United in creating more security and peace for the
poorest people in the region. United in making people less
vulnerable to disasters in the future. We owe the victims of this
tragedy nothing less than that."
(China.org.cn January 7, 2005)
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