Natural and Human Disasters and Disaster Relief
“The last few years have been the worst period on record for environmental disasters and experts are predicting far worse to come”.
P. Fuller,
Information Delegate for the International
Federation of the Red Cross, 2001
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1 Look through the key words given and say which of these issues are ‘environmental’ and which ‘human’?
Key words:
o deforestation
o the destruction of habitats
o endangered species
o ethnic cleansing
o the exploitation of women
o famine
o flooding
o racial discrimination
o global warming
o the greenhouse effect
o malnutrition
o terrorism
o natural disasters
o overpopulation
o poverty
2 Which of the disasters given in the following list of key words do you think are:
▪caused by people ▪ made worse by people ▪ natural
Key words:
o avalanches
o cyclones
o droughts
o earthquakes
o floods
o forest fires
o hurricanes
o landslides
o volcanic eruption
o windstorms
3 Discuss the following questions in pairs or groups:
o What is your attitude towards the future?
o Who is most likely to be a victim of natural disasters?
o What could be the biggest threat to the planet in the future?
o What effects might this threat have?
o What natural disasters have happened in the world or in the area you live for the last few months? Discuss the causes and results of each of them. What can we do to protect ourselves from events like these?
4 Look at the words and phrases underlined in the article ‘India Quake Leaves Legacy of Chaos’ and try to explain their meaning. After reading the text check whether your ideas were right or wrong.
5 Read the article about the earthquake that happened in some of the regions of India and be ready to give answers to the following questions:
o What are the main consequences of the earthquake?
o What kind of assistance is provided by officials to alleviate the difficulties the disaster caused? What problems do the officials come across?
o According to experts, what factors increased the death toll? What should have been done to diminish the damage?
India Quake Leaves Legacy of Chaos Thousands Vie for Space on
Trains to Flee a Land of Fear and Misery
Thousands of families dragging possessions salvaged from the ruins of their homes camped in Gujarat state’s main railroad station on Thursday, hoping to catch a train out of Ahmadabad after six days of misery following the earthquake that killed more than 14,200 people.
Back in town, about 600,000 homeless people were living in camps or on the streets. Bulldozers continued to bring down fractured buildings as rescue crews raced ahead, shouting into the ruins in a last attempt to find more survivors of the quake. At least five people trapped in the rubblewere rescued in three towns on Wednesday.
The exodus here is fueled partly by aftershocks and fears of another major quake, but survivors also say food is not reaching them, despite all the aid that is flowing into the disaster zone.
As Thursday dawned, Kamli Mahato, mother of four and one of thousands of people living in the train station in Ahmadabad, tried to get her children cleaned up. “We’ve been trying to get into a free train to Calcutta. But I just couldn’t get onto the last one,” said Mrs. Mahato.
When another free train to Calcutta came into the station, thousands of people rushed forward before it rolled to a halt. Young men leaped onto the coaches, while others ran alongside banging at doors that were jammed or locked. Women, many of them carrying bundles ofclothing in each hand, ran after their husbands, yelling at straggling children to catch up.
The railroad police, fearing a stampede, tried unsuccessfully to bring order to the chaos. Each train can carry about 1,200 seated passengers, but about 4,000 people squeezed in. “Old people and children just have no chance,” said a woman who gave her name as Meenatai, her eyes brimming with tears as she settled back to wait for the next train.
In Bhuj survivors complained about problems with the relief effort.
“A lot of things are coming in, but I don’t know where they are going,” said Madhobhai Maheshwari, who worked as a driver in Bhuj. He was in a crowd waiting outside a government office in Bhuj, hoping to receive food and material to provide shelter.
“We are being kicked around like a football,” he said. “I have come here four times for sheets, water and rations. They are sending us from place to place.”
His brother, Balram Maheshwari, said government officials had demanded to see his ration card before doling out food. “How can I find it, my house has collapsed completely,” he said.
R.S. Ninnama, deputy collector of the Kutch district where Bhuj is situated, said the checks were essential because some people were returning for repeated handouts.
“There is no proper coordination from here because there is no office,” Mr. Ninnama said, adding that his office was short-staffed because several employees had no reported for work since the quake hit.
Residents are furious the high-rises were built in the first place. “The government shouldn’t have given permission,” said one, Kishore Chandan.
Experts say flawed design, poor construction materials, violation of local building lawsand lack of simple quake-proofing measures which are common across most of India greatly increased the deathtoll in Gujarat.
(By B. Bearak, International Herald Tribune, 2001.)
