Leadership Matters

The events in the Philippines are a shocking reminder to us all of the power of nature and the disaster that can follow.  The images coming out of the country are all too similar to those that I witnessed on the ground following the devastating effects of the Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand and indeed the tsunami in Japan in 2011.  

The total destruction of the infrastructure and the desperation of the survivors who find themselves surrounded by the decomposing bodies of their families, neighbours and members of their community is evidence of the need that now exists within this country.  

I was speaking at a Humanitarian Conference hosted in Manila only recently and in part it was looking at providing help to those in need.  Now it is that very country who is calling on the international community to step forward and provide the urgent assistance that is required.

Naval ships from the US and the UK, are now arriving into the area of devastation bringing with them thousands of personnel who will soon have boots on the ground.  The Australian and New Zealand Government have also deployed military aircraft loaded with aid supplies.  Along with that there is the financial commitment by the various governments of tens of millions of dollars in aid that will flow into the country. 

As always the distribution of the aid to those most deserving will be a challenge and indeed a balancing act.  Moving just as quickly, but with perhaps less resources, are the large international aid agencies and charities from across the globe.  They will provide much needed and indeed life saving resources and personnel on the ground to the thousands of people left homeless, sick, injured and hungry.  

What we know from our experience in past crisis and disaster situations is that many organisations operating in the charity sector will be responding and asking for your dollars in the early days.  Many will use those funds prudently and bring comfort, support and essential life saving food and water to those in need.

What we also know from past experience is that the devastation to the communities, the families and all involved will not be over when most of us forget.  The impact for those poor souls who have had almost everything they know torn away from them will last for years after the event.  The children who now find themselves without parents, the elderly who now find themselves without children to care for them, don’t get over this within weeks, months or years.  For the children who have lost their parents, the never get over it.  They will learn to live with their new found situation, they will indeed smile and sing again but they never forget.

The challenge for everyone now reaching out with aid or wanting to support is to not forget the children, the elderly and the members of the community of this stricken area who can’t fend for themselves when all others move on.  There is absolutely the need for immediate action, but equally there is a need for the long term commitment.  The children we support who lost their parents in the boxing day tsunami haven’t come back and of course they never will.  Their needs have changed, but they haven’t gone away and neither have we.

PS.  I have had many phone calls and emails over the last number of days asking for my personal assistance, that of Hands and equally as many offering your time and indeed money should we step into this environment.  The offers or assistance are greatly appreciated and show the true character of many of our supporters.  The charter of Hands is not one that takes on the emergency response to provide aid in such circumstances.  That is not our strength and we will leave that to the large NGO’s who have the capacity and expertise.  If there is a compelling need and indeed an opportunity for Hands to provide the type of assistance we have done in the past, we will consider those requests as we do with all other requests for help.