| Draft Translation |
October 20, 2005 |
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| H.E. Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan |
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The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Pakistan Earthquake Strategy Headquarters
Chair: Seiji Maehara (DPJ President)
Inspection Mission Leader/Vice Chair: Hideki Wakabayashi
Secretary-General: Kaname Tajima |
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| Representation Regarding Japan's Ongoing Response to Earthquake Disasters in Pakistan and Elsewhere |
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Casualties caused by the earthquake that occurred in the northeastern part of Pakistan on October 8 are growing by the day, and this has become an earthquake disaster unprecedented in the history of humanity. The Democratic Party of Japan dispatched an inspection mission to Pakistan from October 11 to 17 to establish the extent of the damage and to investigate what kind of aid would be effective. Based on the results of this inspection, we call upon the Japanese government to focus on the following main points:
1. A dramatic increase in short-term aid
(a) Considering the fact that casualties have increased since the Japanese government decided its emergency aid package, the scale of government grant aid should be increased in accordance with needs on the ground. Furthermore, the scope of the aid now concentrated on the government of the afflicted country and international organisations should be expanded, and well-tailored and effective aid implemented. The aid framework should be strengthened so that aid can reach as many disaster victims in as short a time as possible.
(b) Around 3.3 million people have been made homeless in the affected region, and the Pakistani government has stated that the issue of highest priority in terms of immediate relief measures is guaranteeing shelter, with the onset of winter near at hand. We call on the Japanese government not simply to provide tents and blankets, but to explore the possibility of having Japanese Self Defense Forces (SDF) set up tents, and to take immediate measures to ensure the provision of shelters and provide protection against the cold. Furthermore, the system of emergency medical aid should be enhanced.
(c) Buildings in the affected region have collapsed, and dead bodies still remain buried out of reach in many areas. In order for reconstruction to take place, rubble needs to be removed and dead bodies properly disposed of. We call on the Japanese government not simply to provide heavy machinery, but to immediately provide the necessary aid, in respond to the needs of the Pakistani government, including for example having the SDF clear rubble, level out the land, and restore roads.
(d) Considering the Pakistani government has not been able to accurately establish the status of casualties caused by the earthquake, additional efforts should be devoted to establishing the whereabouts of Japanese citizens living in the affected areas.
2. Implementation of medium and long term aid
(a) The Pakistani government is calling for Japanese knowledge and skills that would contribute to medium-term life support, such as pre-fabricated housing. Such support should be provided, where necessary, by liaising with the Japanese private sector.
(b) Reconstruction enterprise assistance centring on infrastructure should be provided in coordination with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The immediate focus for such efforts would be the repair of basic infrastructure, such as the building of hospitals, health centres and schools and the restoration of roads.
(c) The earthquake exposed the inadequacies of the Pakistani government's earthquake disaster measures, and there is an aspect in which these inadequacies led to increased casualties. When future earthquake disaster measures are drafted, both hard and soft assistance that makes full use of Japan's experience and skills should be provided. (for example: establishing earthquake resistance standards for buildings, constructing an earthquake prediction and warning system)
3. Strengthening the abilities of the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) teams
(a) Rescuing survivors is a race against time. Consequently, every effort should be made to ensure not only that JDR teams are properly formed and prepared, but also that they arrive in the affected region in the shortest possible time. Therefore, the government should buy or rent a mobile medium-sized plane in order to ensure that such teams can reach the affected area directly without changing from one commercial flight to another as they did on this occasion.
(b) In order that emergency response teams can implement mobile search and rescue efforts, Japanese diplomatic missions overseas should be routinely informed of essential matters such as the support system and materials to be used, and a system wherein diplomatic missions can select and coordinate the appropriate areas for such rescue efforts immediately after the disaster has occurred should be created.
(c) In order to prepare for large-scale earthquakes both inside and outside Japan, emergency response teams and rescue teams and equipment should be organised, and their capabilities and scope dramatically increased. The number of medical staff included in emergency response teams should be increased, and the framework for transporting medicines enhanced.
4. NGO assistance
(a) In terms of emergency humanitarian aid, NGO workers are the most visibly active on the ground after rescue and relief workers, but the support system for NGOs set up by the Japanese government is extremely limited when compared to those of other countries. On this occasion, the NGOs who belong to the Japan Platform and receive financial assistance were able to move swiftly, but a financial assistance system for emergency humanitarian aid should be immediately established for all other NGOs, including the Japan Red Cross.
(b) The Japanese government immediately made pledges of financial assistance to the government of the affected country and international organisations, as was also the case in the Sumatra earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. We urge the government to implement these pledges immediately, as well as allocating a certain amount of the monies to medium and long term humanitarian assistance carried out by NGOs, such as infrastructure assistance and trauma relief.
(c) In order to support emergency humanitarian assistance by NGOs, Japanese diplomatic missions and JICA should gather information regarding the aid efforts in affected countries, and create a system by which they can provide advice if needed. In regions where diplomatic missions and JICA do not have a strong network, human resources, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and consultants, should be dispatched from Japan.
5. Regional peace and stability - transforming the earthquake disaster into a chance for peace
The Kashmir region, where the earthquake occurred, is a region where Pakistan and India have been fighting for territorial control for more than half a century. The Pakistani government has accepted offers of assistance from the Indian government, and positive signs of a movement toward peace are visible in both countries. The Sumatra earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami provided an opportunity for progress regarding the issue of Aceh Province, Indonesia. We hope that the Indian government will be more active in accepting assistance from international organisations and NGOs in Indian Kashmir, and that peace and stability in the region will increase. Furthermore, we urge the Japanese government to join with the international community in making an active contribution to developments toward peace. |
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