Southeast Asia is situated in an area that is prone to natural disasters and, last year, the region was hit by many natural disasters and suffered substantial losses. Tropical Storm Washi (Sendong) brought the Philippines heavy rain on December 16, 2011, causing more than 1,200 deaths, and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. A few months earlier, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines experienced heavy rains leading to flooding. The huge impact of natural disasters has opened the opportunity for increased US cooperation with Southeast Asia in disaster relief.
The United States has been active in offering humanitarian assistance to countries in Southeast Asia. The US Agency on International Development (USAID) donated $100,000 to the Philippines to provide logistics and relief supplies to people affected by Tropical Storm Washi. A total of US$2.7 million has been distributed to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to assist with the flood aftermath. In total, the US has committed $16 million to help Southeast Asian countries in its immediate Disaster Response and long-term Disaster Risk Reduction programs, according to the USAID Annual Report FY 2010.
In addition, the United States also contributes to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which provides humanitarian assistance to countries disrupted by natural disasters and warfare. Statistics from CERF shows that the United States gave $6 million in 2011, verbally pledged another $5 million in 2012, and has contributed a total of $36 million since the creation of CERF in 2006. While most CERF funds are allocated to countries in Africa, Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Philippines, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Cambodia have benefited from funding that amounts to five percent of the organization’s funds.
US sailors transfer relief supplies from a truck to an awaiting helicopter on January 3, 2005 (Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia). Courtesy: US Navy.
One of Southeast Asia’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history was the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In response, President Bush pledged $350 million for emergency relief and an addition $600 million for long term disaster recovery programs for the affected region, as noted in a Congressional Research Service report. Indonesia, the country most affected by the disaster, received a total of $52 million from the US government, according to a USAID Fact Sheet. Billions more were donated by American citizens, community groups, and businesses: the American Red Cross alone raised $581 million for relief efforts.
Southeast Asian countries have also responded with monetary, material and medical aid when disaster has struck the United States. After Hurricane Katrina, Brunei and Cambodia donated $1 million and $40,000, respectively, while Thailand and Singapore sent rescue and medical teams with supplies to support rescue efforts. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), which sent 3 Chinook helicopters and 38 personnel to Louisiana, rescued over 700 evacuees and carried several hundred tons of supplies in assisting relief work. Malaysia and Vietnam pledged $1 million and $100,000 respectively. At times, however, the US government was slow to respond to offers of aid and was criticized for not accepting the aid more quickly or mismanaging funds and materials that were offered.
To pave the way for future disaster management collaboration, President Obama proposed a bilateral Rapid Disaster Response Agreement at the Sixth East Asia Summit (EAS) in November 2011. The agreement proposes to allow quicker acceptance of human resources, materials and other relief services in possible future disasters with the aim to further strengthen the Asia-US relationship, develop alliances with countries from Asia and improve on the US’s handling of humanitarian assistance in the future. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recognized the importance of enhanced disaster relief management in her major foreign policy speech in November 2011 at the East West Center:
The United States is ready to lend our expertise to help build the capacity of the East Asia Summit and other institutions to respond swiftly and effectively when natural disasters strike. … The United States stands ready to contribute, to deliver aid, to provide expertise and capabilities, financial resources. Other nations are now making disaster resilience a higher priority. Because even when disaster strikes just one country alone, the impact is widely felt, so this calls out for a closely coordinated regional response.
Although the Rapid Disaster Response Agreement is yet to be negotiated in detail, the proposal has the potential to assist victims of natural disasters, assist in the coordination of government activities, and propel the US-Southeast Asia relationship forward.
Related content:
