As part of our drive to keep our comment section the best in New Zealand we showcase each week an example of a top-notch comment that adds value to The BFD.
Today’s comment was written by Wanderer Thank you Wanderer for taking the time to craft such an interesting comment.
Disclaimer: I have worked in conflict zones and with people who have worked in the same and also natural disaster relief efforts. Here are a few reflections.
Retrieving bodies:
There is no reason, absolutely no reason not to retrieve bodies. I was working in the tropics, and an Army cargo plane full of people was shot down by missile in the afternoon. My medical colleagues spent all night matching body parts and putting them into those plastic hessian bags that were then delivered to me to transport, by sea, to the side from whence they came. Some bags were only half full. No refrigeration, blood and body fluids oozing out of the bags. The bags were then carried into trucks to be taken away so they could be returned to the families. There is NO reason, NO REASON AT ALL not to retrieve bodies and return them to their families (sorry for yelling). The colleagues I refer to above have experienced far worse and on a far greater scale than I have but, still, did everything possible to retrieve bodies.
Lawlessness:
There will always be opportunists in a disaster situation. Goods delivered for distribution will be stolen then sold to those who should receive them for free. Local animosities will come to the surface and long-standing grudges will play out. The role of the police is critical in this situation, bearing in mind that they may well have families involved in the racketeering. Political leadership in these cases is at local level, not national. The Mayors need to stand up and act on their authority.
Politicking:
A disaster gives an opportunity for politicking on steroids. We have seen that New Zealand is no more sophisticated in this regard than anywhere else. Deals made, old grievances renewed, bickering, monies withheld, the whole lot. Nothing new under the sun, and the “most transparent country in the world” is anything but.
Disaster Relief:
All I can say here is just get on with it. Ignore anyone in officialdom, if they tell you to stop doing something ignore them. If they threaten legal action, tell them to “be my guest”, the absurdity of the charge, if it ever eventuates, will mean it will be tossed out anyway as a waste of the Court’s time. (added: I know that those of you in the thick of it are “just getting on with it”, this is more moral support than instructions ;-) )
Civil Reporting:
Trust but verify. The truth of the situation will always come from people on the ground. It will be embellished each time it is passed on, this is normal, but the essence will be true. The official media channels have only one job in this type of situation and that is to cover up incompetence. New Zealand is no different in this regard.
Hope this helps, I am pretty much disgusted with what I am hearing and needed to vent.
