Natural disasters are full of uncertainty, especially their effects on people’s lives and property. Regardless of how badly an area has been affected, time is the key factor in disaster rescue operations. Efficiency is needed to get donated goods from the public quickly into the hands of those affected by natural disasters. Timing is crucial in support and rescue operations because emergency goods are extremely important to the physical and mental health of disaster victims.
Typhoon Morakot seriously affected Tainan County, with townships such as Hsuehchia (學甲), Beimen (北門) and Matou (麻豆) submerged in water. And because the county covers a large area, many residents in local villages live in remote places, making it even tougher for rescue and support workers.
Tainan County Government’s Social Affairs Bureau handled the collection and dispensing of emergency aid. Apart from some goods that donors could send personally to disaster victims in nearby areas, the rest was sent to Tainan County Government’s Chungcheng Hall, where it was then dispatched to disaster areas according to their needs via a temporary command center established by the bureau. When truck after truck of goods donated by the public and businesses arrived at the hall, a large group of volunteers lined up and unloaded hundreds of boxes of instant noodles, non-perishable foodstuff, bread, mineral water and hot foods and arranged the goods into groups. The goods were then organized and sent to the victims of the flood according to the needs of each town and village.
There was one elderly woman who had brought along her granddaughter and told her to hand the donations to the volunteers. The volunteers, approximately 200, came from all over the place. There was one group of 30 university students from Kaohsiung who launched an online call only on Aug. 11 to gather at 7am and drive on their scooters for one hour to reach the hall to do volunteer work.
The students busied themselves unloading goods one minute and dispatching goods the next. They did this to ease the pain of the flood victims.
The student volunteers not only represented diligence by the greater society, but also a link to flood victims who were in need of assistance. It was a show of love and care for others. Even though Kaohsiung was also heavily affected by Morakot, the Kaohsiung City Government sent 15 busses of emergency goods to Tainan County. Many members of the public and businesses arrived at the hall to make donations, providing resources and funds for rescue and relief operations.
Disaster rescue must be a concerted effort between the government and the public. This can help maximize the efficiency of rescue efforts. Many flood victims are still trapped. Although the media have already fulfilled its social responsibility by reporting on the latest developments, there are still many areas in Tainan County that were badly hit that have not received any media coverage, as they were so severely flooded that they could not be reached by reporters.
Guaranteeing equal attention for each disaster victim and choosing which assistance is needed is a real test for the government officials and civic organizations on the front line. The help of volunteers allowed society to show compassion where it was needed most. That force and spirit is what moved me, an academic that has long been sitting in my ivory tower, to roll up my sleeves and help the victims. While I do not know the name of every person who worked beside me, I will never forget that long, interlinked line of hardworking volunteers.
Tsai Jung-hsiang is an assistant professor of political science at National Chung Cheng University.
TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON
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