SESSION 5.2: CASE STUDIES EXCERCISE (Tools for integrating protection needs)
CASE STUDY: Earthquake1
The country of Kunda in the Western Pacific has a population of 50,000 people and is made up
of the islands of Belama, Maneapa and Fale. Two years ago a civil war almost crippled the
country’s economy and brought down the government. The war had resulted in the creation of
a peace mission called the Kunda Peace Observers (KPO) which was funded by neighboring
countries to assist the country get back to democratic rule. The war itself had resulted in the
indiscriminate killing of men, women and children. One year later the effects of the civil war
were still felt and there was still a lot of suspicion among the people, although the KPO had
been swift in implementing the rule of law.
In Belama, the provincial capital and economic center of the country, there are three distinct
populations: Mururoans (3,000 people), descendants from people relocated from former
French territories in the east Pacific in the 1960’s, Kanakans, originally from the south Kunda
island of Kanaka who worked as plantation workers (2,000) and Belamans (8,000). The
Mururoans are Polynesians, fishing communities, whose main income is from selling their catch
on the market.
On the April 2, 2007 a massive undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale
triggered a tsunami that struck the islands of Belama, Maneapa and Fale. Numerous
aftershocks also occurred, including one measuring 6.2. The country’s seismologic services were
not equipped to track the activities and the first record of an earthquake was relayed from the
Hawaiian Oceans Center a few minutes after the earthquake struck the Kunda islands. The
1
Developed in 2008 by UNDP-Pacific, OHCHR-Pacific, and OCHA-Pacific. Note that these are fictitious
but based on a combination of real events that occurred in the Pacific in the last 10-15 years.
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Workshop Modules and Facilitator’s Guide
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earthquake caused extensive damages to infrastructure and an immediate power failure in the
whole country. As the earthquake happened in the evening, most of the families were indoors
preparing to sleep. However a lot of the young people were making their way to the nightclubs
or others attending kava bars and betel nut outlets.
Within three minutes after the earthquake, the ocean was reported to have receded. Out of
curiosity and shock people started flocking to the coast to see this phenomenon. No one was
aware of what this meant. Suddenly the ocean started to roar and soon a massive wave rushed
towards the islands. In the chaos and confusion, people started panicking and a stampede
occurred as they ran for safety. A few young children and disabled people were injured in the
process. Mothers tried to collect their children and people were still in a state of shock from the
earthquake when the waves crashed inland. Swift destruction and death were immediate. As a
result of this sudden and tragic turn of events, more than 25,000 people of the estimated
50,000 people on the islands were affected. Some 10,000 people were left homeless by the
tsunami in addition to the 10,000 people whose houses suffered damage during the
earthquake. The death toll was estimated to be around 600 people. Coastal communities on
Belama and Fale were especially hard-hit by the tsunami. More mountainous Maneapa
suffered from earthquake damage and landslides.
The remoteness of the islands as well as limited transportation infrastructure compromised the
ability of disaster and aid management officials to carry out comprehensive damage
assessments in the province. The country suffered widespread damage to housing,
infrastructure (wharfs, bridges), schools and clinics, while several villages were entirely wiped
out by the tsunami. Landslides caused damage to gardens and roads. The force of the
earthquake was such that it changed the physical environment of the islands and reefs, causing
some parts to sink by several meters, while other parts were uplifted by several meters.
Survivors quickly reacted to the events by abandoning their coastal villages and setting up
makeshift camps on higher ground, for fear of aftershocks and a possible second tsunami.
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Overcrowding was reported, which created additional risk of disease outbreak. While some
populations have been able and willing to return after several weeks, others lost practically
everything and would remain displaced for several months, until more permanent housing was
established and means to regain their livelihoods were provided. Eventually, after 3 weeks the
total death toll was established at 598, with 35 reported missing, of which 28 were children
under 10 years old.
The Response:
The country’s “Natural Disaster Unit” (NDU) was mobilized to assist affected communities on
the three islands. Distance and remoteness proved to be a problem, as there were constrains
regarding available vessels and debris on airstrips. A UN team was dispatched to the disaster
zone upon the request by the Kunda Government to coordinate the relief operations. The team
was assisted by the NDU who also led the relief efforts in distributing water, food and medical
supplies. Medical teams from neighboring countries were flown to the islands and a makeshift
medical center was established, as the Belama Provincial Hospital was damaged by the
earthquake and had to be closed for fear of asbestos. Serious cases were evacuated by military
helicopters to the capital city and in some cases overseas. Most of the immediate response
was facilitated by international agencies and countries and emergency makeshift shelters for
the displaced were built by volunteers, (re)using available local material. A provincial task force
entitled “Wakeup Kunda Disaster Team” (WKDT) was set up to oversee the humanitarian relief
assistance and coordinate with the Red Cross on humanitarian work. WKDT was also mandated
to oversee the post-disaster phase of the clean-up, from ensuring clean water supplies to the
restoration of power on the islands. In the meantime, they were also tasked with operating the
diesel generators which were the islands’ electricity source.
The Government of Kunda’s immediate response exposed the many deficiencies and lack of
national planning for disasters. The budget allocation for disaster response was only $100,000.
But the costs for the immediate disaster response reached $2 million within the first week. The
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problem was aggravated by the fact that most of the WKDT people had little or no training at all
in disaster management or post disaster work. Most of the staff of WKTD were recent
university graduates with no field experience in disaster work. The only notable exception was a
woman who did not have academic qualifications, but had spent a good part of her life working
on disaster related issues.
One of the main priorities, apart from providing for water, food and healthcare for the
survivors, was the need to provide shelter for the large population of displaced persons. The
identification and burial of victims also caused serious problems, as all communities on the
island adhere to different religious traditions which demand different burial rituals.
With limited land available, the medium-term priority of the government and humanitarian
agencies was to secure land for farming and cultivation. Flooding and landslides meant a drastic
reduction in available land for farming. Another troubling issue were the rumors that children
were forced to work in a growing commercial sex industry. In addition, due to reduced income
opportunities, many women were forced to engage in prostitution to provide for their children.
The government has since acknowledged the need to resolve its preparedness shortcomings
and has begun preliminary planning for resettlement and support efforts for the agricultural
sector. A bill is also before Parliament to create two funds, one for disaster management and
one for the protection of women and children in natural disasters.
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