Topic: Long-Term Rebuilding Strategy Following Natural Disaster
Country: Gabon
Delegate Name: John Bradford
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Gabon position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Every year tens of thousands of people die as a direct result of earthquakes. Even more will suffer from the crippling economic situation its victims are left in. Gabon believes no country is exempt from the effects of large-scale natural disaster, and no countries should give less than what they can for relief efforts.
Gabon would hope to see a strengthening of long-term development primarily focusing on the stability of health in affected nations. There is an undeniable pattern of epidemic following a large scale disaster in a populous area, mostly caused by damage to water a power lines. Gabon would hope that the main focus of long term relief be the strengthening of water treatment plants to avoid contamination of water supplies should disaster strike again. Also, Gabon would hope to see an increase in the strength of power lines to avoid essential aid efforts from becoming powerless when attempting to rebuild.
Gabon is no stranger to natural disaster relief. The widespread famine and sub-Saharan drought usually does not affect Gabon particularly, but it often does affect our African brothers and sisters. In times of torrential disaster, Gabon usually serves as somewhere fleeing peoples are temporarily moved to when their homeland is unsafe. Even though Gabon lacks economic surpluses for reconstruction efforts directly, we still provide for those affect as much as we can.
In addition, Gabon encourages nations who already have given so much to affected nations to focus their efforts on addressing long-term problems with stable, transparent solutions, instead of just donating money to the cause. The United Nations has already done so much to stabilize relief efforts of nations facing natural disaster, Gabon just asks for more focus from generous nations.
