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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA GENEVA
OCHA Briefing on Nepal Earthquake <Check against delivery>
Geneva, April 29, 2014
Statement by the Republic of Korea
Amb. Ahn, Young-jip, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Government of the Republic of Korea in Geneva
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I thank OCHA for organizing this timely briefing to launch the flash appeal. I also thank the Ambassador of Nepal for his vivid description of the humanitarian situation on the ground. I appreciate the Government of Nepal taking the lead in responding to this terrible disaster.
At the outset, allow me to join other delegations in expressing our deepest condolences, and extending heartfelt sympathies, to all of those affected by the earthquake in Nepal, including the families of those who died in Nepal, India, China, and Bangladesh. To be clear, the Republic of Korea stands with all the affected people during this difficult time.
Almost immediately after the earthquake, the Republic of Korea made the decision to dispatch KDRT (Korean Disaster Relief Team) to Nepal. The team will be composed of more than 40 Search & Rescue and medical experts. Given the strong urgency of the situation, the first batch of 15 members of the Search & Rescue and advance team was dispatched on Monday, April 27th.
In addition, the Government of the Republic of Korea has decided to make a voluntary financial contribution of 1 million US dollars for humanitarian assistance.
We are now working closely with Nepalese authorities and the international organizations to assess the full extent of the humanitarian needs.
Nepal is indeed a close friend of Korea and favored tourist destinations as every year, tens of thousands of Koreans visit the country. It is also one of Korea’s priority partners for official development assistance. We have assisted Nepal to develop human resources, improve its healthcare system, and enhance disaster preparedness, including through establishing Disaster Recovery Center for Government Integrated Data.
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It is, without a doubt, extremely disturbing to witness the thousands of deaths and many more that are injured and without shelter. What is even more worrying, based on our experience in similar natural disasters is that the situation only gets worse in the weeks following the event, as hospitals become overwhelmed, basic supplies become scarce and those living in temporary shelters succumb to exposure and disease.
Many of us have vivid memories of the “2010 earthquake in Haiti” – a country in a similar economic condition to Nepal. We learned lessons from the experience in Haiti especially, the need for “coordinated response.” We rely on OCHA for playing this –
vital role of leading the coordination efforts.
Lastly, in addition to responding to the devastating humanitarian emergency, we should bear in mind the need to repair and rebuild the earthquake-prone country to be more resilient in the future.
Once again, the Republic of Korea remains committed to helping the people of Nepal during this difficult time. I thank you. /the end/
