Japan needs a "Berlin Airlift"
03-15-2011, 07:38 PM
#1
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
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Japan needs a "Berlin Airlift"
As of Monday, $23 million in donations had been raised for victims of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, says the American Red Cross. That's far less than the $150 million raised in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 Haiti quake.
For Japan, the world's third-largest economy, money isn't the problem, at least in the short-term. "They don't need money, they need supplies flowing in immediately," says Michael Auslin, director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
More than 500,000 displaced people are currently being housed in temporary shelters, according to the American Red Cross. At least a million people are still without electricity and water.
Getting to the most devastated regions is still proving difficult and supplies in the region are running low. "You have millions without basic necessities and there is almost no way to get them these necessities in bulk because roads are washed out, airports are inoperable, port are gone. You have to use helicopters."
What Japan needs now, Auslin says, is for the U.S. to organize an operation like the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49. That Cold War mission proved successful in getting supplies to blockaded portions of the German capital. With the threat of the nuclear plant disaster growing, Auslin speculates Japan will also need more in terms of iodine and other decontamination supplies.
For those interested in sending help to Japan, the U.S. Agency for International Development refers visitors to InterAction.org's list of "appropriate disaster relief."
For Japan, the world's third-largest economy, money isn't the problem, at least in the short-term. "They don't need money, they need supplies flowing in immediately," says Michael Auslin, director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
More than 500,000 displaced people are currently being housed in temporary shelters, according to the American Red Cross. At least a million people are still without electricity and water.
Getting to the most devastated regions is still proving difficult and supplies in the region are running low. "You have millions without basic necessities and there is almost no way to get them these necessities in bulk because roads are washed out, airports are inoperable, port are gone. You have to use helicopters."
What Japan needs now, Auslin says, is for the U.S. to organize an operation like the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49. That Cold War mission proved successful in getting supplies to blockaded portions of the German capital. With the threat of the nuclear plant disaster growing, Auslin speculates Japan will also need more in terms of iodine and other decontamination supplies.
For those interested in sending help to Japan, the U.S. Agency for International Development refers visitors to InterAction.org's list of "appropriate disaster relief."
03-15-2011, 09:57 PM
#4
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The issue isn't having the airlift capability to get stuff to Japan, it's the ability to get the supplies into the hands of the people on the ground. Roads in affected areas are out and quarantine protocols/recommendations will limit the ability to operate in certain areas for extended periods due to radiation hazards.
What they need is a huge fleet of helicopters or COORDINATED air drops, both of which take time to get into place. Just haphazardly dropping supplies into the area can make things worse as people get more and more desperate.
What they need is a huge fleet of helicopters or COORDINATED air drops, both of which take time to get into place. Just haphazardly dropping supplies into the area can make things worse as people get more and more desperate.
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