Who has never had problems with the bureaucracy?
This news is not directly related with Langtang, but I think it is interesting to see how governments behave in the situation of crisis. Not just in Nepal, but everywhere … .Since we have had a lot of problems with the Spanish bureaucracy since we decided to be together in 2012 and most recently in Nepal. Recently after the earthquake we contacted with the special rescue Spanish team. The rescue team were willing to go to Langtang with us in helicopter. But we failed to get the support from the side of Spanish and Nepalese government just to get a helicopter. Later after five days the Spanish Civil Guard and Mountain Army was in Langtang.
Like us, other Spanish citizens who were trying to rescue or recover the bodies of their relatives from Langtang had gone through the same problem. They had to give up finally due to the slow process and organization in helping them from the side of Spanish embassy and the government. They decided to organize and move themselves . You can read their related posts of the affected spanish families who had to face the problem of burocracy. Right now one NGO of Spanish Civil Guard is having problem in delivering their humanitarian aid to Nepal.
In a critical situation like in Nepal the government can´t pretend to control everything. By doing so the needy and affected people are not getting the help. And the humanitarian groups can´t go to the destinated places. The government should be more flexible in controlling without paralyzing the process of aid.
You can also take a look at NepaliTimes-Bureaucracy which clarifies the actual processing of the Nepal Government and the hamper it is causing in the distribution of aids to it´s people.
We translate the first paragraphs:
For the first few days following the 25 April earthquake, everyone in the Nepal government was too shocked to get organised. The state’s preparedness was found to be wanting and there was confusion about what kind of emergency relief was needed most urgently, and where. Ironically, those first few days without government interference meant that international help came in unhindered. Tents, medicine, food, equipment could all be brought in without hassles at customs. It has not been the same since the government started issuing new directives and making rules.
One week after the quake, the Rastra Bank put out a rudely-worded statement warning that any individual donation that didn’t go to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund would be ‘confiscated’. The PMO clarified that that was only for NGOs set up after 25 April, but the damage was done and Nepal probably lost tens of millions of dollars in aid.
If you want to know more you can read the news in NepaliTimes.
Finally, I would like to say again that we have an address in Nepal where we can receive shipments, but I would like to explain again that normally everything is more expensive in our country, especially if we then add the cost of shipping. Finally it is more useful that they can buy what they want in Nepal, besides that they can dress as they like and many Tibetan women do not want modern clothes, they prefer their traditional clothes.
The same goes for food. We could organize shipments from here, but if in their country they still have rice, lentils, etc… it is easier and more profitable for them to buy it there and we contribute to the local economy. Nepal is not a desert like some places in Africa where you have to carry loads of drinking water and food.
Thank you very much for your interest.
