Growing Role of Armed Forces in Disaster Relief a Dangerous Trend for Latin America (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Military Forces Employment in Humanitarian Operations after Natural Disasters.
Humanitarian action is aimed at alleviating suffering where it exists. Relief aid after natural disaster tries to make life of affected population as it was before the catastrophe. All available resources including military forces should be used to minimize the human cost of a natural disaster. This study examines the advantages, limitations and implications of using foreign military assets as part of the international response after natural disasters. The criteria of military involvement in humanitarian operations aimed at overcoming the impacts of natural disasters are decribed in the article. Special attention is given to the principles, instruments and mechanisms of civil military coordination in humanitarian operations. Due regard is also paid to the peculiarities of the use of the United Nations special military forces in humanitarian operations and tasks that military may perform.. The article analyses the criteria of efficiency of military presence in affected area, explores the challenges of military involvement in humanitarian operations, examines the role of national commander in combined humanitarian operation.
Developments and Advances in Defense and Security Proceedings of MICRADS 2020, 2020
The Ecuadorian Armed Forces have their constitutional mission as indicated in Art. No. 158 of the Constitution of Ecuador. Its human conformation, its technological resources, its equipment and training provide special features such as flexibility, opportunity, scope, speed and efficiency, which all are essential when reacting to a risk situation. As a support and reaction institution to deal with hazards and risks in the national territory in front of multiple existing scenarios, the Army provides experience, equipment and capabilities in the field of risk management. With this base, the military plans are elaborated next to other state institutions responsible for the prevention, reaction and mitigation of the effects produced by natural and anthropic disasters. The last high-magnitude earthquake occurred on April 16 of 2016, allowed to identify the need to know the components of the State based on possible natural hazards. The way to exploit the resources of these components and their distribution in case of emergencies in natural scenarios has been decisive, prior to a decision-making process that optimizes mitigation work of damages. Finally, the Armed Forces at present collaborate with their contingent in the creation of databases on information collected during emergencies, in order to transmit it as inputs as a pertinent corrective measure and perform it into doctrine and plans that facilitate logistical displacement and mobilization of a large military contingent guarantying the security of the population.
The return of the generals? Civil-military relations in Latin America at times of pandemic
Real Instituto Elcano- ARI 139/2020, 2020
The recent warnings from politicians and academics about the re-emergence of Latin American military power as a threat to democracy are based on the expansion of armed missions in spheres such as the fight against drug trafficking and their role in crises such as the one that befell Bolivia. These concerns do not however reflect a reality in which armed forces have seen their resources dramatically reduced over recent decades and have come under the control of civilian governments. In reality the new role being played by the armed services has less to do with the growth in their political influence and more to do with the feeble efforts to modernize Latin America's civilian administrations. This failure has made them a key tool for civilian governments wanting to react to a crisis, whether a public health emergency or an epidemic of crime. Under these circumstances, it is essential that the region's governments strengthen the armed forces' oversight and control mechanisms in order to be able to use their resources to tackle what promise to be years characterized by instability and violence in the region.
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2009
The August 2007 earthquake in Peru resulted in the loss of critical health infrastructure and resource capacity. A regionally located United States Military Mobile Surgical Team was deployed and operational within 48 hours. However, a post-mission analysis confirmed a low yield from the military surgical resource. The experience of the team suggests that non-surgical medical, transportation, and logistical resources filled essential gaps in health assessment, evacuation, and essential primary care in an otherwise resource-poor surge response capability. Due to an absence of outcomes data, the true effect of the mission on population health remains unknown. Militaries should focus their disaster response efforts on employment of logistics, primary medical care, and transportation/evacuation. Future response strategies should be evidence-based and incorporate a means of quantifying outcomes.
Armed Forces and Disaster Management
Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, cyclones, landslides and volcanoes etcetera may strike according to the vulnerability of the area in different parts of the world. Pakistan, due to its diverse range of terrain, is susceptible to wide ranging hazards from droughts to floods and earthquakes to cyclones. Besides above, she also suffers losses from terrorist activities. Pakistan Armed Forces are neither trained nor equipped to undertake such relief operations, yet it has always played an important role with a proactive approach to help the civil machinery overcome natural and manmade disasters in the country. Above in view analyse the role played by Pakistan Armed Forces during various disasters in the past and discuss options available to evolve a strategy and organization, capable of dealing with all types of disasters more effectively and methodically.