Over 150 people have been killed throughout parts of Southeast Asia over the past two months as the region has been inundated by the worst flooding to hit the area in years. From Northern Thailand and neighboring Cambodia, all the way to Vietnam, the Mekong River Delta has turned poor, rural communities and even major urban centers into muddy waterways, the consequences of which in terms of human suffering and economic inflation are sure to be felt for months.
Moreover, Typhoon Nesat has forced 70,000 in China’s southern province of Hainan to flee their homes for fear of mudslides and even more flooding. The typhoon season – which usually runs from August to October in Asia – has destroyed vast swaths of farmland used in the production and exportation of rice. The ensuing floods have caused the price of rice to reach a three-year high, according to Thanh Nien News in Vietnam, the world’s second largest rice exporter behind Thailand.
On the heels of the global economic crisis and international relief efforts initiated throughout the world from Haiti, to Pakistan, to Japan, it remains to be seen if the international community – the United Nations, the wealthy donor nations, civil society, and individuals – will be able to muster the resources and wherewithal to deal with yet another imminent calamity.
Some relatively developed countries such as Thailand should be able to handle the emergency in a swift and economical way. Other, less developed states such as Cambodia will likely have a difficult time communicating effectively with at-risk areas and organizing evacuations, all the while relying on shoddy in-state infrastructure.
Southeast Asia is no stranger to flooding or powerful acts of nature. But the situation on the ground now, from all accounts, is a dire one in which human lives hang in the balance. An interesting angle of this story is who, if any, will come to the aid of the region?
Resources have dried up on a global scale. Donor nations still have the ability to write a check, but there are myriad problems which can arise when aid is given unconditionally. The worse off countries need technical experience, an attribute in short supply in some of the ASEAN nations. Will China, for example, as the regional hegemon, exhibit a form of “soft power” and provide countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines with aid, especially in light of the various border disputes between the actors? The U.S. response to the tsunami of 2004 was admirable, going above and beyond the call of service. But does Washington have that type of financial capability anymore? It’s a fascinating practical exercise of great power behavior, but one which has very serious consequences for people in desperate need of help right now.
