ADB provides $5 million grant for Vanuatu earthquake relief

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Manila, Dec 24 (IANS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Tuesday it has provided $5 million in contingent disaster financing to support emergency relief efforts in Vanuatu following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the capital, Port Vila, on December 17.

The grant came from the fifth phase of the Pacific Disaster Resilience Programme, which also supported progress in strengthening the country’s capacity to manage and reduce disaster risks.

The program was financed by a $20 million concessional loan from the ADB’s ordinary capital resources and a $21 million grant from the Asian Development Fund, Xinhua news agency reported.

The situation in Vanuatu remained concerning after a massive earthquake struck the country, and the government had requested international assistance on December 18.

The government of Vanuatu had declared a state of emergency for seven days following the 7.3-magnitude earthquake. At least 14 people were confirmed dead, with more than 200 injured. Authorities anticipated the toll would rise.

To complement the national response, the government had requested international assistance, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, told reporters.

According to local authorities, damage inflicted by the quake was extensive, including to hospitals, residential and public buildings, roads, water reservoirs, and gas pipes. Villages near Efate had also experienced landslides. Communications in many areas had been cut off.

Operations at Port Vila International Airport in the capital city were also experiencing delays due to damage to its terminal building and road network, while the runway was functioning, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. The airport remained closed to all commercial services. However, on December 22, Port Vila International Airport reopened to commercial airline operations.

Access to the seaport was also disrupted by a landslide, limiting the transport of essential supplies and personnel.

The United Nations and partners were mobilising resources to respond, OCHA said. It was deploying response teams, including a UN disaster assessment and coordination team, in the quake-hit region.

UN humanitarians said that immediate needs included medical supplies and repairs to medical structures, mobile medical teams, search and rescue teams with heavy machinery for clearing, as well as safe drinking water.

–IANS

int/jk/

Related Posts

CM Fadnavis announces judicial probes into Beed, Parbhani incidents

Nagpur, Dec 20 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a judicial enquiry by a retired judge into the prevailing ecosystem in Beed district amid the deteriorating law and order due to rising crimes, extortion and land mafia raj.

Besides, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a police officer of the rank of Inspector General will conduct a probe into the murder of a young sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Massajog village of Beed district.

Both these probes will be completed in the next three to six months and the government will direct the police administration to conduct regular drives to curb crimes and thereby maintain law and order in Beed district.

Fadnavis also announced the transfer of Beed Superintendent of Police citing lapses in handling the situation that arose after the killing of Santosh Deshmukh.

Fadnavis announced the aid of Rs 10 lakh to the family of deceased Santosh Deshmukh.

He was replying to a debate under Rule 101 over the killing of Santosh Deshmukh and also on the desecration of the Constitution and the subsequent violence in Parbhani.

As far as the killing of the sarpanch is concerned, CM Fadnavis said that the incident was not limited to one murder.

“It has deep roots. We will have to end the lawlessness in Beed. Avada Green company has invested big time in Beed and some people are demanding various works or extortion money.

“The accused went to the company at Massajog village. First they beat the watchman and then the manager. They went to Santosh Deshmukh. As the accused were from a neighbouring village, people along with Deshmukh beat them. The video went viral,” he said.

“Later, on December 9, Deshmukh and his cousin were travelling. After the toll booth, a black Scorpio intercepted their car. First they broke the glass on the driver’s side and then the passenger side. He was beaten up inside the car first and then outside. Deshmukh’s cousin was in contact with Vishnu Mahadev Chate and Chate was telling him that Deshmukh will be released. But they did not. To clear the record, Deshmukh’s eyes were not burned but he was punched in the eyes,” said Fadnavis.

“No matter if Walmik Karad is a mastermind in this case, he will face action,” said Fadnavis.

The ruling and Opposition members had accused Walmik Karad of running a parallel government by a rule of terror.

The Opposition also claimed that despite several offences registered against him, Walmik Karad was not arrested.

The police have yet to initiate action against Walmik Karad despite an offence for extortion being lodged against him in connection with Deshmukh’s killing.

“The manner in which anarchy is being created in Beed district, it will go extremely wrong. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) will be slapped against them all. Any person even remotely linked to the killing of Deshmukh will face similar action. A special campaign will be run to eliminate all goons, cartels,” announced CM Fadnavis.

In the Parbhani incident, CM Fadnavis announced a judicial enquiry into the death of Dalit youth Somnath Suryavanshi who died in judicial custody.

Suryavanshi participated in the agitation that took place in the wake of the desecration of the Constitution.

He clarified that Suryavanshi in his submission had denied being beaten by the police though he was suffering from breathlessness.

“Somnath Suryavanshi, a law student died. He had told the magistrate that he was not beaten up by the police. Video footage of him while in custody is available where it is clearly seen that he was never beaten. However, his post mortem reports clearly say that he had breathlessness and other bone injuries. The entire case will be probed by a retired judge,” he added.

CM Fadnavis said that Dattarao Pawar, who is mentally ill and under treatment from 2012, was involved in the desecration of the Constitution.

A committee of four doctors gave a report that Pawar was suffering from mental disorder and psychotic disorder and he needs to take regular treatment from a psychiatrist.

The chief minister said that before the desecration of the Constitution, the Sajal Hindu Samaj morcha was held in the morning over the attack on minorities in Bangladesh.

“The Parbhani incident is not about Hindus vs Dalits. Majority were peacefully agitating but only 200-odd used violent methods. No combing operation was held as I held calls with the local police force. Ashok Ghorband, Police Inspector has been suspended for using extra force,” he announced.

He announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the family of deceased Vijay Wakode, a Dalit community activist, who was engaged to maintain peace after the violence that took place following the desecration of the Constitution.

–IANS

sj/rad

Turkey not to halt military activity in Syria until Kurdish forces ‘disarm’

Ankara, Dec 19 (IANS) Turkey will continue its military activity in northern Syria until Kurdish fighters fully “disarm,” Turkish semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Thursday, citing a Defence Ministry source.

Highlighting ongoing threats from Kurdish forces within Syria to Turkey’s southern border, the source said, “Our counter-terrorism measures and preparations will persist until terrorist groups lay down arms and their foreign fighters leave Syria.”

The source made the remarks in response to allegations that the Turkish Armed Forces and the Syrian National Army, a coalition of armed groups backed by Turkey, are preparing for operations against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the east of the Euphrates.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, and has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.

The Turkish military has launched several operations since 2016 in northern Syria in order to create a YPG-free zone along its border with the neighbouring country.

Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that Ankara will not allow Syria to become a conflict zone and be divided once again.

“Any attack on the stability of the new Syrian government or the integrity of ancient Syrian lands will face both the Syrian people and us,” Erdogan said at a ruling party meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We cannot accept any steps or provocations aimed at preventing the return of our Syrian brothers and sisters to their homes,” he noted.

Syrian militant groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), waged a major offensive from northern Syria starting November 27 and swept southwards through government-held areas, capturing the capital Damascus within 12 days.

Following the offensive, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigned and arrived in Russia for asylum.

Mohammed al-Bashir, an electrical engineer and head of the ‘Syrian Salvation Government’ in Idlib formed in 2017 by the HTS and other Syrian militant groups during the Syrian civil war, was tasked with heading a transitional government in Syria until early March 2025.

–IANS

int/as

MP farmers optimistic about their future with the launch of Ken-Betwa Link project

Bhopal, Dec 25 (IANS) On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects in Madhya Pradesh including the Ken-Betwa Link Project.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said that once the Ken-Betwa Link Project becomes a reality, it will open new doors of prosperity and happiness in the Bundelkhand region and other districts of Uttar Pradesh including Banda, Mahoba, Lalitpur, and Jhansi will also benefit from it.

A couple of farmers from the Bundelkhand region, speaking to IANS, voiced their excitement as well as optimism about their future because of the key river-interlinking project.

“Under this scheme, common people will be able to get adequate water, which will strengthen their economic condition. Along with this, the yield of crops will also increase,” said farmer Vinod Kumar Lodhi.

Vinod Kumar, another farmer said, “The project will prove beneficial for the farmers of eight districts of the entire Bundelkhand region.”

Ram Gopal Gupta, sharing his opinion, said, “I have been troubled by water woes but now with this scheme, crop yield will increase and prosperity will come into our lives.”

He also thanked the Prime Minister for giving a green signal to the scheme.

Envisaged under the ambitious river-linking campaign, the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) aims to transfer water from the Ken River to the Betwa River, both tributaries of the Yamuna, via a 221-km canal that includes a 2-km tunnel, with an aim to provide water to huge swathes of land amounting to 11 lakh hectares.

The work of lower and major projects under the Kenwa-Betwa Link National Project is going on at a fast pace. The total cost of this project is Rs 2,208 crore, and 40 per cent work has been completed so far. The remaining work is targeted to be completed by 2026.

In the second phase of this project, an irrigation facility will be provided through high pressure (mico method) in 253 villages of Shivpuri and Datia districts. Under this scheme, irrigation will be done in 1,10,400 hectare area, which will benefit about 53,790 families.

Additionally, 6 million cubic meters of water in the project’s dam will be secured for drinking water. This will provide clean drinking water to approximately 1,65,000 population of 33,000 families in 125 villages of Pichor tehsil.

–IANS

mr/uk