MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Nepal after the earthquakes
9.6.2015 - (2015/2734(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Ignazio Corrao, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Rolandas Paksas on behalf of the EFDD Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0580/2015
B8‑0580/2015
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Nepal after the earthquakes
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions,
– having regard to the EEAS Joint statement on the earthquake in Asia 25 April 2015,
– having regard to the Statement by UN Secretary-General on the Nepal earthquake of 25 April 2015,
– having regard to UN Statement of 2 June 2015,
– having regard to the statement of Amnesty International of 1 June 2015 on Nepal,
– having regard to Rules 135(5) and 123(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas an earthquake with two aftershocks of 7.9 and 6.7 degrees on the Richter scale struck in Nepal on 25 April 2015; whereas on 12 May, another massive earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Nepal, with numerous powerful aftershocks continued to affect the country; whereas China and India were affected too;
B. whereas over 8 500 people are reported dead and many more injured; whereas an estimated 8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Nepal with 39 of 75 districts affected; whereas the Nepalese authorities are reporting that almost 490 000 houses are damaged and over 270 000 destroyed and whereas this implies that around 500 000 families are without a home now,
C. whereas the UN estimated 1.4 million people require food assistance, due to high damage to agriculture-based livelihoods; whereas as the planting season starts this month, an estimated 236,000 people need agricultural inputs, including rice and vegetable seeds and the situation is aggravated by the large loss of livestock,
D. whereas key infrastructure, including schools, health facilities, access roads, temples and heritage sites, was also damaged or destroyed; whereas about 1 million children were unable to resume classes at the end of May, as more than 32,000 classrooms were destroyed and thousands remain unsafe,
E. whereas according to UNICEF, the most affected are the children, about 70 thousand, under age 5 are at risk of malnutrition;
F. whereas some 5.6 million people require healthcare support, including disease surveillance access to medical facilities,
G. whereas the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EU CPM) was activated and whereas within hours of the earthquake, the European Commission deployed humanitarian aid and civil protection experts to the disaster area involving the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre to monitor developments and coordinates incoming assistance,
H. whereas the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) immediately responded to the earthquake by announcing an initial €3 million worth of humanitarian aid for emergency relief operations; recalls that the total contribution from the European Commission amounts to €22.6 million including early recovery and stresses that, with the EUR 16.6 million of budget support announced by Neven Mimica and the Member States' contributions, the EU is already providing over EUR 40.7 million in emergency and early recovery assistance to Nepal, in addition to the assets and support provided under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism,
I. whereas at least 1.8 million people have already received assistance from the World Food Programme of the United Nations (WFP), and whereas begins a new phase of operations to reach people who live in the villages the highest mountains; whereas the rural and remote areas are a pressing priority,
J. whereas the Nepal government announced that all donations to help earthquake victims must be made to its prime minister's fund; whereas this announcement raises fears that a portion of the amount donated could be allocated for political considerations,
K. whereas caste, class, gender and ethnic inequalities are deeply entrenched in many communities in Nepal and pose severe obstacles to the enjoyment of several human rights; whereas the earthquake has the potential to intensify existing inequalities and magnify social exclusion and injustice,
1. Expresses its sincere condolences to, and sympathy and solidarity with, the people of Nepal and of other nations, and to the staff of international organisations, including the UN and the Commission, for the massive loss of life and the devastation caused by the earthquake
2. Welcomes efforts by the Nepalese authorities and civil society, as well as by the UN, NGOs and other bilateral donors, to bring aid to the people of Nepal and pays tribute to the work of relief organisations and individuals from across the Union;
3. Calls for a comprehensive assessment to identify the population's short-term and long-term needs and establish the EU's involvement in the reconstruction process, covering the three phases of emergency aid, rehabilitation and reconstruction; asks the Commission to proceed as soon as possible to an evaluation of the European response to the humanitarian crisis in Nepal; calls on the Commission to present to Parliament a comprehensive post-disaster needs assessment and a progress report on reconstruction;
4. Welcomes the fact that on Sunday 31 May thousands of children affected by last month's earthquake in Nepal returned to schools; notes that the government and aid agencies have built 137 temporary learning centres for 14,000 children and over 4,500 education centres will have to be built to accommodate students who have been forced out of their classrooms by the earthquake;
5. Urges that EU priority be given to assisting with the reconstruction efforts and improving the humanitarian situation, focusing on vulnerable groups, such as women and children, and on providing shelter, medical facilities, logistical assistance and food; calls on all Member States to be prepared to meet UN requests for further assistance;
6. Expresses grave concern about the welfare of the vulnerable; calls on the Commission and the UN to pay special attention to women's participation in reconstruction efforts by actively involving them in the rehabilitation, reconstruction and evaluation phases of all relief and rebuilding programmes;
7. Expresses its concern about media reports citing humanitarian and women’s rights organizations have raised concerns about security risks for women in cramped displacement camps and potential for gender based violence, as well as the potential vulnerability of displaced women and girls to trafficking and other forms of exploitation; calls for a strict monitoring of women safety and for the implementation of the UN’s "Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Emergencies: Focusing on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence";
8. Underlines the importance of providing adequate security for aid distribution convoys in order to ensure that supplies are distributed in a fair and calm manner, particularly to the weak and those whose needs are greatest;
9. Recall the Government of Nepal to ensure that all displaced persons are protected against forced evictions and provided with safe options for return or relocation, including adequate and sustainable housing; stresses that sites must not be closed based on an arbitrary deadline and people must not be evicted from the sites if adequate alternative housing for them is not offered;
10. Supports EU efforts to boost food production locally, rehabilitating damaged infrastructures and making the necessary material (seed, fertiliser and tools) available to agriculture smallholders, particularly for the starting planting season;
11. Asks the Nepal authorities to a fully transparency of the use of donations;
12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government of Nepal, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.