MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Nepal after the earthquakes

9.6.2015 - (2015/2734(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Pablo Iglesias, Marie-Christine Vergiat, Malin Björk, Marisa Matias, Kateřina Konečná, Miloslav Ransdorf, Jiří Maštálka, Lola Sánchez Caldentey, Paloma López Bermejo, Marina Albiol Guzmán, Javier Couso Permuy, Ángela Vallina, Lidia Senra Rodríguez, Kostadinka Kuneva, Patrick Le Hyaric, Kostas Chrysogonos, Eleonora Forenza on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0580/2015

B8‑0584/2015

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Nepal after the earthquakes

(2015/2734(RSP))

The European Parliament,

-       Having regard to the resolutions of the European parliament on the situation in Nepal

-       Having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

- Having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966,

- Having regard to Rule 135 (5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. Whereas on April 25th 2015 Nepal suffered a first devastating earthquake killing over 8.500 people and injuring more than 23.000, mainly in Nepal but also in neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, China and India. Further, on May 12th 2015, a second massive earthquake struck Nepal, followed by several aftershocks.

B. Whereas the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since 1934 made homeless hundreds of thousands of people, with entire villages flattened across many areas of the country, and as close to 1.7 million children had been driven out into the open, and were in desperate need of drinking water, psychological counsel, temporary shelters, sanitation and protection from disease outbreak.

C. Whereas the civil society response to these events needs to be followed by a global and consistent program addressing the identified needs and capacities of all the actors involved.

D. Whereas as a consequence of the earthquakes, thousands of people live in temporary shelters from the aforementioned dates, facing long stays living there before rebuilding their places.

E. Whereas geophysicists and other experts warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.

F. Whereas a number of organisation reported incidents linked to the shelters, targeted by criminal gangs, with the consequent potential danger for the population living there.

G. Whereas even if Nepal has received a large humanitarian aid from the earthquake's date, reports from different organisations inform that the allocation of resources seems not to be as efficient as it should be considering the risky situation.

H. Whereas it has been reported that in some communities the aid effort has been politically manipulated and not managed in the most humanitarian and human rights strict basis.

I. Whereas, discrimination within the aid efforts distribution has been reported by Amnesty International, based on gender, caste and/or ethnic groups.

J. Whereas Nepal’s government external debt stands for $3.8 billion and the debt payment due in 2015 is $210 million. Furthermore, Nepal recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 28.80 percent of the country's GDP in 2014.D. Whereas, even if the proportion of poor people has substantially declined in recent years, poverty remains a big issue in Nepal with over 24.8 percent of the population earning less than $1.25 per day, while within a poverty line of $2 per day, 57.3 percent for 2010/2011.

1. Stresses it deepest condolences to the families of the earthquake's victims.

 

2. Is concerned about the situation of the hundreds of thousands people living in shelters without the needed protection from criminal organisations taking advantage of the fragile structure of the local organisations under such an overwhelming situation;

 

3. Expresses the concern about an estimated amount of 8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Nepal over a total amount of around 28 million in the whole country.

 

4. Is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation of the population affected by the earthquakes;

 

5. Expresses a deep concern on the fact that Nepal, considered one of the poorest countries in the world, is facing an extremely complicated humanitarian situation needed to be quickly improved by ensuring that aid reaches those who need it;

 

6. Calls for efficiency and coordination aid among every institution providing aid in Nepal without any kind of discrimination based on gender, caste and/or ethnic. Reports do confirm discrimination towards women, Dalits, Indigenous people and people with disabilities. To this extent, both the international organisations and countries involved should assure that local counterparts and organisations well distribute such aid in an efficient and non-discriminatory way;

 

7. Calls for the international attention on Nepal within a long term perspective, since a number of experts have reported that further to the consequences of these earthquakes, Nepal remains a country particularly prone to natural disasters causing every year loss of lives; highlight the need to avoid another situation like the current one in Haiti with over 80.000 people living in tents and shelters.

 

8. Stresses the fact that the consequences of the earthquakes in Nepal is linked with the lack of infrastructures, prevention and to the conditions of life of the population; calls therefore for the establishment of an international reconstruction and prevention plan under the auspices of the UN; highlights the need of a long-term plan to prevent a repetition of this disaster, including in the construction of adapted-housing for all the population, health and other free and public services;

 

9. Is concerned about reports on the fragile Nepalese economy stating that it will take years to rebuild the country; thus reiterates the need to implement a global solidarity programme and cooperation based on equality, justice and accountability, instead of free trade agreements which contribute to weaken the Nepalese economy;

 

10. Stresses the need to ensure urgent relief efforts on a more efficient way while the monsoon season approaches, but also long-term plans so as to solve within a larger perspective the situation of the thousands of displaced people;

 

11. Demands to the EU to increase the emergency aid needed to rebuild the country; urges that specific attention is given to emergency food aid, focusing primarily buying local foods so that food aid does not help to eliminate the peasant men and women of the country, supports access of farmers and farmers in the country to farm equipment, non-genetically modified seeds and species and varieties adapted to the soil, climate and food culture of the country so that the country can restart agricultural production as quickly and guarantee food sovereignty;

 

12. Stresses the necessity to answer to the situation in Nepal and to the calls of UN by the way of donations and not in the form of loans and strengthening the debt burden; reiterates its call for debt cancellation notably for developing countries affected by social and humanitarian disasters;

 

13. Calls on the EU and the Member states to stress the need that both the local authorities and the international community must ensure that human rights principles are fully respected and at the core every action;

 

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Nepal, , the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, the UN Special Representative for Human Rights in Nepal, the UN Human Rights Council and the governments and parliaments of other States of the region.