Governments and Fiduciary Responsibility Post-Disaster
In light of the many natural disasters that befall societies around the world the question arises ‘do governments have a long-term responsibility to ensure the well-being and rapid recovery of their citizens post disaster?’ One might imagine that “Power has only one duty – to secure the social welfare of the People.” (Benjamin Disraeli). But is this what actually takes place? I think back to Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, the Thailand tsunami of 2004, Japanese Tahoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011, the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010-2012 and most recently Hurricane Sandy. What did we get and what can we expect of our governments? It is true that during times of crisis governments the world over, do provide some assistance, usually financial, to communities devastated by natural disasters, at least in the immediate aftermath. This assistance takes on a myriad of forms, including: temporary medical care, food, clothing and shelter; grants and … Read More