From The Front Lines…
The India Earthquake: International Disaster Response

When “No” means “Yes”.
The Cultural Challenges of International Disaster Response
Dateline: Bhuj, India, January 2001 – six days after the 7.9 magnitude Earthquake.

Sunil kept shaking his head from side to side appearing to be in strong disagreement as I reviewed our plans to help distribute food and medical supplies across a 100-kilometer area of destruction. I could not believe he was disagreeing with a plan to help orphaned children and earthquake victims. I started over, only louder and with an increased use of hand movements.  What was I doing wrong?  How could I communicate more effectively?  Why was he shaking his head “No”?  Finally, Bob, our human resource manager from Bangalore tapped me on the shoulder.  “Brent, when someone in India shakes their head from side to side it means Yes! They agree with you”.  This was just one of the many, and sometimes embarrassing, cultural lessons we have learned during our years of on-site disaster relief operations.   

For the past seven years the IBM Crisis Response Team has responded to humanitarian disasters worldwide. The IBM Corporation accepts the social and moral obligation to support our employees, customers, suppliers and their communities during times of need. The continued growth of international economic markets and cross-border dependencies emphasizes the need for public and private sector partnerships when a common foe, such as a natural disaster, brings human suffering, infrastructure disruption, and economic loss. IBM is a strong advocate of corporate community relations and does not charge for the humanitarian assistance services provided by the IBM Crisis Response Team.

Within two hours of the January 26, 2001 earthquake the IBM Crisis Response Team contacted our offices in India and began the process of determining the extent of damage and government requirements for international assistance. Indian government officials requested our help in managing the receipt and distribution of thousands of emergency supplies and medical goods into the affected region. We departed on a 23-hour flight from Los Angeles, California to Ahmedabad, India. Over 100 IBM India volunteers and business partners began preparations to support our efforts.            

International disaster work requires a rapid education in the cultural standards, social customs and political operations of the country you are working in.  The India earthquake is an excellent example of the typical challenges faced by multinational corporations and humanitarian relief personnel working outside the United States. Lessons can range from social customs (not shaking hands in Russia while standing in a doorway) to unique personal experiences (figuring out why there is no toilet tissue in many India restrooms, just a bucket of water…. cold water).  The business challenges can be equally eye opening.

It was an 8-hour drive on stretches of un-maintained roads, not unlike the Van Wick Expressway in New York, to get from Ahmedabad to Bhuj, the city closest to the epicenter.  When we arrived, our first objective was to meet with the senior government official supporting the earthquake relief effort.  We were directed to the office of the “Collector”, named for his responsibility to collect taxes along with acting as the local government deputy director.  There was a long line outside his office with a man wearing a white suit and cap escorting people in as the Collector pressed a buzzer indicating he was ready to receive the next visitor.  A wide variety of people stood patiently, including military personnel, UN officials, rescue workers, shopkeepers, and local residents. The questions being posed ranged from how to obtain personnel for unloading supplies to disagreements with neighbors and payment of past due taxes.  Delegation of authority and the use of a well-defined Incident Command System for disaster management were not apparent.

The Collector buzzed us in. His office was on the first floor of a partially collapsed two-story government facility.  He thanked us for our support and asked his assistant in the white suit to introduce us to the local medical, airport and supply officials. He then graciously agreed to provide us space for a tent, next to a broken sewage pipe, where we could set up our Bhuj field operations. We thanked him and stood up to leave as he pushed the buzzer under his desk for the next constituent.

Evenings were challenging as we tried to rest wrapped in thin blankets on top of rocks in 2-degree (Celsius) weather. Rolling with the aftershocks and tolerating the down-wind breeze from the sewage pit helped us maintain our perspective on the conditions faced by the local residents. Our desire and resolve to help never faltered. We would stay as long as needed and do our best. Electricity to power the computer systems came in the form of two open 220-volt lines. A fluorescent light was wired in allowing us to work through the night and swat mosquitoes.

During the following two weeks we were able to provide supply tracking and analysis services to 11 cities, transit supply checkpoints, and government emergency operation offices. Volunteers came from cities throughout India arriving on trucks, busses, and bicycles. The work was difficult with little time for breaks or reflection.  PC’s and servers running customized disaster management applications operated in tents, vans, airports and temporary offices throughout the worst affected areas. 

A second solution addressing medical supplies was implemented in the government hospitals.  Field hospitals were established to deal with the huge influx of quake injuries and spreading disease. Only limited manual records existed to track and inventory the vast quantity of critical drugs and medical supplies.  The World Health Organization (WHO) and government health management officials asked for our help in the implementation of a medical inventory management system to track and expedite the delivery of life saving drugs to disaster victims. We provided the medical staff with an automated and accurate inventory system recording what was being received, its location and the expiration dates of critical drugs. The medical system met WHO standards and allowed field replacement doctors and pharmacists to trace supplies and deliver needed drugs to patients in a timely manner.

Government officials were pleased and asked us to also support the non-government organizations (NGO’s) performing rehabilitation work along with collating demographic, damage assessment, and lifeline parameter information including health, water supply, electricity restoration and compensation payments to earthquake victims. We are currently working with the government on developing programs focused on long-term preparedness, mitigation and the building of a “Disaster Resistant India”.  

One of our final lessons on local regulations came from our friends and co-workers at UNICEF. The State of Gujarat, India is dry (no liquor). While we understood this practice, after two weeks of breathing dust and working in difficult conditions, the desire for a cold beer can cross your mind. A little known law was discovered by one of the UNICEF volunteers. Foreign workers could apply to the Collector for a permit to drink up to 5 bottles of beer a week! It was a nice thought.

The next day another aftershock struck. In Bhuj several people were killed trying to escape from previously damaged buildings. We worked at the central field hospital helping to distribute needed medicine to doctors and medical volunteers treating victims carried in. The beer would wait until we returned home.          

International Response & Recovery Lessons:

• Gain an understanding of regulations along with local and national customs. 
• Do not try to change long standing political or social practices during a disaster.
• Work within the parameters set by on-site government officials.  
• Be Patient.  Re-explain or re-phrase your thoughts to gain acceptance.
• Do not assume your personal standards of performance will be accepted.
• Protect your health. Check with your doctor before traveling to hazardous areas.
• Maintain your sense of humor.  Don’t take it personally!
• Use common sense.  Think of the political, social, and economic consequences.
• Build partnerships with international organizations focused on the same objectives.
• Deliver on your commitments.

Additional information concerning global disasters and volunteer relief efforts can be obtained at the Red Cross web site. www.disasterrelief.org

About the Author
Brent Woodworth is the manager of IBM’s worldwide Crisis Response Team and has been with IBM for 25 years.  He has worked closely with elected officials and heads of state throughout the world in the development of improved risk identification, disaster management, and global humanitarian relief services.  Brent and his team have received international recognition for their efforts and are considered among the leaders in public / private sector global disaster preparedness, response, and recovery services.  

Brent was appointed to the U.S. Congressional subcommittee for the development of the national pre-disaster mitigation plan, and serves on the board of the Multi-hazard Mitigation Council in Washington DC.

For More Information
Contact Brent at (818) 702-6295 or via email at bhwoodwo@us.ibm.com.