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Indian Ocean tsunami - lessons for governments and the tourism industry
Eye-witness account by Nirj Deva, Member of the European Parliament for South East England
30 December 2004
Nirj DevaOn Boxing Day morning I was planning to go for a swim when I looked out from the balcony of my apartment in Sri Lanka. I could not believe what I was seeing. A massive wave was roaring toward the shore - there were people on the beach - when suddenly the sea simply rose up and smashed into the land, carrying everything and everybody before it like toys. Buildings were smashed to pieces, cars, lorries and buses were hurled into the air - the tranquil blue sea had become a demented giant. I was actually witnessing the worst natural disaster in history. I was for the first time in my life aware of the awesome power of nature.
Those who were lucky enough to escape the wave fled for the mountains and many remain there, too scared to come back for fear of another onslaught from the ocean. I survived because I was on the 12th floor of a well constructed building. As soon as we recovered our senses we set about trying to help the trapped the injured, and all too often the dead. As soon as I could I contacted the European Aid Agency (ECHO) and the British Government to give them a first hand account of what had happened and what was needed.
The most pressing need was for tents, but I could see that the water and sewage systems had been overwhelmed, and that animal and human remains would soon start to putrify in the sun. I asked urgently for antibiotics and especially for medicines to combat dysentery and typhoid and for water purification tablets. I could see that the children were most at risk, and asked for baby food and clothing to be supplied as a matter of urgency through the Save the Children Fund, which has an effective presence in Sri Lanka. I am most grateful for the immediate and generous response to my pleas and to those of the Sri Lankan authorities.
My feelings of grief and disbelief have now begun to subside, and I am beginning to feel angry. Tens of thousands of people have died, when vigilance and basic organisation could have saved them. It may not be possible to predict major earthquakes far in advance, but when they do happen everybody knows about them very quickly. Reports begin to appear within minutes by telephone, on the internet, and on the radio and television. All the governments of the countries affected knew or ought to have known that a massive earthquake had occurred off Sumatra. They also knew or ought to have known that earthquakes in maritime areas cause killer-waves. They did not need the Americans or the UN to tell them that their people were in mortal danger.
The broken bodies of the people must first be tended, and then their shattered homes and their devastated farms. But then some questions must be asked. At both local and international level the questions must be asked, to determine exactly what went wrong and how it could be prevented in the future. Did the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) know what was happening? If so why did they not alert the radio and television stations? What use was made of reports from naval and merchant shipping and aircraft in the area?
It took more than four hours for the wave to hit Sri Lanka, but what use was made of that time? Why did I hear nothing on my television set? Why did the local police and hotel managers not know what was happening? If they did know, what were they doing about it? What were the military doing in those four hours? Is it possible that everyone was caught napping because it was Christmas? Is there any truth in rumours that warnings were suppressed in some countries for fear of damaging the tourist industry? The tourist industry of the region has certainly been damaged now, and it will not recover until visitors can be confident that adequate systems exist to protect them.
How well has the international aid effort been co-ordinated? Is there a need for more effective institutions? What should be the role of the UN and the Regional Organisations? All these questions and many more need to be asked, and I would expect judicial enquiries to be set up in all the affected countries without delay. Enquiries are also needed in the UN and in other institutions such as the EU who have a role to play. I understand that a Congressional Inquiry is likely in the US.
Finally, who is going to pick up the pieces, and how is it going to be paid for? What threats and opportunities exist for the development of the region? These are some of the issues I shall be addressing urgently when I return to the European Parliament.
Nirj Deva DL, FRSA, MEP is a Sri Lankan born Member of the European Parliament, elected to represent the South-East region of England. He is a leading member of the European Parliament’s Development Committee, and an outspoken critic of Gayyoom's dictatorship in Maldives.
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