Dhivehi Observer News | South Asia | Maldives

Where is our vision?

DO correspondent - 28 December 2004

Many resorts have been flooded and devastated, crippling the Maldives economy.

The events in Maldives immediately after the 26 December tsunami catastrophe are beyond belief. We were caught unguarded, and let us not be complacent about what will follow. Lives are lost, livelihoods devastated and islands totally ruined, and the feeling of insecurity and vulnerability lingers among the people.

At times like this, the first priority is to save lives, but our authorities are oddly unprepared for one of the most obvious natural disasters we are likely to face.

Let us think about the daunting realities - our economic backbone is broken and the business community and public are panic stricken. The status of supplies of food and medicine, and the means of relocation and settlement, are grimly uncertain. The capital is inundated with causalities from islands and there are horrific scenes.

We are proud of our brotherhood, and what better time to show our national unity, generosity and sincerity. In fact that is all what our country has to survive and see tomorrow. The authorities look withered and gloomy.

Not a single minister has stood up and shown leadership when our people are despairing and desperate for their future. All what we hear are bits and pieces from a new spokesman now and then. The finance ministry and the trade ministry has not provided us with any assurance. We are completely without information about food and economic damage.

What are our authorities doing to curb the financial crisis facing our business system now the tourism industry, the hub of our economy, has been decapitated? The panic will have a ripple effect. Many of our businesses operate on a credit basis and no one knows our credit exposure. When uncertainly looms, and in the absence of credible information and assurance, the businesses will call in all debts. There will be more unemployment, food shortages and despair, and eventually a loss of social order.

When the damage is already done, the best hope comes from confidence building, not from a barrage of scenes of devastation and hopeless ministerial meetings. The ministries should function in their individual capacities to avoid getting bogged around search and rescue. We need to survive today, as well as tomorrow.


	Many resorts have been flooded and devastated, crippling the Maldives economy.