The Sri Lankan Tsunami

Sri Lanka was hit pretty hard by the Tsunami on 26th December 2004 and it would seem now that it is fading memory for the rest of the world. In general they are believed to be back on their feet and OK now.

However, Sri Lanka still bears the emotional scars and if you look closely enough there are open wounds visible throughout the communities.

I expected to see a landscape still flattened after bearing the brunt of nature's ferocity, but nature is also tenacious and life will cling on and return, especially plant life. Somehow the palm trees and others generally managed to withstand the wave and since then the undergrowth has come back with a vengeance hiding a lot of the damage.

Apparently the numerous aid agencies that rushed in to help managed to get some people back on their feet very quickly, rebuilding houses and donating boats and tuktuks. Others weren't so lucky and remain in tented camps. Some of the tents look Ok, but not as a permanent home. I've also seen families living underneath frames covered with bin liners. What type of existence is that?

The Wave somehow seems to been quite discriminatory in what it managed to destroy. The weakest houses were swept away whilst others seem to have been untouched. Looking at Galle, where I'm currently based you would hardly notice.

All along the coast there are crumpled ruins of homes dotted about and then shells of houses partially rebuilt. Now it would seem that they are being left to get on with it.

Just about everyone you encounter down here had their life touched or destroyed by it in some way. My friendly tuktuk driver, pointed out the ruin of a house yesterday where a whole family whom he knew were killed. They had never stood a chance. He was at his post at the bus station in Galle when he saw the wave coming. He was fortunate enough to get his vehicle started and get to higher ground. He was lucky and his family survived.

I met a man today in the Fort who had lost 12 members of his family. His wife, children and other relatives. He was eternally grateful to the British for rebuilding him a house. Then he offered me advice about the numerous mozzy bites on my legs and warned me about Dengue fever. His parting shot was 'God bless you'

A sensitive subject is where all the money has gone. It certainly didn't reach everybody that needed it and I think that is why a lot of aid agencies and charities have pulled out. The houses are no longer being built and people are struggling.

I met a guy who told me that who got what depended on who was at the front of the queue when the aid came in and how well they could articulate what they needed. It's a very cynical perspective, but looking around it's easy to believe.