The Tsunami

The scale of destruction was immense, as if a nuclear bomb had exploded destroying everything in its wake – homes and schools were flattened, leaving only the foundation as markers; gravestones overturned; fishing boats smashed; road and bridges destroyed; lives shattered.

Three successive waves, in some areas as high as 40 feet and reaching as far inland as 3 km, crashed into shores of Sri Lanka killing 35,000 people. More than one third of these people were in the Ampara District; the area where Free The Children is working.

The enormity of the loss in both lives and property is mind boggling. The Tsunami cost $1.5 billion in damages, equivalent to about 10% of Sri Lanka’s annual GDP. The housing, tourism, fishing and agricultural sectors were most affected, with estimated output losses for 2005 and 2006 into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Aftermath

Words and numbers cannot adequately capture the death and destruction that took place, nor the children and families that have been impacted.

But what is most inspiring is the resilience and courage of the people in the face of unimaginable hardships.
Twelve months after the Tsunami, people are still languishing in unlivable tents and transitional shelters, awaiting permanent housing, effectively preventing these people from engaging in economic activity.

Poor fishermen who lost boats and gear feel abandoned and prevented from carrying out their livelihoods because of the government imposed buffer zones which outlawed the construction of homes 200 meters from the shoreline. Rice farmers in the north and east of the country are worried about crop yields due to salt water contamination of the soil and are still awaiting assistance, unable to make a decent living.

Poverty and vulnerability levels of the poor have increased dramatically due to the Tsunami, with no sign of a decrease in these levels any time soon. One in every three persons living in every Tsunami-affected district is living below the national poverty level of $14 per month.

The Need for Long-Term Development

The transition from short-term emergency relief work to long term sustainable development is proving to be slow and difficult. Almost one year after the Tsunami, some aid groups are still building transitional/temporary shelters instead of permanent houses and providing portable latrines and water tanks instead of building permanent water and sanitation systems. Many aid groups opt for this approach because it is quick, cheap and they don’t have to worry about sustainability issues.
Yet a sustained phase of reconstruction with a long term horizon is required for affected people to make a meaningful recovery. When aid groups leave to rush off to the next crisis, such as the quake zone in Pakistan, locals are worried about who will fill the void, especially since the Sri Lankan Government has proved that it is incapable of doing so. 

Rebuilding Psychologically

Beyond bricks and mortar and infrastructure development, the psychological rehabilitation of the traumatized is proving to be arduous, as few resources are dedicated to counseling and other methods of rehabilitation. Fortunately, it is the children who seem to recover the fastest, seeming to have more resilience than adults. Re-establishing routes and a sense of normalcy in their lives is seen as key. But, many children still languish in displaced camps and temporary shelters hampering their full recovery.

Women who lost husband and children, sometimes as many as four or five children, suffer in silence. It is estimated that female headed households in affected areas increased by as much as 30% due to the Tsunami. Unaccustomed to speaking about their feelings, problems and anxieties, these women, especially in Muslim communities on the east coast of the country, have little recourse, and women face further mental trauma due to sexual and domestic violence and poor privacy in the camps for displaced persons.

Affected men, who have lost their wives, children and means of livelihood often, become ghost-like, wondering aimlessly without purpose. Some become angry and resentful and there is a reported increase in the incidence of sexual and domestic violence in camps.

Free The Children: Moving Forward

Experts argue that enabling men and women to access skills training to channel their energy and frustrations into a productive outlet and to obtain meaningful employment is an important coping mechanism. However, many aid agencies do not seem to be focusing on skills training because it is time consuming and potentially costly.

Free The Children stepped up to fill this gap by building a large vocational training center on the east coast that will provide over 200 youth each year with skills-based training that will enable them to obtain meaningful jobs and work toward rebuilding their lives and communities.

One year after the Tsunami, it is clear that there are many challenges on the road to meaningful recovery. Through the Adopt a Village campaign, Free The Children is working hard to help Tsunami-affected children and their families to rebuild their lives by providing schools, health programs, clean water, and income generating opportunities to make families economically self-sufficient.

In January 2006, Free The Children will open one of the largest primary schools and vocational training centers in Sri Lanka that will benefit over 1,000 children and young people each year.

We could not have accomplished this without you. Thank you for making a difference!

Lloyd Hanoman
South Asia Program Director