ACHIEVEMENTS OF TSUNAMI SURVIVORS
Four years after the Boxing day tsunami, British survivors should
remind themselves what they have achieved in trying to come to terms
with the changes in their lives (and all their lives have been
permanently changed), how they have contributed in helping, directly or
indirectly, the survivors in the affected countries and how they have
helped to reduce many of the hurdles for those British citizens who
will be caught up in future disasters. They should also remind
themselves of the need to continue to push for solutions to the
problems that remain.
Immediately after the tsunami it was apparent that the FCO (Foreign
Office) was inadequately prepared to handle such a disaster. Most of
the staff were on holiday and the initial feedback from embassies
badly underestimated the potential losses and injuries to British
citizens. The initial response team was sent to Sri Lanka, whereas
there were far more British people present in the coastal areas of
Thailand. These were not all visiting holiday makers; many
casualties were among businessmen and their families and aid workers
living in the affected countries and taking a Christmas break.
British casualties were amongst the last foreign visitors to be
contacted in hospitals, and the attitude of the embassy shocked many
survivors. The emergency response lines in the U.K. were totally
inadequate and the operators insufficiently prepared.
Everyone has their own story, but it was soon realised that changes had
to be made to the way tragedies such as the Boxing Day Tsunami were
handled. Many survivors (this term includes those who physically
survived the waves, those who were closely involved and those who lost
family and friends) individually and as groups put pressure on the
Government through the media, their Members of Parliament and directly
to the FCO to try to make the necessary changes to ensure that such
failures would not be repeated. Some of these changes were already in
place when the 7/7 bombings took place 6 months later.
For the first time a N.A.O. (National Audit Office) report was issued
based entirely on survivors’ observations about the failures of
agencies and the improvements that needed to be made. Survivors were
interviewed; video recordings made and detailed questionnaires
completed. Videos were also made by other agencies to help train
disaster response staff and survivors gave talks to various agencies
including the FCO. The personal experiences of survivors make a far
bigger impact than impersonal presentations.
Amongst the many changes that have taken place:
• Two further emergency response teams have been organised in
different time zones on a 24/7 basis. No doubt this helped for the
Mumbai attacks.
• The HAU (Humanitarian Assistance Unit) has been established to
co-ordinate responses to future disasters. This unit is part of the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The minister
responsible is the Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell. The unit now works together
with the FCO and co-ordinates other agencies.
• FCO staff receives training in how to respond to disaster
survivors. Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates regularly test
their emergency plans.
• The law requiring relatives to wait 7 years before a death
certificate is issued, if identification is not possible, was relaxed
for the first time.
• Training for Police Family Liaison Officers has been improved.
Leaflets have been prepared to distribute to survivors to aid the
liaison process and to reflect the fact that people in stress only take
in 20% of what they are told. These changes need to be continued and
improvements monitored.
Changes that need to be addressed/competed:
• The FCO offered to finance psychological help to survivors for a
period of one year. This was no doubt well intended, but implied that
after a year the problems should be resolved. In fact PTSD (post
traumatic stress disorder) often appears years after a trauma. There
was no register of experts for the treatment of post trauma problems
and there is a lack of doctors trained in diagnosis. Availability of
psychological help was often dependant on where survivors lived and who
they spoke to. Not everyone was aware of the help available. Recent
disasters and the Afghan and Iraq wars will increase demand for
psychological help and these matters have not yet been fully
addressed.
• Over zealous interpretation of Data Protection legislation
obstructed the sharing of data between agencies. Efforts are being
made to improve this by The Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who is well
aware of the issues faced by tsunami survivors, and the amended act is
under discussion in Parliament. The problem is to achieve
responsible and beneficial data-sharing while avoiding abuse
(unfortunately prevalent) by Government, Local Authorities and Private
Enterprise. The proposed act is in its current form is being opposed
by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
• Difficulties were encountered in reporting missing family
members. Improvements have been made to both the FCO and Police call
centres but may still not be adequate for a large emergency. The
request for on-line filing of missing person’s details to Interpol
standards has to our knowledge not yet been finalised.
• The tsunami prompted an unprecedented level of donations. Most
of the funds no doubt benefited the affected countries. Some never
left the U.K., or disappeared into the hands of unscrupulous officials
in the destination countries, or in excessive administration costs.
Many NGOs did not consult the local populations and provided unsuitable
housing. Most survivors contributed in some way or another, many
creating their own charities and sometimes raising 6 figure amounts.
They made sure that the money went straight to the people in need,
often returning to the countries themselves to participate in teaching
or rebuilding projects. Better co-ordination is required for future
disasters, a very complex subject.
• It is ironic that there are many British citizens who are in
financial difficulties as a result of the tsunami, having been
orphaned, permanently disabled, or infected with tropical disorders
acquired during hospital treatment. No official funding was provided
for them, largely because the DEC (The Disasters Emergency Committee)
which co-ordinated the 12 leading aid agencies, completely forgot about
them. Imagine the response if 151 people had been killed and around
850 injured in a disaster in the U.K. Those who applied for help to
the Red Cross Tsunami Hardship Fund (established in November 2005) were
met with daunting forms and intrusive means testing at a time when they
were unable to cope. This still needs to be addressed.
The majority of our members feel strongly that a memorial should be
established to commemorate the tsunami. They were given a choice of
three sites, including Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of
Parliament; however 61% voted for the Natural History Museum as their
first choice. Before the 2004 tsunami most people did not know the
meaning of the word tsunami, it is Japanese meaning "harbour wave" and
refers to a large wave that strikes places like harbors. After Alan
Greenspan, ex president of the US Federal Reserve, in October 2008
referred to the current problems as going through a once in a century
"credit tsunami", future generations may be forgiven for thinking that
a tsunami is a recession caused by out of control traders and lenders
allowed to run wild by a lax administration.
We feel that it is essential to educate the young about the true
meaning of a tsunami, how the 2004 tsunami affected the world, and why
it is important in an era of global warming and rising oceans to
protect natural shore lines. Of particular importance are mangrove
swamps and marshes which slow down tsunamis. The Natural History
Museum is the ideal place for this, and the proposed memorial could, at
a later date, be linked to a display in the museum. In an age when
such major events are forgotten by the majority so quickly we do need
to remind generations that tsunamis are not just strange occurrences
which happen infrequently on the other side of the world. We need to
raise awareness of the fact that geologists have indicated that
tsunamis could occur in the future nearer home in the Atlantic, which
would possibly endanger Europe, Africa and America.
Many visitors from around the world will have connections to the Boxing
Day Tsunami and may well have suffered loss or trauma in one of the
seventeen countries affected. They may have had relatives amongst the
probable 300,000 dead. No one will ever know the full toll. No one
should ever forget this natural tragedy.
Posted by Robert Brewster 27 Jan 2009
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About Tsunami Support UK
The Tsunami Support Network, coordinated by the British Red Cross,
has now passed on its activities to an elected committee aimed at
continuing to help provide support for families and individuals in the
UK affected by the catastrophic South East Asian Earthquake and the
resulting Tsunami of December 26th 2004
Membership is restricted to those directly affected by the tsunami and their close friends and relations.
Our objectives are:
•
To provide a point of contact in the UK to offer support and
information to people affected by the tsunami and through which people
can contact each other to provide mutual support
• To seek to raise awareness of the needs of those directly affected by the tsunami
• To plan for tsunami anniversaries and commemorative events
•
to relieve the needs of UK citizens and residents affected by the
tsunami by providing support, practical advice, and help in obtaining
financial assistance
• to cooperate with any statutory
authority in the provision and/or management of a memorial to the
tsunami victims and of any tsunami commemorative event in the
furtherance of the above objects.
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