A success story

THE December 26, 2004 tsunami, whose second anniversary we commemorated last month, devastated most coastal areas of Sri Lanka and claimed around 40,000 lives. Thousands of houses and business establishments were destroyed by the fiery waves.

Next to Indonesia, Sri Lanka bore the brunt of the fury unleashed by the tidal waves that emanated from the massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra.

After the initial shock and sorrow, Sri Lankans around the island shed all differences apart and rose as one to the challenge of rehabilitating lives and reconstructing buildings and infrastructure affected by the worst natural catastrophe witnessed in the country in living memory.

It was a collective effort. The Government, foreign Governments and donor agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and the corporate sector individually and collectively contributed to the massive reconstruction drive.

While it is by no means 100 per cent complete, Sri Lanka is way ahead in terms of post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction.

This was indeed the message conveyed to the Government and the people of Sri Lanka by visiting Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gianni Vernetti. He told President Mahinda Rajapaksa during their bilateral talks that the tsunami reconstruction effort is a success story in Sri Lanka.

It is gratifying that this testimony came from Italy, one of the countries heavily involved in Sri Lanka's tsunami reconstruction drive.

He witnessed first hand many reconstruction projects in Peraliya, Thotagama, Akurala and Panadura, undertaken by Italian Governmental agencies and NGOs. Most of the projects have been completed successfully on target.

President Rajapaksa in turn has thanked the Government and the people of Italy for their generous and prompt assistance provided in the immediate aftermath of the destruction caused by the tsunami.

Apart from post-tsunami activities, Italy has also been involved in global efforts to build a comprehensive tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean.

In this context, disaster management training is also essential for those who will be manning such stations and other personnel such as those in the Police, Navy, Army, Coast Guard and fisheries.

The management of man-made disasters such as terrorist bombings is another equally important aspect. The Memorandum of Understanding due to be signed shortly by Italy and Sri Lanka on disaster management training for Sri Lankans in Italian universities is thus a step in the right direction.

One cannot deny that there have been, and are, shortcomings in the tsunami reconstruction process. There have been allegations, mainly against NGOs that many of them have to little to show for the massive funds received from their principals abroad.

Some NGOs which sprung up after the tsunami have vanished without a trace, after such funds were collected. A complete probe must be conducted into these misdeeds.

That does not exonerate the Government sector from all blame, as discrepancies have been reported and questions have also arisen with regard to the inefficiency of some Governmental agencies in the tsunami recovery programme. Such problems must be addressed even at this late stage.

Apart from the reconstruction of physical infrastructure (houses, bridges, roads), it is vital to rebuild the lives shattered by the tsunami.

Many parents have lost their children and vice versa. Others have lost their livelihoods, while some were literally left with only the clothes they were wearing. Healing their hearts and enabling them to stand up on their own feet will take a long time. Foreign expertise could be vital for this process too.

The tsunami reconstruction process is an arduous journey for which we need the cooperation of all friendly countries. India, itself affected by the tragedy, responded swiftly with aid.

The US, Japan and almost all Western nations have helped Sri Lanka immensely in its hour of need. That spirit of cooperation as well as the continuous appreciation and appraisal of projects, as exemplified by Italy, will help expedite the tsunami recovery drive.

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