The Tsunami and Reconstruction

While the December 26th tsunami and its consequences will fade from the world's news in the weeks to come, the task of rebuilding and reconstruction for those who live in the 11 nations around the Indian Ocean will continue for a long time.

This week United Nations officials released a devastating account of the damage wrought by the waves. In Indonesia's Aceh province, fatality rates in some areas exceeded 75%. One town lost 6,550 people out of its pre-tsunami population of 7,300. The Indonesian government has estimated that the financial loss to the nation is $4.5 billion.

As U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan points out, the poor invariably suffer the most enduring damage from such natural disasters. Millions of fisherfolk, farmers and other rural populations have lost their livelihoods. Thus, says Annan, "We need to focus on longer-term recovery and reconstruction."

A tremendous amount of support has flowed towards South and East Asia as a result of the disaster. We need to make sure this reservoir of goodwill and financial aid is not squandered and is directed towards where it is needed. The U.N.'s International Fund for Agricultural Development takes the view that by strengthening the capacity of local communities to manage and control their circumstances, we will be able to bring about lasting change. The good that may yet come out of this tragedy is that by uniting the world's more developed nations towards helping poorer regions rebuild, we can make a real difference for the people who live there.

Leisa Goodman
Human Rights Director
Church of Scientology International