Society And Culture - Tsunamis Victims Are Still Suffering

Sri Lanka was one of the most affected by the Tsunami of 2006 that had destroyed and killed countless numbers in it’s wake. The effects of the said disaster is still felt to this day in the daily lives of those who have been mostly affected in the country. Talpe, Habaraduwa and Unawattuna are some of the most devastated villages on the coastal areas of Sri Lanka that has seen widespread human loss along with most infrastructure that was washed away by the rogue wave. As a result of the disaster the Talpe Foundation was created to aid in the recovery of people who lived in one of the most affected regions in the area.

The thousands of deaths have had the loss of parents, brothers, sisters and even whole families. Those left behind were left to cope with the widespread devastation that the Foundation has supported in the efforts of re-housing and rehabilitation. Due to numerous offers for aid and monetary support from other countries, the foundation was instituted to handle and manage these resources to see to it that the much needy are prioritized and given the necessary aid. The foundation is set to construct thousands of homes for those who have lost everything in the disaster to give them hope thus leading to recovery and resumption of their daily lives.

These houses are built by contractors who employ the people who have been devastated themselves to entice them to go back to work thus speeding up the recovery of not only their villages but lives as well. The foundation is also en-tasked to select the most viable candidates who would receive the said housing units that would eliminate the problem of unworthy people selling them as they are awarded.

The foundation has successfully raised $500,000.00 by December 2005, with a huge single person donation that came from an undisclosed donor coming in September 2006. Of the collected funds, they have attained a high success rate in converting the monetary donations into housing units that as last publication was around almost 60 along with their outright ownership of the developed land in the form of a title. The design of the housing units have also been modified that gives the housing structures a degree of survivability in the event of another disaster of the same magnitude. There are minimum walls on the sides of the house facing the sea that allows the doors and windows to give way without the destruction of the basic concrete structure and roof. Many of the deaths that occurred in the aftermath of the tsunami, was due to becoming either buried by the houses and debris which were mainly constructed of timber and thatch that offered no resistance.

The said disaster area was covered heavily by the National Geographic channel as the main area of focus for the depiction of the destruction and analysis of the damage in the hopes of getting a better understanding of how they happen and what could be done to minimize if not prevent deaths in case of future disasters of the same nature.

This coverage has raised awareness of the massive destruction and loss of life making it known to the world thus reaching people who have given so much in the hopes of re-building the lives of those who were touched by the tsunami of 2005.