Tsunami kills 155,000 in Indian Ocean
Up to 155,000 died when tsunami struck the eastern and western shores of the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands more were injured and up to five million people lost their homes and their livelihood.
Most of the victims were fisherfolk and other poor residents of coastal communities.
The tsunami were brought about by an earthquake under the eastern part of the Indian Ocean that measured 8.9 on the Richter Scale�the strongest in the last 40 years.
Most badly hit was Aceh, a province at the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia. Up to 80,000 people are estimated to have died in Aceh, including 40,000 or 80% of the population of the town of Meulaboh. Aceh is only a little over 160 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter.
Towering waves also battered the western part of Sumatra, Indonesia's largest island. Overall, more than 100,000 people are estimated to have died in Indonesia. Meanwhile, up to 30,000 died in Sri Lanka; 9,500 in India; and 5,000 in Thailand. Deaths have also been reported in Myanmar, Maldives, Somalia and Kenya.
The Communist Party of the Philippines has extended its condolences.
So many were killed by the tsunami because there was no means of forewarning people living along the coastlines. Although "tsunameters" are relatively inexpensive and have already been in use for over 50 years, the countries that were hardest hit did not possess such instruments.
It is the governments of these countries that bear the brunt of responsibility for the large number of casualties. The failure of these governments to use "tsunami early warning devices" constitutes criminal negligence and proves their lack of concern for the hundreds of thousands of their people who live and earn their living along the coastlines.
The US imperialists have been especially callous. Even as US agencies already suspected the formation of tsunami in the Indian Ocean, no information was relayed to the affected countries. A warning, however, was sent forthwith to the US military base in Diego Garcia.
In the face of this gigantic tragedy, the US announced that it would extend a mere $18 million in assistance to the devastated countries. An angered international community has assailed the niggardly amount shelled out by the US for the victims, especially since it pales in comparison to the US' daily $1.5 billion budget for the war in, and occupation of, Iraq.
The Arroyo regime once again showed its outright opportunism and utter lack of concern for the fate of millions of tsunami victims when it boasted of benefits to Philippine tourism in view of the closure of many tourist destinations in the affected areas.
In contrast, the communists and revolutionary forces, especially in Sri Lanka, India and Aceh, immediately undertook operations to coordinate assistance and ensure that aid reaches the remotest areas hit by the tsunami. In recognition of their authority, international humanitarian agencies have coordinated and cooperated with them.
| What is a tsunami?
Tsunami (pronounced su-na-mi) are a series of gigantic and rapid waves resulting from strong movements under or near the ocean as a consequence of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. A tsunami usually consists of a rapid series of ebbs and flows along the coastlines. One or more of these waves may become gigantic, depending on the shore's distance from the tectonic plate movement. Also depending on the strength of the tremor or volcanic eruption, a tsunami may last up to a few hours. Tsunami usually occur in the Pacific Ocean which is surrounded by about 1,150 volcanoes on land and underwater, in what is called the "Pacific Ring of Fire". |
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