A strange sounding name for a tidal wave. We in Pakistan are not familiar but it is commonly known in the Far East. I understand it is a Japanese word for gargantuan sea waves which often buffet its shores. As a matter of fact main land countries like Japan and China and innumerable islands - large and small in the Pacific ocean - have often fallen prey to disasters by tsunamis, because Pacific seabed is dotted with submerged volcanoes.
If I am not mistaken the submarine earthquake of December 26, 2004, which devastated as many as 10 countries in South Asia was the first of its kind in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean.
The gravity and the severity of a natural calamity should not be measured just in terms of the number of lives lost or the extent of property damage suffered. But for statistical purposes it is customary to do so.
In the recent memory the highest death toll 500,000 was recorded in Bangladesh in 1992 but it did not create international waves of concern as in the present case, possibly because that hapless country is subject to typhoons and hurricanes year after year and has learnt to live with it, without creating waves in the international media.
The tsunami under discussion is unique in as much as the mountainous tidal waves generated by an under-sea earthquake - measuring 9 on Richter scale - had its epicentre in Indonesian archipelago and travelled 3,000 to 4,000 miles from East to North-west bringing as many as 10 counties under its sweep. Indonesia and specifically the province of Aceh, at the western tip of Sumatra, Bore the brunt of the catastrophe with death tally of 100,000.
The island of Sri Lanka was the next biggest victim with 30,000 thus far reported dead, followed by Andaman Nicobar islands and east coast of Indian peninsula.
Thailand has received more coverage because many foreign nationals of European origin lost their lives at the popular tourist beach resorts. Likewise the tiny islands of Maldives which claimed that they had not encountered the vagaries of sea storms for hundreds of years, did not escape untouched. It is astonishing that the waves reached as far as Somalia on African east coast - a distance of 4,000 miles.
Ten days after the tragedy the total figure of lives lost has reached over 155,000, and still it is not known how high it would climb. The damage to property is estimated to be as much as $ 15 billion. America, Europe, Japan and quite a few countries in Asia have responded to appeals for relief. Hitherto over $ 2 billion have been committed in cash and kind. But the main difficulty is reaching the survivors and rehabilitate them due to transport and logistic problems involved. There is no central organisation to channel the aid to the needy. How I wish the task was entrusted to UNO.
A catastrophe of this magnitude occurs rarely. Due to political differences tinged with an element of ego, mutual co-operation has not materialised as yet. According to experts the humanitarian aid will have to continue for a considerable long period as following thousands of rotting bodies and shortage of drinking water, epidemic would spread taking many more lives in the devastated areas.
Such unexpected calamities are termed Acts of God. We humans are too feeble to prevent their occurrence or protect ourselves once they strike. I understand that the survivors of tsunami who have suffered unimaginable pain, grief and misery ask "Oh God what have we done to deserve this?" The believers belonging to any religion reconcile to fate consoling themselves that the ways of God are mysterious and beyond human intellect.
However, arrangements of timely warnings could have saved some lives. After the disaster in Hawaii some years back advance detection centres have been set up around the Pacific rim, but Indian Ocean has remained uncovered.
It is said that as soon as an earthquake is monitored 90 to 120 minutes time is available to warn people in the path of the tidal waves to move to the higher ground and escape direct impact.
Many stories are emerging of miraculous survivors wherein people have remained alive after exposure in the seas for 4 to 5 days. One unusual finding was that there have been few casualties of wild animals near the seashores. Perhaps they have the sixth sense of impending danger prompting them to move away. Likewise I was wondering why no ships were lost at sea. I concluded that the modern ships are equipped to ride the waves of considerable height or possibly this particular tsunami blew away from the shipping lanes.
Barring the few well off people caught unaware at beach resorts in Thailand and Maldives, the overwhelming casualties were amongst the poor particularly from amongst the fishermen who eke out their livelihood in coastal areas or people who habitate God-forsaken islands far from the mainland.
While the aid from all around the world is pouring in, it is not likely to be sufficient or timely to fully redress the sufferings. It is, however, surprising that thus far no oil rich country in the Middle-East has announced any assistance. Possibly their well fed conscience is immune to human miseries.