OneWorld.net (U.S.)

One year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the world’s most devastating natural calamities, most of the close to 2 million people who lost their homes in the December 26 disaster are still living in temporary shelters. While this may be cause for consternation among the millions of ordinary people who contributed to the aid effort, the United Nations says the immediate global response to the tsunami was unprecedented, whilst acknowledging that the pace of reconstruction has been disappointing.

Dozens of governments, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank pledged more than $ 7 billion. They have so far allocated over $ 6 billion, according to independent research. The public donated another $ 5 billion.

The basic needs of tsunami survivors were also met promptly, helping prevent an epidemic that could have killed thousands in a second wave of the disaster. “The world’s response to the tsunami was the best ever,” the UN’s emergency coordinator Jan Egeland said. “Governments, the private sector and individuals around the world opened their hearts and their wallets. Private donations for the tsunami eclipsed anything seen before.”

By comparison, Egeland said disasters like Hurricane Mitch, which ravaged Central America in 1998, and the Bam earthquake in Iran in 2003 had only received half the money pledged.

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SOURCE: Infochange India News and Features