On Sunday, 26 December 2004 one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history occurred. The Sumatra–Andaman earthquake and resulting tsunami caused at least 230,000 fatalities across fourteen countries. The disaster inundated hundreds of coastal communities with waves up to 30 metres (100 ft) high. Tens of thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed. Here is but a tiny selection of personal photos, some uplifting, some tragic, taken by me and others from the WHO emergency response team around Aceh, Indonesia Jan-June 2005. I spent almost 6 months there and was privileged to meet many unforgettably strong and courageous people. The memories remain quite vivid. So much that I find it hard to fathom 10 years have passed. I was lucky enough to visit Banda Aceh again in 2010 (finally got to Pulau Weh) and Meulaboh, Aceh Barat in 2013. An amazing amount of rebuilding of lives and livelihoods has occurred. It’s hard to sum up all the thoughts that come to mind of such a cataclysm and it’s aftermath in just a few brief words here. If a picture says 1000 words, then here are at least 100000.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 01:47:18 +0000
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