A year after the tsunami

A year after the tsunami

A year has passed since the great earthquake generated a tsunami off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The reconstruction of Aceh in northern Sumatra faces an uphill battle because the area was close to the epicenter and was destroyed by an incomparably more violent force.

The number of people killed or missing in Aceh was about 170,000, accounting for about 80 percent of the total victims, and the affected areas extended 800 kilometers on the coast. Only about half of the ravaged roads, even among the main highways, have been repaired.

Japan has played a large part in rebuilding Indonesia. At an international conference for assisting the country soon after the tsunami, Tokyo expressed its willingness to donate US$500 million, thus playing a leadership role in helping the country. Japan and the United States are also taking charge of building a tsunami-warning system for the Indian Ocean.

Yet there remains much to be done. A case in point is that much of the financial assistance that Japan provided to Indonesia was not used for some time in the early stages of reconstruction.

That was because the Japanese government stuck to its traditional approach of providing assistance at a specific request of the recipient country and also because the assistance was handled by a public-interest foundation under the supervision of the Foreign Ministry that lacked practical capabilities.

Natural disasters take place when they are least expected. It is important to respond flexibly according to the circumstances. The experience of efforts assisting the reconstruction of those devastated countries will be beneficial both in Japan and overseas. -- The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo