Tsunami aftermath

The people of Indonesia have been overwhelmed by the generosity of aid flowing in from countries such as Australia in the wake of the tsunami tragedy that hit Aceh province.

I received a telephone call from a friend of mine in Medan on New Year's Day expressing his surprise at the prompt response of Australian citizens in helping the victims of the tsunami in Sumatra.

Australians have been shocked out of complacency by the images on their television news reports. Images such as rows of bodies wrapped in white cloth, many of them pathetically small, mud flats littered with broken fishing boats and housing materials where bustling towns used to be. A town of 10,000 has been reduced to hundreds, the victims sucked out to sea by the tsunami then dumped unceremoniously on shore again amid the mud and debris.

Reports by the Australian media have been shocking but sensitive. Although including many details about Australian and other Western victims, most reports have focused on the fate of the thousands of poor people living along the coast of Sumatra and Sri Lanka. These reports have been effective in gaining a practical response from Australians who have donated coins at New Year's Eve gatherings, phoned charitable organizations with larger donations and generously filled the plates passed around at churches.

This is particularly heart-warming in a country like Australia where a great deal of cynicism exists with regard to what happens to money donated to charities. Although aware of the difficulties faced by aid organizations in getting aid to the people who need it as soon as possible, Australians have given as much in donations to charities as they usually give during a full year.

Apart from basic drinking water, food and tents, perhaps the most appreciated help will be that given by the field hospitals being set up now a week after the tragedy. In a country where medical care is limited at the best of times, this will enable many of the survivors of the tsunami to recover and face the challenges of rebuilding in the future.

Help with transport, such as the Hercules planes ferrying supplies between Medan and Banda Aceh, and naval vessels operating along the coast picking up survivors from outlying islands are vital means of assisting the Indonesian people to overcome the difficulties caused by lack of roads and infrastructure. It is hoped that the cooperation between the countries of the region demonstrated recently will continue in the future, in the awareness that all are equal before the unpredictable forces of nature.

DJASAMEN SARAGIH Canberra, Australia