FLASH floods. Walls of water. Tornados. These words may evoke the images of the damage wrought to parts of the southeastern United States by Hurricane Katrina during the course of the week. While the destruction upsets us, such damage to our own country also recalls the memory of the South Asian tsunami, which has largely fallen out of the media spotlight, and further prompts questions concerning the status of the regions it affected. As we begin work to rebuild parts of our nation, we must also be mindful that a significant amount of work remains to be done in nations which are poorly equipped to do so, and that we are obligated to continue our provision of support.
Consider Katrina's current death toll: CNN reports over 100 known deaths, with numbers certain to rise as search and rescue teams intensify their efforts. Now multiply that number, along with the images you've seen in the media, by thousands. Only then can you begin to approximate the degree of damage caused by December 2004's tsunami, which directly impacted parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar and Malaysia, among others. The World Health Organization estimates that between 350,000 and 370,000 people have died as a result of the tsunami's direct physical impact or its aftereffects. Now consider how much time it will take to rebuild parts of the southeastern United States -- it is projected that it could take as long as two months to restore power to some areas. Try, then, to imagine the slow crawl of tsunami recovery and its status not even nine months later. Much remains to be done.
While there are marked differences between the situation faced in South Asia and that of the United States following Katrina, experts' worries are strikingly similar: infrastructural and environmental damage, lack of clean water and the propensity for widespread outbreak of water-borne diseases such as malaria and typhoid. Officials have predicted in both cases that the death tollfrom these resulting situations could easily exceed those of the physical impacts.
What will be most important in the coming weeks, months and years is the successful restoration and economic rehabilitation of both regions. Without question, the U.S. government will be able to fully support the recovery effort itself, unlike most of the nations struck by the tsunami. But just because our government does not require financial assistance does not mean that we should exempt ourselves from providing support where it is needed.
Many question why we should invest such a great deal of our government's financial and human resources into the economic development and security of other nations to begin with. What they fail to grasp is the degree to which global situations are interwoven. The devastation to South Asia has the probability of negatively impacting our own economic and political security due to the fluctuations it may cause in trade, for example. Humanitarian considerations aside, the United States' unique situation as the world's foremost military and economic power demands that we not retreat into an isolationist mindset at the very moment it serves our short-term goals. In the words of Dr. Richard Guerrant, Director of the University's Center for Global Health, "Developing a global perspective is no longer an optional luxury item; it is imperative for our survival." And while Guerrant admits that this is not be the ideal attitude with which to approach our global obligations, he acknowledges that it is far better than complete failure to act.
Thus far, the United States has remained a major stabilizing force in the regions affected by the tsunami. However, we must evaluate our successes in light of changes to the scenario which will occur in the near future. For instance, healthcare infrastructures in affected areas have yet to be restored to their full operating capacities. As funding for continuing projects progressively dwindles, there is little money available to divert towards rebuilding these systems. Secondly, we are unable to maintain the level of care and attentiveness in the region due to inadequate human resources, a further result of funding woes. As volunteers withdraw from the region, there is worry that the structures currently in place will be unable to shoulder the burdens presented, which reanimates earlier fears concerning disease outbreak and its possible impact on the both the global economy and health.
In order to achieve complete rehabilitation of areas devastated by the tsunami and to shield ourselves from its negative consequences, it is imperative that our government continue its provision of aid. Our recent experience with Katrina, if nothing else, should encourage us to proudly step up to the plate.
Todd Rosenbaum's column appears Thursdays in the Cavalier Daily.He can be reached at trosenbaum@cavalierdaily.com.
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