The Human Rabbit

Between natural disaster and humanity

inspiration 11:44:00 AM

This is the story that got the whole nation devastated. A natural disaster where no men can run from or avoid. December was the start of the biggest flood ever recorded in the east coast.

Back in between 2004 to 2006, I had the opportunity to witness the tsunami aftermath. It was in Sri Lanka. The journey took about 2 hours drive from the city of Colombo. It was devastated, simply heart-crushing moment to see not a single house was able to be rescued. We past by mass grave of people who were buried by the road side due to insufficient grave yard to cater the number of victims perished in the disaster.

Along the road, you could see, a number of white canopy set up temporary for those who were affected by the tsunami. Clean water supply were place by the road in a plastic tank along the driveway for the locals to drink, wash and cook. Since then, the government has ordered that houses are not to be build 10 kilometers, from the coastal line.

The undersea megathrust earthquake was caused when the Indian Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in 14 countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 metres (100 ft) high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

~ 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Wikipedia.

We were on our way back to Penang when my father decided that we make an off course drive to Kuala Krai. The worst hit area during the massive flood. It was about 40 kilometer drive from Bandar Permaisuri. Along the road, you can see cars and 4 wheel trucks with foreign plate numbers. Assuming that they were there for humanitarian mission.

We drove pass shop lots where most of them were still closed. The town were not fully functional. You can still see mud in their shops with the door peeping open. Workshops were packed with cars affected by the flood. Bikes by the road side were unable to function anymore. Temporary tents and cabins were set up for the victims.

As I was looking through the car windows, I wonder, where to start? Judging by how they have lost everything, not a single thing saved, how and where to start in building a new life. They were without a place to call home, without any change of clothes, without any proper place to sleep or study. I really can't imagine.

Building a proper town like how it was back in the good old days, before the flood consumed everything in its way could take years. Not only material wise, the trauma and the mental state of the victims might take forever to succumb by what had happened especially children.

The photos that I took were merely of how the town was affected. It was actually far worst than that. Because the place that were badly affected are not accessible by normal cars.