Western Oregon Journal

On Dec. 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sumatra caused a tsunami that devastated 11 countries from East Asia to East Africa.  Measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, this is the most powerful earthquake the world has experienced in 40 years.  The Tsunami has taken 150 thousand lives, leaving around 77 thousand people still missing and a million without homes.  It is estimated that a third of the dead are children.

The death and damage resulting from the tsunami is mainly due to the lack of a warning system in East Asian countries.  If people would have had the couple of hours to leave the beaches and find higher ground that a warning system would have given them, many lives could have been spared.  Another reason for such a high death toll is because people did not recognize the warning signs that signal a tsunami is coming.  The most obvious sign a tsunami is coming is when the water suddenly retreats.  When this happened, many stayed on the beach instead of getting as far away from it as they should have. 

Jan Egeland, the United Nations emergency relief head, stated at the UN News Conference that it will “probably cost billions of dollars,” to rebuild the destruction that the tsunami caused.   Complete cities have been wiped out, including roads and airstrips that lead to remote areas.  The international community has already raised approximately $2.4 billion in aid for those affected by the tsunami.

Ben Sappington, a sophomore and the ASWOU President at Western, stated that, “it’s comforting to see the world working together to raise and deliver aid.” 

Senior Anthony Taylor-Webber also felt that the world support was encouraging.

“Political issues are being set aside in order to help rebuild the affected countries.  It’s nice to see the world working together; it’s just too bad something couldn’t have been done ahead of time.”

Many local businesses are accepting donations for those affected by the tsunami.  The Bank of America in Dallas has teamed with Channel 8 News and made it possible to directly deposit money into either the World Vision, Mercy Corps or Northwest Medical Teams fund.  All Banks of America are similarly accepting donations. Rick’s Place and New York Bagel and Bistro have drop boxes for monetary contributions on behalf of Northwest Medical Teams.

“We’re trying to get participation in the community in general,” said Will Edilbeny, owner of New York Bagel and Bistro. “It’s one of those things that happens in the world that effects everybody,” he said, “We are trying to participate for our part.”

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