Solomon tsunami

Even the Canadian television networks are giving air time to stories on this tragedy. South Pacific island news items are rare in the media here so obviously it is consequential.

I see some an ominous resembelence to the Boxing Day tsunami of 2005... As more news comes out of the more remote islands and regions, the more one realises that the repercusions are very far reaching and tragic.

I do agree, and have thought of the same comparison. but....I think that the over all scope of the devastation cannot be compared. For the individuals- every bit as awful. But how many werer killed in 2005? In how many countries?

It is interesting to me that when I was in Pohnpei there was a landslide- some 30 plus people were killed, and about the same number seriously injured. I helped to provide services during the aftermath of the slide. Yet I have never seen any mention of this in the press outside of Micronesia. I suspect that it may be because of the 2005 tsunami that this one is receiving such wide press. The horror of previous mega-tragedy still is raw and open.

I am not in any way trying to diminish the significance of what has just happened. Just trying to keep it in perspective.

I think that the new "early warning system" has also focussed minds on the event.

When it first happened, an alert was issued for the entire Australian East Coast as far south as Tasmania. In the event, this turned out to be a massive over-reaction to the possible geographic impact, but nevertheless, ensured that it was a "front-page" story in Oz.

Of course, the tragedy for individuals involved is just as profound - after all what is more important than the welfare of one's own family. It is also a reminder to those of us in the West of just how tenuous life and survival is for those in developing nations. Aside from the personal tragedy, we always have a social security net provided by Government, and usually, insurance to mitigate the worst financial impacts. However, when you are living only slightly above subsistence, and trying to save for education of kids, or for health care, an event like this can set a family's "fortunes" back a generation or more.

Often that is the real tragedy - the loss of dreams and inability to achieve potential.....

Rob