We will never forget what we saw as it broke our hearts million times over.
We had planned to travel East of Galle to a beach resort and spend our Christmas there but work in Colombo kept us on the West Coast. In fact we were very lucky to be in Mount Lavinia, South of Colombo on the West Coast in Sri Lanka.
I had to spend the evening before on duty at the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission HQ so we settled for Lavinia to spend our Boxing day. I remember coming home from work in the morning and seeing on TV a huge earthquake in Indonesia. It didn’t cross my mind that this was of any relevance to us. We left the house before seeing any news about a Tsunami.
Roughly an hour later, as we had settled on our sun-chairs the wave hit us but since the beach is high up the water was not as high and it pushed us straight up to higher ground. It was chilling afterwards to fly over and visit the East Coast and seeing the utter destruction.
The only good thing that happened was that the Government soldiers and the Tamil Tiger cadres joined efforts and worked together on the frontline to clear bodies and continue rescue efforts. Days later politicians made sure to separate these efforts but for just a moment humanity prevailed.
My thoughts are with all those families that suffered so much and still do as it´s only been 10 years. We will never forget what we saw as it broke our hearts million times over.
Helen Maria Olafsdottir
Iceland | new york
You are Not FORGOTTEN
Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.
George Eliot
- By Timothy Braco - Sri Lanka.
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Thinking of everyone there over the next weeks.
- by Jake Zarins (UK)
1 month after the wave - coconut oils lamps all along the beach and among the ruins. One of the most moving things I have seen - the photos dont do that evening justice.
- by Jake Zarins (UK)
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