While most in the United States were celebrating the holidays
with friends and family, hundreds of thousands faced the violence
of nature’s waves. In a single moment, nearly 160,000 lives
were lost and an entire region of the world was forever
changed.
For those who survived the waves, the tsunami’s impact
will be felt for decades. Now that nature’s fury has
subsided, it is up to the world’s richest nations, especially
the United States, to aid the millions who need help most.
The destruction wrought by the tsunami in Southeast Asia far
exceeds our ability to comprehend its impact. One U.S. official
described the aftermath as looking like the effect of a small
nuclear bomb. Nature’s force spread across a dozen nations,
stretched thousands of miles, and was the most catastrophic natural
disaster the modern world has seen.
Now ““ just over a week later ““ as the death toll
rises and millions of survivors put their lives back together, it
is time for collective action. The United States’ significant
distance from the disaster’s epicenter must not diminish the
extent of our support.
The Bush administration initially offered $15 million ““
less than half of the funds planned for the president’s
inaugural party and pennies compared to the $13 billion in federal
dollars sent to hurricane-ridden Florida or the $1 billion spent
weekly in Iraq. Bush, who was silent for three days following the
tragedy, has yet to announce plans to increase the country’s
contribution beyond $350 million. Meanwhile, Australia has pledged
$810 million, with Germany and Japan also sending more than the
United States.
Equally disturbing is the manner in which U.S. aid is being
framed. Secretary of State Colin Powell said, “We’d be
doing it regardless of religion, but I think it does give the
Muslim world and the rest of the world “¦ an opportunity to
see American generosity, American values in action.”
The discussion surrounding the aid effort should be about
helping people, not about improving the U.S. image.
Those of us here at UCLA still have an opportunity to help, in
the short and long term. Financial contributions are always needed
in the face of humanitarian crises, and there are many venues to do
so. Adding $5 to your grocery bill at Whole Foods or donating
online to a wide range of institutions will hardly disrupt your
day. But UCLA students and staff can help even if they cannot
afford to send money now.
Entire swaths of some nations must be rebuilt, and there is
urgent need for specialists who can help in that effort. And once
the rebuilding gets underway, these countries will need U.S.
tourism and investment to really get back on track. Those of you
who are students now could be leading those efforts over the next
decade.
U.S. residents can easily remember the damage ““
psychological and physical ““ that has remained years after
Sept. 11, 2001. Similarly, the effects from this disaster will be
felt for years to come. While it may not be headline news next
month, we must not forget about the suffering it has caused, now
and for generations to come.