Lesson from the Asian tsunami

Abstract

After the tsunami have brought devastation to countries from Indonesia to Africa on 26 December 2004, major appeals for large-scale financial assistance were launched. National governments and others throughout the world pledge a total of more than $14B to assist with relief and reconstruction. A number of official agencies and hundreds of non-government organizations have supported thousands of different activities in the tsunami-ravaged countries. The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC) based in London has provided a valuable study regarding the effectiveness of all the works. The former US President Bill Clinton, appointed by UN special envoy for tsunami recovery, noted that the document contained an "honesty of analysis" that includes both praise and uncomfortable reading. Show more