Twenty years ago, the tsunami of December 26, 2004 devastated South-East Asia, killing 230,000 people and revealing the urgency of better anticipating natural disasters.
On December 26, 2004, at 7:58 a.m., a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck the Indian Ocean, near the island of Sumatra. Moments later, a giant wave, 30 meters high in places, crashed onto the coasts of Southeast Asia. This tsunami devastates everything in its path. Twelve countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India, are devastated. The toll is appalling : 230,000 deaths, including 170,000 in Indonesia alone.
Entire villages are wiped off the map. In Thailand, heavenly beaches become open-air cemeteries. Among the victims, thousands of foreign tourists, who came to enjoy the end-of-year celebrations. The force released by the earthquake is monstrous, equivalent to 23,000 Hiroshima bombs.
Broken lives
The images of the disaster leave an impression. But behind the numbers, these are broken lives. Families decimated. Orphans by the thousands. More than 500,000 people find themselves homeless. The bodies of many victims will never be found.
In Banda Aceh, Indonesia, one of the worst-hit places, water is engulfing everything: houses, roads, schools. In Sri Lanka, water swept away trains like toys. The inhabitants, caught off guard, have no chance of escaping. This drama reveals a cruel reality : in 2004, the Indian Ocean did not have any tsunami warning system. The absence of an alarm signal aggravates human losses.
A better prepared world
This tragedy served as a lesson. Today, the Indian Ocean basin is equipped with an efficient warning system. More than 1,400 stations monitor the slightest underwater tremors. Coastal communities participate in evacuation drills.
UNESCO aims to prepare 100% of coastal populations by 2030. In Aceh, children are learning how to react in the event of a tsunami. “ Although significant progress has been made, the risk remains unpredictable », recalls Vidar Helgesen, from UNESCO.
The 2004 tsunami remains an unparalleled tragedy. But it also marked a turning point: that of a world more aware of the forces of nature and the need to better prepare for them.
