nextFragility of life has never shown itself so drastically. For the last 2
weeks, it has beset the mind and emotions of everyone; numbness was followed by
waves of good will, the need for better knowledge of what is going on, the wish
to do something, to help and to alleviate. People of all walks of life discuss
how to reach the victims, how best to deliver relief delivery and distribute it
to all.
This is a moment of historical importance: for millions a window has opened
through which to glimpse at the conditions of life of less fortunate people,
their vulnerability towards natural disaster, and their helplessness in the
absence of strong social safety networks. For bereaved relatives in one part of
the hemisphere the life insurances will kick in. Those whose lives were
destroyed by the Tsunami struggle to get a share of basic relief supplies.
The responsibility weighs heavy for all involved in aid. And of course, we in
UNICEF know that, globally, children are unnecessarily dying at a rate of two
Tsunamis per week.
Three billion dollars is a lot of money, raised in no time. Most of it will be
used for fixing infrastructure, roads and businesses. One can only hope that the
larger relief and development community will make the protection and care of
children its priority. Especially as the four steps to save the Tsunami
Generation promoted by UNICEF are clear, logic and compassionate. They are good
steps for children at risk anywhere in the world.
And as the focus is currently and rightly so on those who lost so much in this
recent disaster, is this sad situation, and the attention it attracts, an
opportunity to re-concentrate local and global minds and funds on the poorest
and most vulnerable children, not all of which live on or near a beach, or
happened to be there during those awful moments? Can we keep this momentum,
nurture the existing goodwill, keep it going for a little longer… turn it into a
somewhat deeper understanding of the human rights of the most vulnerable
children everywhere?
(7 January 2005)
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