Sri Lanka was relatively poor as it was still a developing country. Their average income was roughly $1,000 US dollars. Nobel prize winner, Mohan Munasinghe, describes the community as primarily homeless and unprepared for this catastrophic event. He uses the term civil society to describe the mass of people who came together and formed local groups to help evacuate remaining survivors. The groups set up refugee camps in safe neighborhoods and schools as well as provided food and water. The civil group also worked to remove dead bodies from the street before they became a health hazard. Civil Society organized a meeting ten days after the catastrophe to collaborate and share information for the most effective post tsunami recovery and relief.
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How can we work towards helping victims more efficiently? Through my quest for information, I have found my answers. Environmental racism negatively affects the help minorities receive during an emergency. Proper precautions were not taken, response times were delayed, and ultimately, people died. Citizens were labeled as “looters” and “refugees” at their most vulnerable time in a country they call home. Being placed in an area that set below sea level without adequate protection was an illustration of the environmental racism they faced. Their low income and inability to afford better housing meant being put in a hazardous environment that costed them their lives. We can work towards helping people more efficiently by using our voices and taking actions to better communicate with people. Sri Lankans were able to collaborate and not only get help for their citizens, but they were also able to come up with ideas to prevent that level of disaster from happening again. While this solution is one that will better the lives of others, I acknowledge that there will still be some downfalls, as it is impossible to save everyone. There is always room for error and that is okay. However, communication is necessary for progress to
How can we work towards helping victims more efficiently? Through my quest for information, I have found my answers. Environmental racism negatively affects the help minorities receive during an emergency. Proper precautions were not taken, response times were delayed, and ultimately, people died. Citizens were labeled as “looters” and “refugees” at their most vulnerable time in a country they call home. Being placed in an area that set below sea level without adequate protection was an illustration of the environmental racism they faced. Their low income and inability to afford better housing meant being put in a hazardous environment that costed them their lives. We can work towards helping people more efficiently by using our voices and taking actions to better communicate with people. Sri Lankans were able to collaborate and not only get help for their citizens, but they were also able to come up with ideas to prevent that level of disaster from happening again. While this solution is one that will better the lives of others, I acknowledge that there will still be some downfalls, as it is impossible to save everyone. There is always room for error and that is okay. However, communication is necessary for progress to