‘Tsunami third wave’ and the politics of disaster management in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The paper compares the social and political consequences of two disasters that struck Sri Lanka 70 years apart, the 1934–1935 malaria epidemic that killed over 100,000 people and the tsunami of 26 December 2004. The main argument is that while the state and civil society responses to the malaria epidemic of 1930s in many ways led to the establishment and development of the Sri Lankan welfare state and the related outcomes, including rapid advances in quality of life particularly in the rural sector, the more elaborate and well-funded tsunami response driven by the international humanitarian industry failed to facilitate speedy recovery, failed to galvanize the peace process and even added to the vulnerability of some of the affected people due to the rapid exodus of many newly arrived INGOs before completing their humanitarian mission. While the relative failure of the tsunami response may be partly attributed to the persistent conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelaam (LTTE), it also exposes some of the key weaknesses of humanitarian aid in the modern world. A more historically grounded and conflict-sensitive approach is necessary along with greater coordination among agencies involved.

Keywords:

• epidemic
• humanitarian aid
• politics
• Sri Lanka
• tsunami

Notes

1. An earlier version of this paper was read at an international conference on ‘Social Science Perspectives relating to Post-tsunami Recovery in South Asia’ held in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 14–15 January 2008.

2. It is not claimed here, however, that this disaster response was the only cause of the development of a welfare state in Sri Lanka. Some enlightened social policies initiated in the latter part of the British rule, as well as the importance of Ceylon as a testing ground for some of these policies in the British Empire, including application of tropical medicine, have contributed to these developments.

3. TAFREN (Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation) news release, July 2005.

4. This was in sharp contrast to the peace accord signed between the Government of Indonesia and Arce liberation movement in the aftermath of the tsunami.

5. http://www.fisheriesdept.gov.lk/tsunami/deaths.html (accessed August 2008)

6. http://www.streaminitiative.org/pdf/Srilanka (accessed March 2005[0])

7. See also J. Markvosen, ‘Assessment of psychosocial and educational needs in tsunami stricken areas in Sri Lanka. HNI-TPO, Colombo, 2005 (unpublished report).