I am a frequent traveler to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Maldives...I knew when I first heard of this it was going to be 100s of thousands...I know HOW those people live and I know about their infrastructure (or lack of)...I know about their meager medical options and I know about the lack of regular communications. Even on a good day these people don't have reliable electricity and water.
This natural disaster is the truest definition of a CASTROPHE in MY lifetime.
It is at times like this that the PEACE Corp is really needed.
It is so very very sad that these once happy but poor (in comparison to many people around the world) people are now going to be miserable and devastated for many months (if not years) to come.
I send my prayers to all who feel this pain.
I am a frequent traveler to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Maldives...I knew when I first heard of this it was going to be 100s of thousands...I know HOW those people live and I know about their infrastructure (or lack of)...I know about their meager medical options and I know about the lack of regular communications. Even on a good day these people don't have reliable electricity and water.
I actually was sort of surprised when I saw (what was left of) Banda Aceh....it's actually a pretty substantial city, no skyscrapers but substantial buildings, lots of cars, etc.
Obviously as you go down the coast you get a lot of thatched roof villages and whatnot but the whole area might not be quite as uniformly primitive as is imagined.