Children Speak: Tsunami
20th Anniversary S.E. Asia Tsunami Memorial
The world’s greatest recorded natural disaster.
On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time in Indonesia, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck, with an epicenter off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. A massive tsunami with waves up to 30 meters (100ft) devastated the communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean. Killing apx. 230,000 people in 14 countries; 2,233 were from overseas.
Countries Affected
Indonesia
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
Myanmar India
Somalia
Maldives
Kenya
Tanzania
Madagascar
Yemen
Bangladesh
South Africa
Seychelles
Map of Indian Ocean
Humanitarian Response
The disaster affecting thousands of people and over 14 countries requested a world-wide humanitarian response. People came from every country to help clear debris, bury the dead, provide food supplies, water, and clothing to those affected directly. Private groups came to help rebuild lost housing, and donate fishing ships for village sustenance. Donations from other countries and NGOs totaled over $14 Billion (US).
U.S.A. Response
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. H. Bush came to the region to survey the damage and pledge support. This was the first Bipartisan Presidential humanitarian effort in USA history. President Bill Clinton was given the role of Speical Envoy to the Tsunami countries. On 9 February 2005, President Bush asked Congress to increase the U.S. commitment to a total of US$950 million. The UN World Food Program provided food aid to more than 1.3 million people affected by the tsunami.
Past Exhibitions
Known as the “Boxing Day Tsunami” or “South East Asian Tsunami”. This natural disaster is the deadliest in recorded history. The last Tsunami in the region was in 1883.
These drawings were exhibited: Asia Society of Washington, DC George W. H. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, TX.
1st Anniversary of the S.E. Asia Tsunami
The Children’s Drawings and documentary photography
of the Tsunami Disaster in Video
For the Presidential Exhibition, Atherton created a 51 minute video of the 168 drawings juxtaposed with the documentary photography of the Tsunami Disaster. Each country tells a different view of the impact of the Tsunami on their people and cities and villages.
Children Speak: Tsunami – Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island off the coast of southern India, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Found on the Silk Road, it has long been a crossroad of trading. It was 1000 miles from the epicenter of the Earthquake. Two hours after the quake, Sri Lanka received its first wave, surrounding the Island on the western shore 20 feet high. Train #50 traveling from Columbo to Galle with over 1500 passengers, was overturned by the force of the Tsunami. The disaster claimed approximately 35,000 lives. Over 90,000 buildings and houses were destroyed. Fishing villages were wiped out along the beach. Thousands of rice, mango, and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely, and have taken years to recover.
Children Speak: Tsunami – Indonesia
Banda Aceh, Indonesia is affluent, by the ocean, with an international population, and multiple languages. It was the first to experience the impact of the earthquake only 90 miles away. 20 minutes after the earthquake Banda Aceh was struck. Eyewitness describe 3 large waves. Primarily Islamic Mosques survived because they had open archways where the water flowed through, leaving the building intact. Villages were destroyed, bodies were never found swept by a wave 100 feet high. Approximately 173,000 of the Banda Aceh Population of 250,000 were killed (69%)
Children Speak: Tsunami – Thailand
Thailand is a diver’s paradise. The same coral reefs that attracted the divers and tourists deflected the Tsunami wave. Khao Lak was 310 miles from the epicenter of the Earthquake. Two hours after the Earthquake, the Tsunami 30 feet high reached shore. Approximately. 8,000 people were lost. Thailand’s Tsunami showed the water receding from the beach area, exposing sea life, fish, and coral. Shore spectators were killed instantly. Scuba divers at Phi Phi Island were caught in the Tsunami underwater; struggling to orient themselves against the current. When they surfaced to find their dive boat washed away, and the town devastated.
“It’s the most devastating Tsunami in recorded history, and the pictures are very poignant because they are from a child’s point of view.”
Warren Finch
Director of the George W. H. Bush Presidential Library
Through the eyes of children…
Collecting the Drawings for the book.
The drawings are the never seen views of Tsunami as it happened. The drawings are images unable to be captured by camera as the proximity would be instant death. The drawings verify other eyewitness reports of the ocean receding leaving sea life on the beach before Tsunami wave hit. One child drew a giant whirlpool with cars, houses, and people caught in its grasp. Other children drew scenes of rescue operations witness by the military in the first response to the disaster. Each country has a different story based on the size of the Tsunami wave and color of the water brought to shore.
These drawings have been collected into a book: Children Speak: Tsunami published in 2006 by Editions du Signe in France. The areas affected by the Tsunami did not have much western influence. The children used their indigenous view of drawing to illustrate what they witnessed.
The forefront of the book Atherton offers interpretation of drawing style and uniqueness of each country’s experience of the once in 122 years historic disaster.
Sri Lanka was the only country to draw full bodied human figures. Atherton states that the familial relationship of the people, and the proximity of neighbors gave recognition to the bodies seen by the children. They were ‘persons.
Indonesia drew ‘speech bubbles’ in various languages. The voice of their neighborhood heard in prayer 5 times a day by the Islamic community provided recognition to the children. Indonesia also drew stick figures, demonstrating the SCALE of the black wave descending on the shore. Small figures on rooftops show the desperation to escape the Tsunami wave.
Thailand demonstrated the receding ocean leaving sea life on the beach. A giant whirlpool witnessed by the people captured, houses, cars, and people. The use of the color of RED was favored by the children. The west sees RED as blood or danger. In Thailand RED means ‘beauty or majesty’. Thailand uses ‘conflation’ in their drawing; demonstrating multiple time periods in one image.
