22 December 2009
"One side of the road was affected, the other wasn't - but in some places there was just nothing left"
John Adlam is a Team Leader in DFID's Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department Operations Team.
He left Heathrow airport on Boxing Day night, 26 December 2004 and arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the following day, less than 36 hours after the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Here he reflects on his four-week stay as a member of an international cast of aid workers. who began restoring shelter and bringing basic necessities following the disaster.
"I was asleep at home, early Boxing Day morning, when a colleague telephoned with news of the tsunami. He thought I’d be needed out there. That night I left London with another team member bound for Sri Lanka.
"Immediately on arrival we gathered with other relief specialists and UN officials to decide how we’d tackle the first international assessment of the tsunami’s impact and the needs of those affected. Early the next day, with two colleagues, I drove west to east across Sri Lanka to Ampara - one of the worst-affected districts – to carry out the assessment.
"When we arrived at the coast there were still people in a state of bewilderment amid the physical devastation and lost lives. I had a relatively experienced relief and humanitarian assistance background but nothing prepares you fully for new disasters.
"It’s always a personal challenge to do the most you can, as quickly and as well as you can. Experience and training certainly helps but it’s not everything. Working with others and being supported by others is the lion’s share of it.
"We built a team including national UN and donor agency staff. They were invaluable to completing the task because of their local understanding. In a few days, we were able to pull together a view of the disaster’s impact and determine what needed to be done. This would provide the UN with evidence for its support of the Sri Lankan government and national authorities.
"The Tsunami was a long and narrow disaster with generally good access to the disaster zone – which was quite new to me. Rows of buildings on one side of a road were affected while those on the other side were not. Of course there was a graded mix of destruction – and in some places there was just nothing left.
"For some isolated communities we had the Royal Navy on hand and the helicopter from HMS Chatham. I have an abiding memory of the ship’s padre and other crew members on the beach playing games, singing and dancing with lots of children - a moment of release in the midst of all that destruction, tension and loss.
"Later on electrical specialists from the ship were sent to the Maldives to help repair plant and infrastructure.
"Many people were displaced and, as is so often the case, neighbours and communities came to their aid. Make-shift camps sprang up with people sheltering under anything that was to hand. It seemed to rain a lot. For the lucky ones, in the immediate aftermath, food was prepared and distributed by local communities. There was an outpouring of help and support from the country to its seaboard.
"I’ve learnt that joint working is the key to getting the most done. It was another overwhelmingly positive experience to be teamed-up with Sri Lankan agency staff who, despite their losses, worked so hard and tirelessly for others – family, friends and strangers alike devastated by such an extreme event.
"I also had the privilege to work with Sri Lankan based DFID colleagues and some former team members, who were by chance in the country, and on hand to help.
"Together - and backed by the team in DFID’s London HQ - we were able to set about bringing considerable support to those affected by the disaster. This was just the start of a massive effort involving just about everyone."
Find out more
Read Colum Wilson's recollections of his deployment to Banda Aceh, Indonesia
