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February 2005                                                                            Volume 8 - Number 1

    

 

Tsunami Disaster Updates...

     

 

 

Chronology of events concerning the tsunami disaster

By Nick Lawyer

 

Reports of massive earthquake near northern Indonesian island of Sumatra at 7:59am.  Within 30 minutes and 2 ½ hrs, a series of massive waves wrecks havoc along coastlines in South Asia.  Measurements rate the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale. (1)

 

Initial casualty report:   2500 dead.  United States Geological Survey notes several aftershocks felt at 7.3 magnitude.  Magnitude of quake recalculated at 8.9 on open-ended Richter Scale (3)

 

----Monday, December 27th----

Death toll climbs to 11,800 reported by Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Maldives, Thailand, and Somalia.  Thousands more reported missing. (6)

 

Multiple aid teams from the EU arrived in several South Asian countries.  USGS calculates magnitude at 9.0.  This will be their final interpretation of seismograph data. (4)

 

16 European Nations begin to pledge financial aid.  The World Bank estimates that several billion dollars in aid will be necessary.  The US State Department states it is still looking at ways to help.  A Disaster Assistance Recovery Team from USAID is dispatched (5)

 

Tide gauge in Atlantic City, NJ records arrival of a train of waves, attributed to the earthquake 32 hours before. (1)

 

The Italian National Geophysics Institute states that it has found a lasting vibration and a disturbance in the Earth’s rotation.  (6)

 

----Tuesday, December 28th----

India, Australia, and Japan say they will help to coordinate construction of a Tsunami warning system in the South Pacific.  (2)

 

Death toll increases to 23,000.  (4)

 

US offers initial aid package of $15 Million, $400,000 made available immediately.  The UN places $1.5 million for use immediately.  (4)

 

Egeland, head of the UN relief operations, is quoted as saying local relief agencies have displayed “remarkable resilience,” but that “it is beyond me why [rich countries] are so stingy.”(4)

 

----Wednesday, December 29th----

Death toll rockets to 77,000 and could push over 100,000.  (8)

 

 

----Thursday, December 30th----

Death toll at 116,000.  (1)

 

Denmark takes lead in UN relief efforts.  19 Creditor nations in Europe suspend debit payments by Indonesia and Somalia.  Some countries rebuke China for it’s lackluster pledge of $2.6 Million. US President Bush, on vacation in Crawford, TX states “we are committed to helping the effected countries in the difficult weeks and months that lie ahead,” but the initial US contribution of $35 Million doesn’t change.  (4)

 

Aid Breakdown

Australia - $27m

Britain - $29m

China - $2.5m

India - $40m

US - $35m

Slovakia - $230,000

Cambodia - $40,000

 

Private donations in US rises over $4.5 million (1)

 

----Friday, December 31st ----

Death toll expected to surpass 150,000 (8)

 

Amid “one-upmanship” many countries in the EU double their relief efforts, over $500m pledged world wide.(9)  The US Government’s pledge of $35m remains unchanged, though Pentagon activity related to the incident has increased dramatically. (10)

 

----Monday, January 3rd, 2005----

US pledges $350 millions in relief including 12,000 military personnel, global pledges reach $2 billion.  Secretary of State Colin Powell departs for South Asia. (4)

 

The liberation guerrilla movement the Tamil Tigers, from Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, credited for a well-organized relief effort across the Island (13)

 

----Thursday, January 6th ----

International aid reaches $3.7 billion (4)

 

----Sunday, January 9th ----

US military efforts underway in region costing $5.6 million per day, including 13,000 personnel, 20 warships, and 90 aircrafts.  (1)

 

Following reports of numerous attacks on victims in S. India, civic workers ordered to kill packs of stray dogs (15)

 

----Monday, January 10th----

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory officially notes that the earthquake moved the North Pole 1 inch in the direction of 145 degrees East, shortened each day by 2.68 microseconds, and decreased the Earths oblateness by 0.000 000 01% . (11)

 

 

----Tuesday, January 11th----

Schools in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand reopen (1)

 

----Wednesday, January 12th----

UN officially receives $300 million of pledged aid from world donors.  $700 million expected within one week.  Total pledged $4 billion (4).

 

----Thursday, January 13th----

Amidst recovery efforts, concerns about child trafficking in South Asia rises.  (1)

 

Indonesia announces that all foreign aid must exit country by the end of March.   US aircraft carrier group departs local waters.  (10)

 

----Friday, January 14th----

Indonesia announces that it will seek peace in the separatist war and tsunami battered Aech province.  (15)

 

----Saturday, January 15th-----

Tsunami toll still climbing now at 177,000 dead, authorities in Indonesia’s Aceh province state that over 130,000 are still missing.  (16)

 

----Monday, January 17th----

Indonesia amends its earlier deadline for the exit of foreign aid to exempt “friendly” Southeast Asian countries.  (17)

 

The UN issues a travel ban for it’s staff in Indonesia following reports of fighting between the Indonesian military and separatist rebels.  (15)

 

----Tuesday, January 18th----

The UN lifts its travel ban in Indonesia.  Per Indonesia’s military spokesman all foreign aid workers are to have a military escort or face expulsion. (15)

 

----Thursday, January 20th----

Tsunami death toll could reach 220,000 across the 11 nations affected by the earthquake.  Officials fear a realistic number may never be determined.  (1)

 

----Sunday, January 23rd----

Indonesia says it will stop attacks on separatist groups, which have caused 328 deaths over the past six days.  Nearly 12,000 people still unaccounted for. (15)

 

----Monday, January 24th----

With up to 700,000 still displaced, and critical water and sanitation issues facing their department of health, Alwi Shibab, minister for social welfare in Indonesia declares tsunami emergency over.  (15)

 

----Tuesday, January 25th----

Death toll reaches 260,000 and climbing by 1,500 daily.  (15)

 

 

Sources:

 

1.  New York Times

2.  The Times of India

3.  Weekend Edition.  NPR.  December 26th, 2004

4.  Wall Street Journal

5.  US Department of State Press Briefing Transcript. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2004/40060.htm  Viewed 1/27/05

6.  All Things Considered.  NPR.  December 27th, 2004

8.  CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.   CBS.  December 28th, 2004

9.  www.cnn.com

10.  Chicago Sun Times

11.  NASA details earthquake affects on earth.  NASA news release.  http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0501/10earthquake/  Viewed 1/27/05

12.  Peoria Journal Star

13.  Washington Post

14.  National Post

15.  AP Bullitin

16.  Xinhua News Agency

17.  Kyodo World News Service