SRT Field Report: Boxing Day Tsunami, January 2005
The first ShelterBox team to be deployed was sent to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Boxing Day Tsunami. The team was led by Adrian Sumner, a former RAF pilot.
Adrian Sumner : It is over two and a half years since I lead Team One, post-Tsunami, to Sri Lanka. However, there are a number of topics and lessons learned listed below which may be of assistance to future team members.
Background Knowledge: If you have time before leaving, it is nice to learn something about the country you are about to visit. This is particularly important if there is an ethnic split within the country’s populace, or there are no-go areas.
Reconnaissance: Once in theatre, a recce of the area of devastation, and places to erect the tents should be carried out ASAP.
Acclimatisation: Heat and humidity are draining, if you are not used to it. In Sri Lanka with temperatures above 32C and with 100% humidity (monsoon season), it was a case of not too much too quickly. In our case the work was hot and hard at times, and it was extremely important to drink plenty of water.
Achievement: There is little doubt that being able to take aid to those in need, to erect the tents, and to help families get back to some normality in their lives, is extremely rewarding and does give you an immense sense of achievement, both at the time and in hindsight.
Adversity: This kind of work does have its setbacks and problems, so personal hygiene, and constantly monitoring of what you eat and drink is extremely important. In Sri Lanka, a simple acceptance of a meal with a local Rotarian doctor lead to at least one of my team ending up with an upset stomach, and the subsequent loss of manpower for at least a day.
Rotary Assistance: It is paramount to locate and meet the local Rotarians at the earliest opportunity, their help, local knowledge and local contacts is invaluable. In our case personal transport and transportation for the boxes was arranged through Rotary. This not only gave us independence once in theatre, but also another ‘pair of hands’ to erect tents, and manhandle equipment.
Customs: Despite the emergency situation, it seems traditional for customs to be the first major hurdle for getting the boxes into the country. Red tape is a pain, be patient and prepared for long frustrating delays.
Self Sufficiency: It paid dividends to be self sufficient, both with our own tents and food. The only thing we had to purchase was water.
Logistics: Disasters never strike in the most convenient places – be prepared to use what means are available. An instance in Sri Lanka was that the families wanted their tents erected on the beach where their houses once stood. Of course, tent pegs would neither hold in sand, nor would they be driven into concrete! So bricks and blocks from the rubble of their dwellings were used instead to secure the guy ropes.
Helpfulness: Many locals volunteered to help erect tents for their own families, but, once up, they suddenly became disinterested in helping others
Flexibility & Adaptability : It pays to remain flexible in thought and action at all times – lateral thinking often works. If individuals want something different, don’t attempt to dissuade them, instead give them what they want. An example of this was to erect a tent inside the shell of a dilapidated hut.
Negotiations & Rewards ; Diplomacy should be paramount, and local customs, religious holidays etc. should always be observed. If you are able to reward any of the locals it pays dividends. We gave our helpers from the local militia Tilley hats, which then became a status symbol.
Teamwork; It is essential to ‘pull’ together as a team in what are often extremely arduous circumstances. Any differences between team members should be brought into the open as early as possible, discussed, and dealt with accordingly. After all, we are all volunteers!
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