Natural Disasters — A test of Global Humanity

Flood, tsunami, cyclone. Earthquake, Volcanoes, Landslide. Cyclones and Whirlpools.

What do these all have in common? The answer is: they are all natural events that cause great damage, and even loss of life. They can happen at any-time to anyone at any place. We, as puny humans, cannot stop the will of Mother Nature. We cannot reverse the damage to properties and lives. It will happen, and even the strongest of giants and smartest of geniuses can’t change the aftermath of natural disasters.

When natural disasters happen, people are bound to suffer, places to be destroyed, and precious mementoes to be lost. We are forced to watch as we loose everything.

Humanity is put to the test when these disasters happen. When the first ever recorded tsunami happened in Sri Lanka on 26th December, 2004, the citizens of the coast were clueless of what was happening when the sea disappeared. They joyfully collected fish and seafood, seaweed and pearls, firewood and riches, clueless about the impending doom right in front of them. Hundreds of thousands of people died. And even if they didn’t, they were injured badly, their families were missing, their houses were destroyed and they lost everything. All with the trauma of being forced to watch and helpless to supply aid as their family and friends disappeared, off into the sea forever.

It was humanity’s mistake for not educating the people on what these unusual events were, and how to deal with them. If they had, perhaps there wouldn’t have been as much damage. Apart from homes, hotels and shops had been severely damaged. Hotels all round the coast were packed tight with Sri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend. You can imagine the damage. Parents sobbed for the loss of their children, children cried over the missed love of their parents. Nevertheless, Sri Lanka did receive the help they needed from other sections of Sri Lanka and other countries as well.

Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. had formed an alliance to give streamline immediate assistance. 20,000 soldiers had been deployed in government-controlled areas to assist in relief missions, and to find and rescue remaining survivors. The World Bank supported the Government of Sri Lanka to make up for the loss of population, damage to property, and loss.

Humanity supported Sri Lanka in its time of need. Every country, every where, everyplace, there can be and are natural disasters. But now, I don’t believe that there is a reason to worry for the future. Because when there is loss to a country as a whole, they don’t have to face it alone.

In 2018, 13 boys were trapped in a cave with their football coach. The whole world was trapped in suspense when they heard of it. The whole world pitched in. In spite of the intense rain and flooding, people from different parts of the country flew in and helped as they could. The U.S. , Australia, and even China was determined to help some small town boys and a man, whose death wouldn’t affect them in any way. Even the Navy Seals were eager to help, and you know how hard it is to contact those dudes. And the people who couldn’t fly in to Thailand helped in their own way. They donated generous amounts of money, and prayed. Humanity couldn’t stand the image of the deaths of those boys. They didn’t stop helping until those boys were rescued. And they were.

The search restored my faith in humanity.

So in my heart I truly know, humanity will be there to help and assist us in times of sadness, and will be there when we rise up again to help others.