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Helping after wave horror

“Our first clue that something was happening”, says Mary Oxley, “was a text message from a friend, who said she was evacuating and what were we doing! I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. But she quickly put us in the picture.” “We were a bit reluctant to leave our house at first”, he continues, “because of possible looting. But after we saw the first wave had come within 100 meters of the lane where we live we were in little doubt.” (Shropshire Star – January 2005)

Mary and Mark Oxley, and their two children - Nicola, aged eight, and Luke, six – left Shropshire last summer to work in Sri Lanka. Since Boxing Day they and others have seen the devastation that has wrecked the island.

They are living in Dehiwala, in the island’s capital, Colombo. Although the city is on the opposite side of Sri Lanka from where most of its damage occurred, even here the beach community was badly affected. Thousands of families have lost their homes and have crowded into the local temples and school halls.

Many people were apparently caught out because they were mesmerized when they saw the water ‘draining out’ to sea. As they stood transfixed, the water turned around and rushed back towards them in great waves – killing thousands.

“Everyone you speak to is either personally affected or knows people who are”, say the Oxleys. “Whole families are unaccounted for. It is just too much to take in and comprehend.”

Relief

After two nights staying with friends who live on higher ground, the family cautiously returned to their city apartment. Mark then travelled on to Ampara, in the Eastern part of the island, to help a medical team provide relief to the island’s refugees.

“The devastation we saw on the east coast was unbelievable”, he says. “Concrete and brick-built houses were completely flattened to the ground. There was a stench in the air from rotting bodies. And the streets were deserted - apart from scavenging dogs.”

As their vehicle approached the coastal town of Thirakovil chaos let loose.

“People had heard a rumour that another tidal wave was approaching”, says Mark. “They were fleeing in their hundreds - making for higher ground and desperately trying to clamber on board our truck. The fear and panic was overwhelming.”

Eventually Mark and the others made their way to a large refugee camp, out of town, and spent the next two days setting up clinics and treating people – what they see as temporary help until the national and international relief agencies arrive.

But, with about 1,500-2000 refugees in three different camps, there is no shortage of work. And with virtually no toilets or fresh water, the threat of disease is very high.

A lot of the people Mark has helped treat have had stomach upsets from swallowing seawater, and cuts and bruises from being thrown about in the water. Skin irritations have also been common, as a result of people living in the same clothes for nearly a week.

Although aid seems to be getting through, some remoter areas are only accessible by boat and have taken longer to reach. And everyone is concerned that in a few weeks’ time the help will dry up.

Suffering

But practical help is not all that the survivors need.

“The refugees are all on edge”, says Mark. “They are really scared and afraid to go back to their homes.” One of the key aims has therefore been to give people accurate information about the possibility of further quakes and waves. The false alarms of earlier caused complete mayhem and undermined people’s confidence in returning to their homes.

“To make matters worse, the monsoon season has now begun with a vengeance”, Mark continues. “Relief operations risk being hampered if the only road to Ampara in the east of the country – which was already in a bad state – becomes flooded. “

Back in the capital, Mary has been helping the church that the family attends, St. Andrews, Colombo, respond to a request for 1,700 mats, sheets, toothbrushes, toothpaste and towels from the beach community.

She is also hoping that her counselling experience will be of some use, and in preparation is attending a one-day course in trauma counselling.

“There is so much suffering as people mourn and try and make decisions about their future”, she says.

“Government and nongovernmental organisations are now starting to become more organised in their approach”, says Mark Oxley. “But the need is huge - both in the short and long term.”
 

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