What is a tsunami?
A tsunami is a series of very big waves usually caused by an earthquake in the middle of the ocean. Tsunami is the Japanese word for “harbor wave”. They are also called “tidal waves”, which is misleading because tsunamis have nothing to do with the tides.
Landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions and meteorites could all cause a tsunami. They typically have wavelengths of 10 to 500 kilometres long. As tsunamis approach land, they slow down and grow taller. Like normal waves, tsunamis loose energy as they rush onshore. They can have great erosion effects, damage wildlife, and destroy buildings.
The Solomon Islands:
The Solomon Islands are an archipelago in the South Pacific east of Papua New Guinea. It has a population of just fewer than 600,000, the vast majority of whom are Melanesian, with the largest minority being Polynesians.
The Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy, and like Australia, recognises Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. English is the official language, although only 2% of the population speaks it—most Solomon Islanders speak Melanesian Pidgin.
The Solomon Islands’ economy is agriculture-based. Eighty percent of the population depends on subsistence farming and fishing to survive. The Solomon Islands receives $146.4 million in economic aid each year, mostly from Australia, which helps the government fund its security forces, improve distribution of government services to rural areas and encourage industry and economic growth. Since 2003, Australia has sent troops to the country to provide extra security from minority rebel militias.
The disaster:
On 2 April 2007, a series of earthquakes caused a tsunami that hit the Solomon Islands, killing over 50 people and displacing 5,500 people from their homes.
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health estimated that over half the population of the western islands was affected by the tsunami. The tsunami that hit the area was reported to be over five metres high.
Homes and entire villages were destroyed or washed away. Hospitals and schools were damaged, and the water supply in two provinces was contaminated. Of the 52 health clinics in the affected area, 15 need to be entirely rebuilt and 19 face substantial repairs.
The most serious damage was on the southern coast of Gizo, Simbo Island and the central southern coast of Choiseul.
The international aid effort:
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health set up 8 emergency hospitals in the affected areas. The Solomon Islands Government is in the process of rebuilding 35 kilometres of rural road in affected areas, and preparing a framework for resettling refugees in their homes.
The Australian Government sent aircraft transport of basic supplies, including water, food, shelters and medical equipment. In addition to $5.7 million, provided for emergency aid, and reconstruction, the Australian Government pledged $25 million to prevent malaria in the Solomon Islands. In the refugee camps, cases of measles, malaria, diarrhea and whooping cough were reported.
Other aid organisations, including the Australian Red Cross, Oxfam, UNICEF and Save the Children, provided humanitarian aid to the area, and are starting to assist in the re-building process. Relief efforts have included distributing water purification kits, food rations, temporary shelters, and medicine. Non-governmental aid organisations have played mostly a support role for the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health, providing manpower and funds to the relief effort.
How do I know this?
“Tsunami Information”, Bureau of Meteorology.
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/tsunami/tsunami_info.shtml
“Solomon Islands,”, CIA World Factbook.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bp.html
“Solomon Islands: Earthquake and Tsunami April 2007”, ReliefWeb.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&rc=5&emid=TS-2007-000042-SLB
“Australian Aid to the Solomon Islands,” Australian Government AusAID
http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/country.cfm?CountryID=16&Region=SouthPacific
