Dealing with the Tsunami by Lareef Zubair: "I had got to Sri Lanka one week after the disaster. A country of 20 million which was in dire straits had organized itself (not the government, not the NGO's) to bury, care for, feed, shelter, nurse, the dead and the surviving. No one died of starvation. The doubling of deaths due to epidemics that WHO warned of did not come to pass. But it was also clear that the relief efforts needed coordination, better targetting and there needed to be a better way to link those who wanted to help with those who could use the help. In addition, there was a great need for credible scientific information of new hazards, threats and of ways to deal with the Tsunami's aftermath. It was to the tasks of helping organize, provide credible scientific information and actual relief that I applied myself."
