Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (June 08/05) - The world watched in shock shortly after Dec. 26, 2004, when images of the destruction left in the wake of the tsunami that struck Asia and east Africa were broadcast around the globe.

Rankin Inlet's Aaron Forbes and Lisa Froese (both 25) have had time to reflect on their experience since travelling to Sri Lanka more than two months after the tsunami struck and being stunned by the devastation still evident.

The tsunami claimed 30,000 lives in Sri Lanka and displaced a million people.

There were 77,561 houses partially or completely destroyed in the disaster.

Forbes, an informatics technician with the Nunavut government, says he and Froese spent about three weeks in Sri Lanka.

He says the two weren't able to do as much as they had hoped, but helped out where they could.

"We helped clean up yards and did some work at a church and a couple of orphanages," says Forbes.

"You'd have to see the destruction to believe it."

Aid slow in coming

Forbes and Froese spent most of their time around Matara and Galle, two of the hardest hit areas.

Forbes says a lot of people complained that their government wasn't doing enough to help.

"Foreign governments were sending aid, but people were claiming it wasn't being funnelled down to those who really needed it.

"There were still a lot of people reduced to begging for food when we were there."

Stark contrast

Froese, a public health nurse, says the damage grew more severe the farther south they travelled.

"The train goes right along the coast and you can look out one side and see a beautiful beach and ocean," says Froese.

"Then you go to the other side, look inland, and all you see are tonnes of tents, piles of bricks and rubble and empty foundations.

"You constantly see people collecting bricks and whatever material they can scavenge to try and rebuild their homes.

"It was overwhelming because so many of the people had absolutely nothing."

Both sides of story

Froese heard people say the government was keeping aid for itself, as well.

But she was also told the country was still in shock and it takes time to get infrastructure in place to administer aid.

"Even things like claims for support money -- the government has to find out which ones are valid and that takes time.

"I'm not educated enough on the subject to know what's really happening there, but I heard both sides.

"I can say there is definitely a lot of frustration with people waiting for support who don't have it yet."