Children of the Tsunami Their Sacrifices Made Sacred

This is in honour of the children who died in the Pacific Tsunami of Tuesday 29th September 2009. Writing about them, after hearing their stories, and seeing the  casualty list, is no easy task. It feels so deeply personal, and painful, particularly if you have ever loved and looked after a child, whether your own or another’s.

To bring you this report on what is being done for the surviving children, we talked to people on the ground in Samoa and American Samoa. We poured through official documents  and reports from aid  and government agencies working in Samoa and Niuatoputapu. We read the blogs of volunteers and long established grassroots groups in Samoa. We contacted some of them, and they responded. We  analysed the casualty list for Samoa.

We wanted to know precisely how many children, women, men and elderly died in the tsunami. Until now, that had never been precisely identified. After reading through the data from the casualty list, I understand why. There are still bodies unidentified, and some unknowns as to gender, age or where they were found.   Tragic for those still missing relatives and yet to  find and identify their bodies.

The other reality is that the death toll for Samoa is likely higher than the official casualty list reveals. That’s because many families in the outback villages reportedly buried their dead as soon as they were found(given the heat of Samoa it’s obvious why).  They did not , as a matter of course, always notify authorities. And if you know the rugged vast and hilly landscape of the South Coast of Upolu, and the realities of being poor, and living in the remote outback villages out there,  you’ll know that contact with officials in Apia is hardly straightforward.

It’s not like they can get in the car and just drive them and return.  No, particularly if you have no telephone, no car, no regular hourly bus service, and little cash to be able to afford to make the trip to town, which is about an hour and a half away. First priorities are survival, never mind attending to bureaucratic demands when basic  survival needs, and trauma, are  pressing.

Throw into those daily normal realities, the sudden trauma, tragedy, homelessness, and sorrow caused by the tsunami and earthquake, you get the picture?

With all that we have heard, and read, one thing is clear: it is a sheer miracle that more did not lose their lives along the South Coast of Upolu, Samoa, and on the island of Niuatoputapu on that Black Tuesday 29th September.  Those islands are so exposed to the elements.

So it is with deep gratitude that many both in Samoa, and overseas guests, say they owe their lives to young people ,and children, who went back to rescue grandparents, or helped tourists to flee.   That is the Samoan way.  Still, their sacrifice is difficult to voice.  It is utterly sorrowful that lives were lost, particularly considering that many of those who died in Samoa were among our most vulnerable: children, women and elderly grandparents. Tonga lost 7 adults and 2 children, with many injured including 7 seriously wounded by the tsunami.

As for American Samoa, for those who have been emailing us for information, we are unable to provide any official information on casualties, other than what is available on Samoa News. The local newspaper has tracked at least 22 of the known casualties, out of 34 reportedly killed on the island. American Samoa Government refuses to release any information or names of casualties to its citizens, citing a health privacy policy to prevent the release of its casualty list.

This is a story we will follow ongoingly.

Children Lost to the Tsunami

In Niuatoputapu, two of the victms were identified as children, one an infant. In Samoa, over 70 of the bodies identified on the official casualty list, were infants and young children under the age of 11. That’s staggering considering the official death toll is around 149.  That’s almost 50 percent of the total official death toll. These beautiful children were found in the villages of Lalomanu, Saleapaga, Poutasi, Apolima Tai, Leauvaa, Lepa, Malaela, Saaga, Satitoa and Vaovai.

Of the children, 37 were boys and 33 were girls. The youngest known child  was just under two months old, Shanna Faith Lanu, who was found in Lalomanu. The eldest was 11 years old boy, named Amatagi Tiotio, found in the village of Poutasi.

The youngest adult victim was 20 year old Leuetu Lesa found in Lalomanu; the eldest victim was 106 year old grandmother Faanunu Talapa found in Satitoa, according to police records. Of those adults, where the age and gender is known, 37 were female and 11 were male.

There are also unidentified persons of unknown age or name from other villages so it is not known, from the data, whether they are children or adults. Except where they are named Baby Tsunami for example, as one child is.  Those on the casualty list without age, five are male and 21 are female. One female, found in Lalomanu, remains unknown and unidentified by name or age.

In addition, there are also bodies of children on the casualty list who are listed as “unknown”.  We have heard, from people in Samoa, of stories of grandmothers still waiting to find the bodies of their children, boys and girls.  This week, Samoa’s Head of State publicly shared the experience of one such grandmother still waiting to find out, almost two months later, if her grandson’s body has been found.

All our love and thoughts go to the parents and families of all the children here.

Children Left Orphaned & Displaced

UNICEF says there are 3,500 displaced people including up to 2,000 displaced girls and boys. Tsunami victims total 149 deaths and more than 300 injured. In terms of orphaned children, whose parents have perished in the tsunami, Victim Support Samoa located about 36 in the early days straight after the tsunami.  They are being cared for by Victim Support Samoa in their shelters.

When we last spoke to the Samoa office, at least half had been reunited with extended family. A remaining 15 to 20, we were told, will be reunited with their extended families once they have completed reconstructing their homes in Lalomanu. The last remaining orphaned children are from the village of Lalomanu.

A meeting was held a few weeks ago in Lalomanu to discuss the children’s future with the extended family. They have fielded many calls from locals and families abroad wishing to adopt. But Victim Support stressed that the orphans have extended family, and until families say otherwise, the children will return to them, once reconstruction has completed.

In the aftermath of the tsunami, UNICEF and Save the Children s said they would help to establish Child Friendly Spaces in mixed shelters and conduct awareness raising campaigns to prevent gender-based violence. They said registration and monitoring of families and children in the shelters need to be followed up, with particular attention to unaccompanied children.

Child Health

In Niuatoputapu, the hospital is temporarily based at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a short-term solution. It has sufficient basic supplies and medicines to meet immediate needs. However, general equipment such as beds, drug cabinets and examining tables are required for the hospital to become fully functional. Seven were seriously injured in the tsunami.

In Samoa, exposure to the tsunami has compromised the health of affected children, and adults,  making them more suspectible to disease, particularly respiratory and other illnesses. New Zealand Samoan medical doctor Teuila Percival, who was in Samoa when the tsunami and then worked as part of the medical team there, said one of the respiratory conditions known as tsunami lung is caused by high pressure polluted sea water hitting the lungs.

The high level of risk to the tsunami children has brought out World Health Organisation and UNICEF backing Samoa Government’s nationwide measles and immunisation campaign. More than 32, 000 children are expected to benefit from the six-week campaign which started 26^th October

The Samoan National Health Service is conducting the campaign in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and providing trained health workers to administer the vaccinations.

UNICEF are providing vaccines, vitamin A supplements, syringes and safety boxes, as well as cold-chain equipment that is needed to keep vaccines at a constant temperature in the tropical heat.

Vitamin A is administered along with the measles vaccination as doctors say it significantly increase children’s resistance to infection, particularly measles and diarrhoeal diseases.

Schooling for Children Post-Tsunami

In Niuatoputapu, the primary schools in Hihifo and Falehau have been partly damaged. They are under temporary rehabilitation, but require long-term reconstruction. High school is used as an operation centre for the relief operation. Schooling is continuing with temporary accommodation. A situation report last month from the Operation Niuatoputapu Command Post indicated that basic school supplies are the most urgently needed items.

In Samoa, UNICEF Emergency Education Specialist, Phuong T. Nguyen, says that preliminary results indicate the tsunami completely destroyed 11 pre-schools and badly damaged a further five including Falealili Secondary School and another one in Ulutogia. An estimated 600 to 1000 children are directly affected.

“The typical preschool in Samoa has one classroom, with a water tank and toilet facility, with two teachers serving 35-40 children aged two-and-a-half to 5 years-of-age.”

Grade 8 students resumed schooling on 14 October. The lower primary-grade students are returning to schools. Priority was given to the higher-grade students who need to prepare for the annual examination which starts on 2 November. This phased approach allows the education cluster to assist the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC) to address needs such as establishment of temporary learning space, WASH facilities and transportation of affected students to host schools.

• MESC is providing stationery, five tents, five water tanks and hired vehicles to transport relocated students.

• All needs, including school furniture, a classroom tent, water tanks, latrines and first aid kits, are assumed to have been met through education cluster partners’ commitments. The coordinated support will ensure the full resumption of schooling for approximately 1,000 affected students.

o United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will provide 15 tents; 12 latrines; 14 recreational kits; 14 first aid kits; 2,000 bottles of drinking water; and 7,000 Information Education, Communication materials.

o Save the Children and Tear Fund committed to support furniture procurement.

o Asian Development Bank, NZAID and AusAID will provide eight water tanks for schools.

A draft report on the tsunami-affected schools, and their needs, was forwarded to the National Disaster Council to be shared with the Education Cluster on the 9^th October.

Education Cluster members developed a detailed education response plan.

Excerpt from UNICEF blog post: Children Helping Children
By David Youngmeyer

I spent yesterday on Manono Island, a small island wedged between Samoa’s main two islands and home to some 1,400 people. I was part of a UNICEF team looking particularly at education and health impacts of the tsunami, and accompanied by a volunteer interpreter from Red Cross.

The tsunami that struck Samoa on 29 September hit the southern coastline of Manono Island hard, affecting about 10 per cent of the island’s population, many of them children. Apart from destroying up to 40 homes and businesses, the tsunami also wiped out Lepuiai  Pre-school, leaving some 30 children aged 3-5 years of age stranded with no early childhood education.

All that remains of the one-room, two-teacher pre-school is a concrete pad, without walls or roof. The accompanying toilet block was washed away, leaving the toilet and its concrete floor balanced oddly on nearby rocks. In addition, the school’s 5,000 litre water tank was damaged.

Classes at the church-run pre-school have not run since the tsunami hit, although there are plans to set up a temporary learning space in the pastor’s house from next week. Children can’t return to school any earlier because the pastor’s house is still being used as a depot for relief supplies.

Principal Rebecca Mose told us that many of the children are still fearful of another tsunami, with some not wanting to return to school because of its proximity to the sea. There are plans to rebuild the pre-school, but finding the necessary funding is an issue.

When we visited, children of all ages from a church Sunday school group were pitching in to clear away debris from around the pre-school. They looked happy to be doing something positive and helpful. Even the youngest of children did their bit, sitting on the ground as they picked up little sticks and small pieces of rubble, putting them in woven baskets for disposal. Older children took care of the larger debris and with the principal, looked out for the safety of the littler ones.

Information: Samoa Casualty List, Red Cross Samoa, UNICEF Pacific(Suva), United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs