Maldives: The Quiet Disaster
31 January, Male, Maldives -- The Maldives has made its mark on the world as a great place to spend a quiet tropical
vacation. Even as the December 26 tsunami thundered through neighboring coastlines, here the waters quietly rose and
quietly slipped away. But the disaster did not quietly recede with the floodwaters.
"The international community generally thinks the island paradise escaped harm because the death toll was low," said
Moez Doraid, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Maldives. "Yet 10 percent of the
Maldives' inhabited islands were totally destroyed, no structures remain. One-third of the population has been severely
affected: their homes destroyed or seriously damaged or their food and water supplies cut," he says.
But the damage varies across the country's islands. Due to the geographical makeup of the Maldives, the island cluster
experienced intense flooding without the huge waves. The flooding caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure and
capital assets. The Asian Development Bank recently concluded that the economy of the Maldives was one of the two most
affected as a result of the Tsunami.
"On a positive note, the resort islands that play host to the Maldives' tourism industry were spared serious damage and
the majority are functioning as well as they have always done," said Doraid. "The tourism industry, which makes up 33
percent of GDP, is now the main source of income for the Maldives. Most resorts were left relatively unscathed. We want
to tell the world that the country is open for tourism business. This is the best time of year to come, and the outside
world can help by visiting as tourists," he said.
The poorest of the poor were the hardest hit. Mr. Doraid explained that the lower-lying islands - no more than two
meters above sea level - are home mainly to impoverished families reliant on the fishing industry. "Many of these people
lost everything - houses, boats, fishing nets and the means to process their catches."
Doraid explained that the government, UNDP, and the private sector have been working hand-in-hand to rehabilitate these
devastated islands. It has recently linked up with Banyan Tree Resorts to help with house reconstruction efforts on one
low-lying island.
"While donors have given some funds, basic efforts aimed at providing shelter and capital for people to regain their
livelihoods are seriously under funded," said Mr. Doraid. "It's the people on the poorest islands who have been
affected. Their situation is an unfolding quiet disaster that requires an infusion of support to help get their
livelihoods back on track as quickly as possible."
ENDS