Anshu Gupta

Relief workers after 2004 tsunami.

The states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were severely impacted after the tsunami. The Indian Tri-Services - Army, Air Force, and Navy were pressed together to provide emergency support and relief. The Ministry of Home Affairs coordinated the responsibilities and looked after the mobilization, dispatch of resources, and logistics*.

The individuals who volunteer to do relief work during any disaster have an very interesting and tumultuous journey. The kind of tragedy they see unfolding before them, the pain, the desperation, and the prevailing deaths. We don’t often talk about the psychological impact that a disaster has on the relief workers who are also, by virtue of their work, are living through the aftermath of a disaster.

*Murty, C. V. R., Jain, S. K., Sheth, A. R., Jaiswal, A., & Dash, S. R. (2006)Response and recovery in India after the December 2004 great Sumatra earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami. Earthquake Spectra, 22(3_suppl), 731-758. Read more