HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

13

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

Expressing the sympathy of the house of representatives and the people of hawaii for the victims of the powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck bangladesh, india, indonesia, kenya, malaysia, the maldives, myanmar, the seychelles, somalia, sri lanka, tanzania, thailand, and other areas of southern asia and eastern africa on december 26, 2004.

 

 

WHEREAS, on December 26, 2004, the most powerful earthquake recorded in over 40 years, registering at 9.0 on the Richter scale, occurred centered 100 miles off the coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean; and

WHEREAS, this earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that swept throughout the region, slamming coastal communities over 1,000 miles away, and in some places, sweeping several miles inland with walls measuring more than two stories high; and

WHEREAS, the tsunami devastated coastal communities of southern and southeastern Asia, eastern Africa, and many island nations of the region, in some instances wiping out entire villages; and

WHEREAS, to date, more than 212,000 have died, with that total likely to increase, as over 20,000 are still missing and unaccounted for; and

WHEREAS, more than 1,400,000 others have been left homeless and displaced; and

WHEREAS, children were the most vulnerable victims of the tsunami; more than 1,000,000 children were orphaned, injured, or otherwise adversely affected by the disaster, and at least one-third of those who died were children; and

WHEREAS, the survivors must now endure the physical challenges of the tremendous environmental damage caused by the tsunami, which changed the contours of the land and rivers, damaged coral reefs, destroyed and littered beaches with debris, splintered or entirely removed coastal forests, filled rivers with trash and silt, left miles of land covered with rubble, polluted the ground water, and salted the land, rendering rice fields and other farmlands useless; and

WHEREAS, the fishing and farming jobs that employed and fed many areas of the region are gone, leaving survivors to rely indefinitely on humanitarian aid; and

WHEREAS, the survivors now reside in muddy, chaotic, and overflowing camps, live in shelters made of plastic bags, tin, and coconut fronds, and must endure the lack of food, clean water, and proper sanitation, all of which combined, foster outbreaks of measles, cholera, and diarrhea, as well as dehydration and malnourishment; and

WHEREAS, the survivors must deal with these tremendous physical challenges while also overcoming the extreme psychological, post-traumatic stress caused by their sudden loss of home, family, loved-ones, and social order; and

WHEREAS, while governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals throughout the world have responded overwhelmingly to the calls for aid, much more must be done; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii understands first-hand the tragedy of such a disaster, having experienced major tsunami disasters in 1946 and 1960 in which tsunami waves rose as high as fifty feet above sea level, reached inland to kill a total of 220 people, and caused millions of dollars in damage; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's experience, while equally devastating to the victims who died, and those who survived, pales in comparison to the events of the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that this body expresses its heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the victims of the powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that swept through the Indian Ocean and the surrounding region; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives further express its sympathy through action in the midst of the opening-day festivities of this 2005 legislative session and, therefore, all members of the House of Representatives their staff, as well as members of the general public are humbly requested to provide for the collection of donations to the American Red Cross fund to aid the victims of the tsunami disaster; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the heads of state of the affected nations, the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Executive Committee of the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Indian Ocean tsunami disaster; December 26, 2004; sympathy