Simron Jit Singh, who worked with the Nicobar Islanders before and after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (NewScientist 21March 2015) , says in this interview that he witnessed a second catastrophe (paywall):
What happened next?
By the time I got to the islands, at least 60 NGOs had arrived. The initial rescue had already happened. Then a lot of relief was brought in, and a lot of it was totally ridiculous, like blankets: it’s a hot place and you give blankets? They brought in junk food, radios and gas stoves, but there were no liquefied-gas canisters on the islands at the time. The Nicobarese were mystified. The main thing they wanted was tools to rebuild their houses, and rice. The tools didn’t come for a long time.They started by building tin shelters, but these were too hot inside and the Nicobarese refused to live in them. So each family was paid 3000 rupees [approximately $70 at the time] to occupy the shelters, so the media could see them living in “civilised” homes. Meanwhile, 7000 modern homes were commissioned to be built, with imported materials, to accommodate nuclear families.
The problem is that Nicobarese culture is based around joint families of 40 or 50 people, typically in one extended home, with a head of the family who is in charge of property and resources. Building homes for nuclear families meant the joint family system was not respected. The entire aid blueprint was based on nuclear families – the concept of giving aid to giant families was unknown. The flood of cash multiplied the problem.
Compensation was paid to nuclear families. In the Central Nicobars, the women usually had more power, but according to Indian law it was men who were heads of the family, so they got the cheques. For years after the tsunami the aid flowed and the men had control over the money and resources.
He defines the term “complex disaster” as
A complex disaster is a consequence of inappropriate interventions in the aftermath, which undermine and destroy the non-material attributes that normally allow any society to self-organise and stand on its own feet.
This bit will, perhaps, surprise Westerners who don’t remember there’s always a price to be paid:
Where people used to work together, now there is competition and jealousy. When a society becomes unequal, it affects solidarity. And ill health has increased, especially diabetes, hypertension and stress. This is because the Nicobarese are not able to cope with paying for a modern life.
