The images of death and destruction from the Asian tsunami have given way to unbelievably similar scenes coming from the Gulf Coast of the United States in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But the problem is far from over in Asia.
Veteran United Nations aid worker Trevor Page was called back into action earlier this year to help restructure the tsunami relief operation in Indonesia. The UN’s immediate response to the humanitarian needs in Aceh saved hundreds of thousands of people from starvation and disease.
But the UN World Food Programme wanted to move on from relief to rehabilitation and reconstruction to help the displaced population get on with their lives. Illustrating his talk with slides, Trevor will speak about the operation in Aceh, how it was compounded by a major earthquake on the island of Nias in North Sumatra, and the warnings from the world’s leading seismologists that another tsunami could devastate the coastline of West Sumatra at any time.
Speaker: Trevor Page worked for the United Nations for over 30 years. Most of the time he was posted in various parts of Africa and Asia, but he also served at the headquarters of the World Food Programme where he was responsible for emergency humanitarian assistance worldwide.
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