Back to Indonesia ten years after the tsunami

This December, I returned to Indonesia. Not to dive, this time. I was reporting for the 10^e anniversary of the deadly tsunami of December 26, 2004.

reports

It was a press trip organized by the NGO International Plan. Along with other journalists, I was able to spend four days in the province of Aceh, in north-western Sumatra, where we met survivors of the tsunami of December 26, 2004.

The disaster killed more than 230,000 people in several South Asian countries, from Thailand to Sri Lanka. The Indonesian province of Aceh was the hardest hit, with over 167,000 victims.

Those four days were dense, intense and fascinating. On my return, I published a series of articles for my canard, based on the testimonies and stories I had gathered. You can find them by clicking on the links below:

→ Feature: in Indonesia, 10 years after the tsunami (in the evening editionDecember 15, 2014)
- Banda Aceh, the transformed city
- "I saw the black wave, and I ran"
- Tourists discover the scene of the tragedy

→ At the school for the children of the tsunami (in Sunday West-FranceDecember 21, 2014)

→ Ten years after the tsunami, Banda Aceh has recovered (in Ouest-FranceDecember 22, 2014)

→ Rahmat, modest hero of the tsunami in Indonesia (in Ouest-FranceDecember 26, 2014)

Banda Aceh

Before this professional trip, I had already been twice in the Aceh region, but on a personal basis, as a tourist, to dive in Pulau Weh, the small island in front of the city of Banda Aceh, in July 2010 and in may 2014. The underwater world is splendid, the island is peaceful.

I'd only crossed Banda Aceh, only to catch a ferry, without seeing much of the city itself or its surroundings. This time, I was able to visit the great mosque, discover the memorial sites of the tsunami and meet many people who agreed to tell me their stories, ten years after the disaster, with a patience and dignity that impressed me. (To be read via the links above).