Thursday video: building back can always be better
Elizabeth Kiem is the online producer of unicefusa.org.
What a difference a day makes. Let alone five years.
On Tuesday, an earthquake off Indonesia caused tsunamis and emergency alerts. Four days later there is very little to report. Except this--the countries affected by the 2004 calamity have [built back better](http://www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/unicefs-five-year-tsunami.html).
I can still remember the numbness I felt during that holiday week of 2004 as the death toll rose in the countries of the Indian Ocean. The extent of the damage, the numbers of lost lives, the magnitude of the media attention--they all belied a natural disaster that went nameless. Simply--the tsunami.In the months since Haiti was laid so low by another force of nature, I have often thought about that nameless quality. Haiti had survived [Hurricanes](http://www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/up-to-300000-children.html) Ike and Gustave, but will feel the impact of "the earthquake" for decades.
This week's feature video reminds us that nameless disasters can usher in real, tangible gains. In Indonesia, new medical centers provide obstetric services not available before the tsunami; schools in Sri Lanka now regularly feature toilets and hand washing facilities; Thailand has a new monitoring system to strengthen social services for children orphaned by the disaster.
This is called building back better. This is what must be done, and can be done, in Haiti.
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