Making the Tsunami Tragedy Real

Jan. 1, 2005 — -- The numbers alone can be numbing.

More than 100,000 dead from the earthquake and tsunamis that pummeled Southeast Asia and eastern Africa. Up to 5 million people around the tsunami-struck Indian Ocean are struggling for access to drinking water, shelter, food and health care.

Add to that the fact that the tragedy struck in regions thousands of miles from this country and happened mostly to people who live very different lives from most Americans. Psychologists say there are plenty of reasons why Americans may be finding it hard to fathom the scope of the tragedy.

But, they add, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

"It may not feel real to some since the tragedy is so huge and is on the other side of the world," said Chicago psychiatrist Alan Hirsch. "But feeling empathy is what sets humans apart and is a critical aspect of humanitarian efforts."

According to preliminary reports from relief agencies, thousands of Americans have been empathetic and are responding in kind.

Carol Garrison of the Red Cross reports that since Dec. 26, her group has received more than $19.1 million in donations from corporations, philanthropic organizations and individuals.

"People are being amazingly generous," she said.

Mercy Corps, a relief group based in Portland, Ore., has been flooded with $3 million in donations and expects to raise at least $7 million more. Another group, Save the Children, has received $5 million in donations since the disaster from corporate and private donations.

"It has been enormous and generous," said Dianne Sherman, spokeswoman for the group. "It has taken us by surprise but naturally we're delighted."

This kind of generosity is crucial given the scope of the devastation. To get a sense of the scale, Hirsch suggests taking some of those devastating death toll numbers and comparing them with the population of your home city or town. For example, 100,000 people amounts to roughly the same number of people living in Gary, Ind., or about one-quarter of the entire population of Oakland, Calif., or just under one-third of the population of St. Louis.