The recent volcanic eruption in Iceland has world wide repercussions and clear contours of economic damage from this natural disaster is yet to emerge. As reported millions of passengers have been stranded in hundreds of air ports in the world because of the potential hazard for flying due to high ash content spewed by the volcano that has spread over most of the Europe. The unpleasant and miserable experience will be a wake up call for the international community regarding the need to remember that national boundaries have no meaning and the need to consider that every human being is more a denizen on this planet than a citizen of any country. Look at the effect the volcanic eruption has on a poor African country like Kenya which has to bear the consequences, though situated far away from Iceland.
"On Monday, Mr. Maundu stared at the towering wreckage: eight-feet-tall heaps of perfectly good carrots, onions, baby sweet corn and deliciously green sugar snap peas being dumped into the back of a pickup truck. "Cow food," he said, shaking his head. "That's about all we can do with it now." If farmers in Africa's Great Rift Valley ever doubted that they were intricately tied into the global economy, they know now that they are. Because of a volcanic eruption more than 5,000 miles away, Kenyan horticulture, which as the top foreign exchange earner is a critical piece of the national economy, is losing $3 million a day and shedding jobs".
The utter helplessness of man against nature's fury is amply demonstrated by this latest calamity and it is time for recognition that, no matter how mighty a country is, living harmoniously with nature can only sustain life in this planet. Mindless tinkering with nature for short term economic gains does not pay in the long run. Having done enough damage already, is it possible for the world community to set up a massive contingency fund that can help the victims of natural calamities though economic assistance. Kenya deserves a helping hand to over come its losses suffered for no fault of its own and recover from the misery.
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