The slow process to rebuild parliament, the Nitijela, begins as the Pacific nation confronts the loss of a vital cultural landmark
I
n Majuro, a day after fire ravaged the national parliament, the full devastation became clear. The building known as Nitijela had been reduced to a blackened shell, littered with debris. Among the objects lost to the fire were archive documents, original journal transcripts of daily sessions going back decades, and artworks that once adorned the walls.
Flames had engulfed the building by the time the only functioning fire engine in the Marshall Islands arrived to fight the blaze on 26 August. Firefighters were joined by residents and government officials, furiously trying to extinguish the flames and salvage any hard drives storing digital documents, including a copy of the country’s constitution.
Yet despite their efforts, the building could not be saved. Now the people of the Marshall Islands are confronting a loss of a landmark that holds deep cultural significance.
