PACIFIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NETWORK (PDMIN)
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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

January 9, 2005

 

Note: New content has been inserted in red, italicized, bold font.

 

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-4

Indonesia.....................................page 5-13

Sri Lanka......................................page 14-21

Thailand.......................................page 22-29

Overview

 

·      The overall focus of attention is now quickly shifting to relief and recovery efforts. Search and rescue operations for last month’s (December 26) massive tsunamis are largely over. The tsunamis were triggered by an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra Island and killed more than 150,000 people along the coastal areas of some 11 countries in the Indian Ocean. The fate of nearly one million people along the western coast of Indonesia’s Aceh is slowly being assessed with anecdotal reports of death rates in excess of 50%. UNOCHA’s Kevin Kennedy says the highest UN priority is getting aid to those it has not yet reached. (Jan-9 UN News) Tsunami-related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. The loss of life has been particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Following the Indonesian Health Ministry’s decision last week to no longer provide an account of the precise number of deaths because of difficulties in getting an accurate picture, the spokesman for the country’s Social Affairs Ministry’s relief coordination center said that the death toll had climbed to 107,039, with 70,000 people still unaccounted for in the northern province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra and along the 115 miles of the islands along Indonesia’s northwestern coast, which was close to the epicenter of the earthquake. WHO estimates 80 percent of Aceh’s west coast has been damaged. UN officials think the number of people dead and affected by the disaster in Indonesia could significantly climb once authorities are able to assess all hard to reach areas. The death toll in Sri Lanka and India has also climbed to in excess of 30,000 and 10,012 deaths respectively. India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as the southern state of Tamil Nadu, have been the worst hit areas. The death toll in Thailand’s resort islands of Phuket and Phi Phi has now climbed to 5,301, including some 2,500 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have also been reported in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. The total cost of the disaster is estimated to be in excess of US$13.6 billion.

 

·      A number of logistics problems remain despite progress. Thailand is in good shape. Although main roads are now accessible in most affected districts in Sri Lanka, except Batticaloa, transport capacity is insufficient to move relief supplies inland. Distribution mechanisms remain weak. The Sri Lankan government, in conjunction with the United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC), is addressing these problems. In Indonesia, backlogs at Banda Aceh airport and nearby Medan airport are diminishing with increased humanitarian coordination and the opening of airport facilities in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. Tracking and prioritization systems for humanitarian cargo and military airlift are being developed. Indonesian military (TNI) control of Banda Aceh and Medan airports and control of humanitarian and military access is providing a challenge for relief efforts. UNJLC has teams in Banda Aceh, Jakarta, and Colombo and liaison officers to work with the US military. Roads are just now opening up to Meulaboh on the west coast of Aceh, but the road south from Banda Aceh will be closed for perhaps a month as TNI effects repairs. UNJLC plans to soon publish an overview of all air assets on its website at www.unjlc.org that have been made available to humanitarian community. (Jan-8, UNJLC)

 

·      The UN is using Malaysia’s Subang Airport near the capital Kuala Lumpur as its regional transportation hub. UNJLC recommends all international relief flights land in Subang and then further dispatch the cargo by smaller aircraft to Banda Aceh and Medan. (Jan-7, UNJLC)

 

·      The United States and a number of other militaries and agencies are operating out of and coordinating at Thailand’s Utapao Royal Thai Air Force Base about 100 miles south of Bangkok. The US Combined Support Force, liaison officers from other militaries, and a Civil-Military Coordination Cell are operating. USAID DART representatives are present, as is the UNOCHA coordinator in Thailand. 1,200 US troops are on the ground. Additionally, the US and perhaps others are using the base for transshipment of relief supplies.

 

·      The Australian Defense Forces are establishing their strategic air hub at the military facility in Butterworth, Malaysia. This will take some pressure off the airports of Medan and Banda Aceh. (Jan-7, UNJLC)

 

·      The International Committee of the Red Cross is using Singapore as a regional hub.

 

·      World Health Organization (WHO) officials in South Asia estimate as many as five million people have been displaced and are at risk across the region. In Indonesia alone an estimated 1 million people are either displaced or homeless. Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs says at least 1.6 million people affected by the disaster are in need of food aid. Assessments reports from Aceh’s west coast have yet to come in. WHO says an estimated 500,000 people are believed to have been injured in the tsunami. Officials are warning of a “health disaster” if the survivors are not treated to prevent infection and are not given quick access to clean drinking water. There have been some reports of diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia and skin infections in Indonesia. Ingestion of dirty water from the tsunami has increased the risk of pneumonia. Contamination of drinking water sources and stagnant water have increased the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, malaria and dengue fever. With the lack of services in some areas, wounds have quickly become infected. Measles will spread more easily as people’s systems are worn down. Food and medicine in many areas are in short supply. Due to warm temperatures, the risk of malaria, which is endemic to the region, remains high. (Dec-30, UN News Service, PBS) However, so far there have been no reports of disease outbreaks. WHO is encouraging setting up smaller-sized camps for displaced survivors. WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-Wook says smaller camp sizes will lessen the risk of disease outbreaks that can otherwise spread easily when people are packed together.

 

·      According to Indian Health Ministry sources, cases of measles and chicken pox have been reported in several camps in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman islands. Health officials are on high alert to prevent major disease outbreaks. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) teams are installing water storage tanks and distributing oral rehydration salts (ORS) to prevent water-borne diseases, particularly diarrhea. UNICEF is the first international organization that has been allowed by the Indian government to begin operating in the Andaman Islands. UNICEF is vaccinating children against measles on the island of Car Nicobar. Other international aid groups, including MSF, are still waiting for the Indian government’s approval. (Jan-8, DPA)

 

·      Indian officials are considering accepting foreign reconstruction assistance to rebuild tsunami-devastated areas along the southern coast. Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said today that the massive scale of disaster had made India consider foreign aid in dealing with the long-term rebuilding and rehabilitation. He said India has been wrongfully accused of adopting an isolationist stand and of not accepting international aid. Damage from the tsunami disaster in India is estimated to climb to over US$2 billion, with US$1.6 billion on the mainland and another US$600 million on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

 

·      Maldives reports it will not re-inhabit 9 of 14 evacuated islands.

 

·      United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Geneva has called for a ministerial level meeting next Tuesday’s (January 11) to discuss tsunami disaster. OCHA has sent out invitations to all permanent missions to the UN in Geneva.

 

·      UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday (January 6) launched a UN “flash appeal” for nearly US$1 billion (US$977 million) to fund emergency relief for countries affected by last month’s tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The appeal covers a six-month period for humanitarian emergency needs of an estimated 5 million people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles and Somalia. The appeal is the largest in response to a natural disaster in the United Nations’ 60 years of existence. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says it may take ten years and cost tens of billions of dollars to reconstruct devastated areas. Annan said he is concerned that some of the US$2 billion pledges may never materialize. He stressed billions of dollars pledged by foreign governments, corporations and private individuals were needed now and pledges needed to be converted into cash quickly. (Jan-6, AFP, AP, UNNC, CNN)

 

·      UNICEF is seeking US$80 million in urgent humanitarian aid for an estimated 1.5 million children in the region.

·      International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched a consolidated appeal for US$59 million for the crisis.

·      The G7 group of seven industrialized nations will freeze debt repayments for countries hit by the tsunami and will work with the Paris Club and other creditors to implement the decision. The EU President, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg advocates full debt relief for tsunami nations. (Jan 9, AFP)

 

·      Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will provide US$500 million in relief and reconstruction aid to countries affected by the tsunami disaster. IDB reportedly made the pledge at the Special ASEAN Leaders’ meeting that was held this Thursday (January 6) in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. IDB said it would make special arrangements for the region’s development partners to ensure quick disbursement of funds for affected countries. (Jan-9, NST)

 

·      Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda heads for Europe to work debt relief. (Jan 9, AFP) Thailand’s Prime Minister Thaksin calls for favorable trade tax treatment from international community.

 

·       In an unprecedented call by a non-government organization (NGO), the Nobel-prize winning international medical relief group, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said January 4 that it had collected US$54 million in donations since the December 26 tsunami disaster, adding that the organization had enough funds to assist millions of affected people in South Asia. MSF is urging donors to redirect funding to those crises that have slipped from public attention.

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview………………………………………………………...page 6

 

Domestic Response……………………………………………page 8

            Government                                                            

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response……………………………………….page 10

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Indonesia Overview

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: The head of the World Food Program (WFP), Jim Morris, says he expects food aid to reach all those who need it within the next week. Food distribution is expected to increase following the opening of the Humanitarian Air Hub at the Subang air base in Malaysia. The WFP says that it is feeding some 150,000 people and expect that number to increase to 400,000 within a week and possibly reach as high as 500,000 or more. The aid group, Oxfam, says that there were over 100,000 people in some 200 makeshift camps across the province with populations ranging from 30 to more than 3,000. In the northeastern districts of Indonesia, WFP reports that NGOs have registered a total Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) population of 140,000 in addition to the some 120,000 previously identified in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar. Additionally, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) says that some 100,000 displaced persons have relocated to Medan from Aceh province. The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) says that isolated incidents of a number of diseases are increasing, however, no outbreaks have been reported. Numerous cases of tetanus are being reported. Health groups supported by WHO are continuing assessments and needs are reportedly being defined. The WHO also issued a plea for countries not to send any more field hospitals because there will be nothing for them to do, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Dr. Ronald Waldman, coordinator of WHO in Indonesia, says that with many of the injuries attended to, the focus now was on keeping the displaced population healthy. The population in the vicinity of Banda Aceh is about 500,000. Mostly from this immediate area, Indonesia reports 105,000 dead, about 10,000 reported missing, and several thousands in hospitals. Over 500,000 are reported as displaced. The Indonesian government reports that 80% of the roads and power infrastructure were destroyed along with virtually all the sanitation capability. While in Banda Aceh, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the UN will set up a command center there. Relief is flowing into Banda Aceh by road from Medan in North Sumatra Province, by air into the Banda Aceh airport from Medan, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and to a lesser degree into a partially operational commercial seaport nearby. The relief community of UN agencies, government and military organizations, and NGOs is getting organized and supplies are flowing in. Some semblance of normality is returning with hospitals, gas stations, and markets reopening, and the government is starting to function with a skeleton staff. The Indonesian Ministry of Health and the WHO are coordinating the activities of all medical assets. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), has arranged major trucking support from Medan. The WFP is arranging food shipments and distribution. With UNICEF in charge of water and sanitation, Oxfam, the Australian military, and many others are addressing clean water. The Indonesian Red Cross has sent 800 trained workers, and the Indonesian government has sent additional troops and police. The US military has two naval groups near Banda Aceh operating helicopters and providing supplies and volunteers. Much of the Banda Aceh region population is in poorly set up, ill-provisioned displacement camps. The Indonesian government announced that dozens of organized camps will be operational within the week. The UN plans to provide tents and supplies for 500,000.

 

West Coast of Aceh Province: The chief of UN operations in Indonesia, Joel Boutroue, says that most communities in Aceh province have been reached by the relief effort, however, some remote coastal areas have yet to be helped. Aid workers were still assessing areas south of the town of Meulaboh. A permanent UN base has been established in Meulaboh, Reuters reports. Aid workers report that survivors were beginning to come down from higher ground to return to the town. Mercy Corps says water distribution is a priority as town is solely reliant on bottled water. Indonesian People’s Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says that work was beginning on 24 resettlement camps across the region with plywood homes being built to house the displaced for at least one year. Reports from smaller areas along the west coast continue to trickle in. In Calang, 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Banda Aceh, only 1,000 out of the population of 5,000 had survived the disaster, according to Family Health International. The Indonesian military (TNI) reportedly has set up two field hospitals for the town with a 70-bed capacity. Survivors have been joined by some 6,000 other displaced people. It was unclear exactly what areas they had come from. The 155-mile west coast of Aceh Province, with a population of about one million, was closest to the epicenter. Roads were cut off from Banda Aceh in the north and from North Sumatra Province in the south. The WFP reports that an initial inter-agency assessment down the western coast found that the most severe impact area is between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. South of Meulaboh the damage is reportedly less severe but populations are still in need of assistance. The Indonesian government, supported by the Singaporean military and the Red Cross, has established a center in Meulaboh in Aceh Barat, the northern part of the west coast. Estimates are that 40,000 of the inhabitants died with some 80% destruction in the town. In addition to bringing supplies as far south as Meulaboh, the US military has been delivering supplies along the northern part of the west coast. Should early death toll estimates be sustained, death and destruction along the west coast will dwarf what has been reported to date.

 

Logistics: The two main airports in Aceh, the one in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and Medan, which are being used as hubs for aid distribution in the province, continue to report logistical problems. Bottlenecks have cleared somewhat from earlier reports, but aid groups say the airports are still overwhelmed by the number of planes trying to deliver relief supplies. In an effort to relieve the logjam at the airports, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), says that it will begin a steady stream of road convoys from Jakarta to Aceh on Monday (January 10). IOM continues to coordinate airdrops to areas cut off by land routes with the US military. The UN, with WFP and the UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) in the lead has a regional hub at Malaysia’s Subang Air Base in Kuala Lumpur in partnership with the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It is estimated that it takes at least twice as long for aid to reach Aceh from Jakarta as it does Subang. The UNJLC reports that the Meulaboh airfield is damaged. Half can be used for helicopters while the other half can only receive small aircraft such as Cessna’s. However, the situation is unclear as Singaporean troops have said that they have established two large landing strips in Meulaboh. The land route from Medan to Meulaboh has been reported open by UNJLC, however, there is no confirmation that it is passable. The land route from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh is reported to be inaccessible by aid groups who attempted passage. The Medan and Banda Aceh airports are under control of the Indonesian military, TNI. The UNJLC in Indonesia is coordinating humanitarian cargo and flights with donors, agencies, available airlift, and Indonesia. With Malaysia’s authorization, Australia is operating out of its old airfield Butterworth near Penang Island at the north of peninsula Malaysia. The US military is operating all its relief efforts out of Utapao Air Base in Thailand under a task force commander there. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is operating out of Singapore. The road from Medan to Banda Aceh is open, although there are some security concerns. IOM has arranged a fleet of over 150 trucks, and commercial bus transportation is available. UNJLC reports that the devastated road along the west coast, repaired by TNI, is now open for medium trucks and heavy vehicles from Banda Aceh in the north and via a circuitous route, from Medan in the south. There are seaports at Medan, in Aceh Province southeast of Banda Aceh, and a limited-capability commercial port near Banda Aceh itself. UNJLC says the port in Medan suffers delays and that more assessments are needed. There are no operating ports along the west coast. Under consideration are barges anchored off shore or landing craft to increase throughput.

 

Politics: With Aceh province under military control, with no disaster plan, and with much of the capital’s civilian bureaucracy wiped out, the UN is leading the rescue and relief efforts. Indonesia eased their ban on journalists and humanitarian help put in place in Aceh, but restrictions have not disappeared. As mentioned above, the Indonesian military, TNI, maintains control of the airports and foreign troop numbers in the region. Singapore has been authorized to operate out of Meulaboh along the west coast, but Australia and the US have not.

 

Security: Shots were reported fired in Banda Aceh which has raised some concerns of the security situation in the area. However, it was unclear if the shooting involved separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels and the military or was an isolated incident. Some 13,000 people have died since the GAM began its fight for independence in 1976. Jakarta had launched a major offensive in Aceh in May 2003 after peace talks with the rebels fell through and the province had been under a state of civil emergency before the earthquake and tsunami.  Both the TNI and the insurgent Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have announced ceasefires shortly after the disaster, but some clashes continue. The government had also lifted restrictions on foreigners in the province that had been in place during the military operations, to allow aid into the province. The Indonesian government tries to assure people that it is in control and that areas in Aceh are under control. Government also tries to assure some suspicious elements of the local population that foreigners are under government control and are their only to help. There are some organizations present in Aceh that the West views as terrorist-associated. Armed guards have been posted at the UN compound in Banda Aceh, however, UN officials say they are part of normal security operations for aid operations. The UN has set the security status in Banda Aceh at three and four outside the city, five being the most dangerous on the UN’s scale.

 

Long term: Indonesia says it needs some US$2.15 billion dollars, double previous estimates, over the next five years to rebuild Aceh province.

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·       A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team under WHO will support the Indonesian Ministry of Health in conducting health facilities assessment. (Jan-9, WHO)

 

·       Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, leaves today (Sunday, January 9) to Europe to “seek clarity” on offers of a debt moratorium for Indonesia. (Jan-9, AFP)

 

·       The Indonesian government and UNICEF will establish centers to care for traumatized women, Minister of Women’s Empowerment, Meutia Hatta says. (Jan-9, AP)

 

·       The Indonesian government has a three-phase plan: Emergency measures through January 2005 followed by rehabilitation through February 2006 and reconstruction, also through February 2006. (Dec 30, Indonesian Mission to UN)

 

·       The National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Relief and Refugees (BAKORNAS) will handle GOI agencies in the relief effort, while MEKOKESRA will handle international assistance. (Dec-30, US Consulate Medan)

 

·       National Disaster Management Centre being set up in Jakarta by Indonesian government to coordinate relief actions of all national and international actors. (Jan-5, UNJLC)

·       There is an Indonesian disaster response command center in Medan near the airport. (Dec 30, US Consulate Medan)

 

·       The Indonesian military (TNI) has some 20,000 troops on Sumatra for the relief effort. (Jan-4, AP)

 

·       The Indonesian military (TNI) has repaired a bridge and immediate road access down the west coast of the province. (Jan 3, IFRC)

 

·       Indonesian police have deployed around 800 officers to Aceh province to fill the posts of some 450 killed in the disaster, the Antara news agency reports. On December 31, the Indonesian Defense Force said that some 517 soldiers had been killed in Aceh from the disaster.

·       Government of Indonesia has tasked the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) with the development of an initial reconstruction plan for Aceh in time for Consultative Group on Indonesia donor meetings scheduled for January 19 through 21. (Jan-06, USAID)

 

Local Organizations

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

·       The US Pacific Command has offered space for the shipment of relief goods from Singapore to Aceh, the UN’s Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) reports. Warehouse capacity may also be made available for temporary storage. Two Utility Landing Craft (LCU’s) with capability to land on a beach with cargo, including heavy vehicles and equipment, would also be made available. (Jan-9, UNJLC)

 

·       The US Abraham Lincoln carrier group (includes four other ships and some 6,500 sailors and Marines) arrived off Sumatra over the weekend (Saturday, January 1). USS Bonhomme Richard and two other warships carrying a Marine expeditionary unit of some 2,200 Marines arrived in the area to join in relief operations. The Bonhomme Richard has at least 29 heavy- and medium-lift helicopters, along with three landing craft with the capability to launch people or equipment ashore virtually any kind of beach. Force also has 60-plus strong medical staff that can man four operating rooms, with a ward capacity for 60 patients. US airlift operations are continuing to be flown out of Utapao base in Thailand.

 

·       Malaysia offers to further extend amnesty for illegal migrant workers in Malaysia, should the Indonesian government request. Indonesian workers make up the bulk of more than a million illegal workers in Malaysia and Malaysia had said it would deport all illegal workers from the country. Amnesty was due to expire on Dec. 31, but Malaysia last week extended it for one month. (Jan-9, AFP).

 

·       Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says that Malaysia will help rebuild Sumatra island for up to the next 10 years, including the construction of schools and other infrastructure for the some 35,000 orphans in Aceh. (Jan-9, AP)

 

·       Malaysia opened its airspace and two airports to UN and Australia relief operations. The UN’s World Food Program/UN Joint Logistics Center is using Subang airport, located outside Kuala Lumpur, while Australia is using Butterworth in the northern part of peninsula Malaysia.

 

·       A total of 35 Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) staff are in AusAID’s Indonesian response team. A team arrived in Banda Aceh yesterday (January 8) to assess priorities of needs. AusAid will do an assessment of the offshore island of Simuelue from today through January 13. The team will deliver some 12 tons of emergency supplies. (Jan-9, AusAID)

 

·       Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill said that the number of Australian Defence Force personnel in Indonesian region is over 460, and will increase by another 400 with arrival of the HMAS Kanimbla. Australia also will send public health team and plastic water bottles to Banda Aceh region in response to Indonesian government request. (Jan-7, GoA)

 

·       Singapore on Friday (January 7) sent a mobile air traffic control (MATC) tower to Banda Aceh’s airport, following request by Indonesia. Singapore currently has 6 helicopters and 2 helicopter landing ships in Indonesia. (Jan-7, Xinhua) Singapore Armed Forces planning to build permanent jetty at Meulaboh to help facilitate aid delivery. (Jan-6, Channel News Asia) Singapore Armed Forces have set up a field hospital in Banda Aceh, which currently houses some 3,000 displaced. Medical personnel say they see some 120 patients a day. (Jan-7, ChannelNews Asia) Singapore is International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hub for Indonesia relief.

 

·       New Zealand has 1 C-130 Hercules cargo plane and crew, and some 30 medical staff in Indonesia. (Jan-7, GoA)

 

·       Advance team of Japan’s Self Defense Forces (SDF) began a survey of medical conditions in Banda Aceh. An additional 40 members as well as relief supplies headed towards region. Japan set to send more than 800 SDF members eventually. Japanese Defense Chief, Yoshinori Ohno promised Sunday (January 9) that Japan would keep troops in Indonesia for at least 3 months, as requested by Jakarta. (Jan-6, Kyodo; Jan-9, AFP)

 

·       Pakistan sent two C-130s and batch of troops carrying 2 tons of medicines to Banda Aceh. Troops will set up a 50-bed hospital in the area. (Jan-6, DPA)

 

·       European Commission (EC) contributions:

 

United Nations

 

 

 

 

 

·       UN Development Programme (UNDP) says it has begun to support national authorities in recovery planning. (Jan-5, UNDP)

 

·       World Health Organization (WHO) says that it is providing guidance to national authorities and other NGOs to ensure rapid recovery and rehabilitation of public health services. WHO is appealing for US$60 million to address public health needs. (Jan-5, WHO)

 

 

·       UNICEF says it has begun registering thousands of orphans in Aceh to protect them. UNICEF is also working with Indonesia’s government to set up child centers to help reunite children separated from their families. UNICEF says it is looking ahead to establish 600 schools to serve some 120,000 children in quake-hit areas of Sumatra. (Jan 2, AP)

 

·       UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) says it is working with overall UN coordination system to prepare emergency and reconstruction proposals. (Jan-5, UN-HABITAT)

 

·       WFP and UNHCR will begin two-day helicopter assessment of west coast of Sumatra. UNHCR will focus on providing shelter particularly to regions in the west. (Jan-4, UNHCR)

 

 

·       The UN Disaster Management Team in Banda Aceh is continuing to coordinate relief activities among humanitarian agencies as well as information sharing. (Jan 3, IFRC)

 

International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

 

 

 

 

 

·       The Australian Red Cross, among other relief, deployed 6 Emergency Response Unit’s (ERU’s) in Indonesia (2 Basic health care, 2 Water and sanitation, 1 Telecommunications and 1 Logistics). (Jan-6, Aus Red Cross)

 

·       Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) has been providing medical services since December 28. They are currently posted at Iskandar Muda Military Hospital in Banda Aceh. (Jan-6, AMDA)

 

·       CARE International says it is running 14 survivor camps in Aceh province. (Jan 3, Reuters)

 

·       IOM is assisting displaced leaving Aceh for Medan and Jakarta. IOM has over 100 trucks shuttling between Medan and Banda Aceh. IOM Medan is working out of the offices of the BAKORNAS Indonesian disaster management agency. IOM’s undamaged Banda Aceh office is supporting other agencies some of whose facilities were destroyed. (Jan-5, UNJLC) IOM technical team is based in Jakarta’s Halim military airport to facilitate the loading of relief goods coming in from donors. (Jan-5, UNOCHA)

 

·       Field Assessment and Coordination Teams (FACT) from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are active in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. IFRC delegates from Britain, Australia, Spain and Iceland, Japan and Denmark are present in Medan, Meulaboh, and Banda Aceh. These delegates are working in conjunction with Indonesian Red Cross to train and mobilize local volunteers.


Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview………………………………………………….page 15

 

Domestic Response…………………………………….page 16

            Government

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response…………………………………page 17

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

 

 

Sri Lanka Overview

 

The confirmed death toll in Sri Lanka has reached 30,721, spread over 14 coastal and inland districts (out of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts). Approximately 4,940 people remain missing, while 14,637 people were injured. More than 93,500 houses have been destroyed, and 169 schools damaged or destroyed. 545,492 people have been rendered homeless, including 332,737 who are living in temporary camps and shelters.

 

According to the Asia-Pacific Center for Emergency and Development Information, a minimal strength cyclone has formed off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, which may result in possible tidal surge and heavy seas. Ampara District and other southern areas are experiencing heavy rainfall, which could result in flooding.

 

Coordination: On December 30, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) established a Center for National Operations (CNO) under the direct authority of the Prime Minister. The CNO serves as the focal point for the coordination of relief work, including coordination of line ministries, and all provincial and governmental bodies. The center also provides links to sectoral ministries and serves as the interface between the government, NGOs, and the UN. Information is compiled and disseminated through a government website (http://www.cnosrilanka.org). All assistance at the district level is being coordinated by Government Agents, supported by UN interagency teams deployed to affected areas. The GoSL has also set up a Task Force for Logistics and Law and Order, which will set up a tracking system for all relief goods. The Disaster Relief Network (DRN) has set up operations at the airport in Colombo and signed an agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka to receive all incoming relief commodities. The Sri Lanka Ministry of Health is coordinating all medical supplies and skilled personnel.

 

Logistics: There is limited transport capacity for secondary transport inland, with difficulties mobilizing delivery trucks for distribution from the central level to districts and beneficiaries. The Colombo - Galle main road has now been cleared and temporary bridges are in place. The Roads Development Authority (RDA) is focusing on the reconstruction of the highway in the East. Particularly, the highway from Potuwil to Trincomalee has been severely damaged by the tidal waves. All operations at the Port of Colombo are functioning smoothly.

 

Political: About 400 protesters gathered in front of the UNHCR office in the northern predominantly Tamil city of Jaffna on Sunday (January 9) after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan agreed to the government’s request not to visit areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during his trip to Sri Lanka. SP Thamilselvan, the head of LTTE’s political wing, called the government’s request “a clear indicator of the discriminatory pattern that the government of Sri Lanka adopts when it comes to the problems of the Tamil people.” Tensions have flared in recent days as the LTTE has complained that little aid has been sent to LTTE-controlled areas, a claimed denied by the GoSL. The LTTE also warned of serious consequences if government soldiers are not withdrawn from welfare camps where Tamil civilians are living.

 

The LTTE has been engaged in a 20-year civil war with the Sri Lankan state A ceasefire brokered in 2002 has largely held although peace negotiations have stalled. The LTTE controls areas in the north and east of the island nation that was hard hit by the tsunami.

 

In the eastern town of Valaichchenai, at least 3 people were killed and 37 wounded after 2 hand grenades were lobbed in a rare clash between Christians and Hindus. Two suspects were arrested. The attack may have been in retaliation for a church being demolished.

 

Food: President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said that “the situation is under control in the whole country” with sufficient food for a few weeks. The World Food Program (WFP) announced that it met its goal of distributing a 15-day food ration to 750,000 beneficiaries. More food, however, will be needed “in a few weeks.”

 

Health: The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Lee Jong-Wook told reporters on January 8 that the health of Sri Lankan tsunami survivors is under control, however, disease surveillance mechanisms at camp settings must be dramatically strengthened. The district hospital in Trincomalee was completely destroyed. Hospital services are now being offered in a local library. Antimalarial activities have been initiated and routine immunizations are being offered through weekly clinics. On January 8, the Ministry of Health announced that there are sufficient supplies of chlorine and water purification tablets in all districts. However, sanitation facilities are deemed inadequate in the Kalmunai, south of Batticaloa, and water tanks are not being chlorinated in Batticaloa disctrict.

 

Shelter: About 200 of the 800 makeshift refugee centers established in the aftermath of the tsunami have been closed, following a more than 39% reduction in the number of IDPs (from 835,028 to 515,234). Immediate needs are being met by schools, places of worship, and other public buildings. Schools in non-affected areas and those that are not being used as welfare camps will reopen on Monday, January 10. The government plans to reopen schools in the affected areas on January 20. A total of 278 schools are currently being used as temporary shelters for displaced families. As such, there is an urgent need for “mid-term” temporary shelters.

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

 

 

 

 

·       Agencies / organizations are sending relief commodities to Sri Lanka are requested to provide the following information on the virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) in addition to the clearance request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following information is required by DRN: Cargo specification, Weight and Quantity, Origin, Consignee (or unsolicited), a contact point of the receiving agency in Sri Lanka and instructions on how to contact, and specification if commodities are for common use or for specific agency. DRN will keep the commodities in a storage facility in the airport for a maximum of seven days. If the receiving organization has not picked up these commodities, it will be handed over to the Government of Sri Lanka. This service is only available for pure relief commodities.

 

 

·       The Ministry of Health identified safe drinking water, proper sanitation, shelter, clothing, transport vehicles, and drugs and medical supplies as top priorities for response.

 

Local Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

·       The Sri Lankan Red Cross distributed non-food parcels containing plastic sheets, kitchen utensils, saris, sarongs, bed sheets, lanterns and hygiene items in the town of Dampa. There are currently 8 emergency response units in Sri Lanka. . (Jan-07, ReliefWeb)

 

 

International Response

 

 

Foreign Governments

 

 

 

 

 

      (Jan-08, TamilNet)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United Nations