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

 

January 17, 2005

 

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

 

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-7

Indonesia.....................................page 8-20

Sri Lanka......................................page 21-29

Thailand.......................................page 30-36

Overview

 

·      Search and rescue operations for last month’s (December 26) massive tsunamis are largely over. The overall focus of attention is shifting to relief and recovery efforts. The death toll from tsunamis triggered by an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra Island has now risen to over 173,000 people along the coastal areas of some 11 countries in the Indian Ocean. 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. The death toll in Indonesia’s 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, has now climbed to more than 118,000, with tens of thousands people still unaccounted for. The fate of nearly one million people along the western coast of Aceh is slowly being assessed with anecdotal reports of death rates in excess of 50%. 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 38,000 and 10,672 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 5,322, including some 1,765 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have also been reported in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. Preliminary estimates place the cost of damage for Indonesia – US$4 billion, Sri Lanka - US$3 billion, India - US$2 billion, Thailand - US$235 million and Maldives at US$1.3 billion. The world’s largest reinsurer, Munich Re, estimates the total cost of the disaster to exceed US$13.6 billion.

 

·      Coordination: 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 536 (CSF 536), Combined Coordination Center (CCC), which is comprised of liaison officers from Australia, UK, Japan, Thailand and Singapore, 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. Work continues on refining the process humanitarian organizations use to request military transport.

 

o      Lieutenant General Robert Blackman, commander of Combined Support Force (CSF 536), said “conditions for transition” have been met in both Thailand and Sri Lanka, while he briefed Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Commander of US Pacific Command Admiral Thomas Fargo, who were in Utapao (Thailand) on Saturday (Jan-15) for a three-day trip to the region. He said conditions in Indonesia’s Aceh were still challenging, adding that he will be concentrating his efforts more on Indonesia. (Jan-15, DefenseLink)

 

·      Logistics: A number of logistics problems remain despite progress. Thailand is in good shape. In Sri Lanka, main roads are now accessible in most affected districts, except Batticaloa. Transport capacity is somewhat improving 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, Medan, 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. Starting next week, UNJLC will issue its bulletins twice a week. (Jan-15, UNJLC)

 

o      The UN has been using Malaysia’s Subang Airport near the capital Kuala Lumpur as its regional Humanitarian Air Hub (HAH) since January 7. The HAH is jointly managed by the WFP, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and the UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC). The cargo is being airlifted to either Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh, or Medan, the provincial capital of North Sumatra province, along the east coast. As of January 16, a total of 30 airlifts have left the HAH. Subang’s current air assets include two C130s and a Casa235, an IL76, an AN12, and an HS-125-700. Subang has all required loading and ground handling equipment to serve Tristars and C17s. There are no problems flying Military and Civil Defense Assets (MCDA) to Subang. UNJLC recommends all international relief flights land in Subang and then further dispatch the cargo by smaller aircraft to Banda Aceh and Medan. WFP expects to send cargo by ship after immediate food needs in Sumatra have been met. (Jan-17, WFP)

 

o      Starting January 16, UNHAS will be operating an HS-125 18 seat passenger aircraft out of Subang, Malaysia. (Jan-15, UNJLC)

 

o      UNHAS says IL76 made available for strategic airlift provides only regional airlift free of charge. All long-range IL76 flights are carried out on reimbursable basis. (Jan-14, UNJLC)

 

o      UNICEF is offering empty space on weekly B747 flights operated by British Airways due to start on January 19. Cargo can be loaded in Copenhagen (Denmark) or in Dubai (UAE). The first two flights are full. (Jan-14, UNJLC)

 

·      Food: The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates some 2 million people in 12 countries affected by the tsunami disaster are in need of food assistance. FAO says despite local losses, overall food availability in the region should be adequate to cover needs. Recommends local purchases of food, where possible, to meet food aid requirements. The agency is seeking US$26 million to rehabilitate fisheries and agriculture in affected countries. (Jan-11, FAO). UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has already delivered some 9,744 metric tons of food in affected countries. WFP is currently assisting some 1,069,000 people with their food needs in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand and Somalia. WFP says it has so far received US$81.9 million or 32% in response to its US$256 million emergency appeal. (Jan-12, WFP)

 

·      Health/Medical: 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.

 

o      The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland says he does not believe as many people will die of disease in the aftermath of the tsunami as earlier feared. Egeland told a press briefing on January 13 that he believed relief efforts could avoid the feared “second wave of death.” WHO officials had earlier warned that as many as 150,000 additional people could die of diseases if immediate precautions are not taken.

 

o      According to WHO there have been no reports of disease outbreaks anywhere in the region. WHO has begun helicopter-assisted rapid health assessments along the west coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province. Large-scale vaccination campaigns aimed at vaccinating 1.16 million children aged 6 months to 15 years, are underway in Indonesia’s Meulaboh and in North Aceh following sporadic reports of measles. No immunization or malaria control activities have yet been carried out in most remote areas of western Aceh. WHO is also recommending malaria treatment and control measures to be put in place, as well as a strategic plan to support existing health facilities. Daily disease surveillance mechanisms are reportedly very effective in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna. However, disease surveillance mechanisms and reporting need to be strengthened in Trincomalee. Sanitation infrastructure remains unsatisfactory in parts of Sri Lanka, particularly in Ampara. In Thailand, disease surveillance is focused on risks of dengue fever outbreaks following reports of five cases of dengue earlier this week (January 13). Local health officials have already vaccinated children against measles in four hardest-hit Thai provinces. (Jan-15, WHO)

 

o      The international medical relief group, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said its medical teams in different locations in Indonesia’s Aceh are reporting cases of tetanus, a potentially life-threatening disease with a mortality rate as high as 25%. The disease is caused when untreated wounds are infected with the tetanus bacteria. MSF says due to low vaccine coverage among the local population, a series of three tetanus shots will be needed to protect people against the disease for a period of ten years. MSF is urging other organizations to start preventive measures.

 

o      WHO says that new security restrictions imposed by the Indonesian government, stemming from an ongoing armed conflict between the government and separatist GAM rebels in Aceh, will hinder access to many wounded and injured people needing urgent medical care in hard-to-reach places.

 

·      Security: On January 11, citing security concerns, the Indonesian government introduced new regulations requiring humanitarian relief organizations to seek the Indonesian military’s approval and escort before moving beyond major cities. Budi Atmadi, Indonesia’s director of disaster relief in Aceh, says the new regulations are aimed at improving coordination and eliminating duplication of efforts. The UN says that it does not believe the new regulations would hinder its work. The Australian government is supporting the Indonesian government’s demand. However, some non-governmental organizations, such as Mercy Corps, say the new regulations may have an effect on their operations. The US and the UN are seeking “clarification” from Jakarta that the new restrictions would not affect their relief operations in the country. (Jan-13, AFP, UNNC)

 

o      UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says relief workers have had no problems working in Indonesia’s tsunami-ravaged Aceh province despite simmering tensions between the government and rebels. However, he is cautioning UN staff to be careful. (Jan-17, Reuters)

 

o      While visiting the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalla said his government was working with GAM rebels for a permanent truce. He did not elaborate if the negotiations had already taken place. (Jan-14, AFP, AP)

 

o      Sri Lankan government has now allowed United Nations officials to visit areas controlled by Liberation Tigers of Tamil (LTTE) rebels, which were devastated by last month’s tsunami, to assess the damage. (Jan-15, AP)

 

·      Political-Military: Following an annual informal meeting of army chiefs of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said senior Indonesian military officials have assured that troops from friendly ASEAN nations could stay in tsunami-ravaged Aceh province as long as necessary to assist tsunami relief efforts. Razak said, “The important thing is that there is no such imposition as to a specific timetable for our withdrawal from Aceh.” (Jan-17, AP, CNA)

 

o      Indonesian defense officials are saying that the demand by the Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalla for foreign troops to leave the country by March 26 was not a deadline, but a benchmark for the Indonesian government to improve and accelerate its relief efforts so that by March 26, the large part of the burden of the relief efforts will be carried by Indonesian government and authorities on the ground. Indonesian defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said: “Foreign military assistance, operations providing relief and rehabilitation, will be allowed to continue, albeit on a reduced scale.” (Jan-16, AFP, AP)

 

o      The US Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says the US military is eager to begin a transitional phase to hand over its relief operations in countries affected by last month’s tsunami to their respective governments, other militaries, non-governmental organizations and aid agencies. Wolfowitz, who arrived in Indonesia following a tour of tsunami-affected areas in Thailand, says the US government shared the goal of wrapping up its military operations in the country as soon as possible. He said, “we certainly hope that the US military can be handing this off to other people long before [the end of March]”, adding that he hopes the US will not be needed as a military in the region at the same time. Wolfowitz is later scheduled to visit Sri Lanka, which has also been severely affected by the tsunami. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Victor Guillory, deputy commander of US naval forces assigned to the Combined Support Force 536 (CSF 536) says it is premature to suggest that “Operation Unified Assistance” had peaked. (Jan-15, DefenseLink)

 

o      Singapore’s Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean says Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will wrap up their projects in Indonesia’s Aceh over the next week or so and prepare to hand over to Indonesian authorities, as well as to Singaporean NGOs and other NGOs. He said the overall situation in Aceh is stabilizing and it is time for relief efforts to move from the emergency phase to the reconstruction phase. (Jan-15, CNA)

 

·      International Assistance: Ministers and delegates from more than 80 countries met at the UN headquarters in the Swiss capital of Geneva on January 11 to discuss the Asian tsunami disaster. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), which called the meeting, said that nearly 70 percent (US$717 million) of the funds, in response to its around US$1 billion “flash appeal” on January 6, have already been raised and are available for immediate spending. Jan Egeland, UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, called the international response “unprecedented” and generous, and expressed hope that the remaining contributions will materialize over the next few days. Upon UN insistence, donors also promised that funds will be “new” money and unlike in the past, aid funds will not be switched from other budgeted disasters. (Jan-11, Reuters, AFP, AP)

 

o      US congressman Jim Kolbe, chairman of the subcommittee on foreign operations on aid and relief work, said the US administration is likely to make another substantial request to Congress for aid to tsunami-affected countries. Kolbe, who is visiting Indonesia’s worst hit Aceh province, gave assurance that an aid package for the country to rehabilitate from tsunami-related destruction would not affected funding for other aid programs in the country. (Jan-16, AFP)

 

o      German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder says his country is committed to long-term relief and reconstruction projects in tsunami-affected nations. Germany’s cabinet has agreed to increase aid for affected countries to US$660 million (EUR 500 million). Schroeder said it has not been decided how the money would be spent. (Jan-12, DPA)

 

o      World Bank (WB) President James Wolfensohn says it could take up to three months to draw up a detailed reconstruction plan for tsunami-affected nations. He warns against hastening reconstruction plans, adding that people must be involved in the process to make plans work. (Jan-12, AFP). WB is providing US$300 million to Indonesia, US$100 million to Sri Lanka, and US$12 million to the Maldives in immediate financial assistance. (Jan-13, Reuters)

 

o      Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said on January 10 that his office was working with international financial experts, including the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, to devise a public tracking system on the Internet that will allow donors to track the progress and utilization of their contributions as they make their way to those in need. (Jan-10, IHT)

 

o      Some 3,000 delegates and experts from around the world are expected to attend the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, due to open tomorrow (January 18) in Kobe, Japan. UN has announced it will lead efforts to set up a provisional tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean within 18 months, costing more than US$30 million. Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, says he is convinced that more attention has to be given to disaster prevention and preparedness (Jan-17, AP)

 

·      International Development & Relief Organizations: The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has revised its preliminary appeal for the tsunami crisis from US$59 million to US$155 million, to fund its operations for a six-month period ending June 30, 2005. IFRC says its Revised Preliminary Appeal 28/2004 is funded for US$106.68 million (68.7%) and would need an additional US$48 million to meet full coverage. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is using Singapore as a regional hub.

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 8

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 10

 

Domestic Response……………………………………………page 15

            Government                                                             

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response……………………………………….page 16

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Overview: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the reorganization of the National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Relief and Refugees (Bakornas PBP), led by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, because of poor coordination among state agencies involved in Bakornas PBP and slowness on the part of the agency. Yudhoyono reportedly ordered Kalla to present a plan for improved coordination and organization by Tuesday (January 18). Meanwhile, the UN says that it has banned its staff from traveling between Banda Aceh and Medan, following reports of fighting between the Indonesian military (TNI) and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). UN officials have also declared a state of “heightened awareness” for relief workers in Indonesia, pending investigation of a Danish warning of an “imminent terror attack on foreign relief workers.” However, UN and Indonesian officials have downplayed the warning, saying they had not received any information of a specific threat. In other news, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak says that Senior Indonesian military (TNI) officials assured army chiefs from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), who are holding an informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur, that there is no deadline to leave for ASEAN troops who are helping out with relief efforts in Indonesia. Over the weekend, Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said that “we would like to emphasize that March 26 is not a deadline for involvement of foreign military personnel in the relief effort.” The comments came following statements by Vice President Jusuf Kalla and other Indonesian officials that seemed to indicate that the GOI wanted foreign militaries to be out of the country by March 26. GoI figures for Aceh released by SATKORLAK to the UN show 118,000 dead, 580,000 displaced (including an estimated 100,000 in the neighboring province), and 272,000 missing. Displaced populations needing support include 130,000 in the vicinity of Banda Aceh, 160,000 on the east coast, and at least 90,000 on the just-being-surveyed west coast, along with the 100,000 in Medan in North Sumatra province. US helicopters have been continuing to ferry food, water and medical supplies to isolated areas along Aceh’s west coast. GOI estimates preliminary financial losses at US$1.7 billion (15 trillion rupiah) with a more reliable assessment to be conducted the government, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and several foreign countries. During the international ministerial tsunami meeting in Geneva on January 11, several countries pledged some US$900 million for a six-month period to Indonesia. Indonesia says it needs some US$2.15 billion dollars over the next five years to rebuild Aceh province. Indonesia wants its creditors to freeze some (US$3.3 billion) in debt repayments through 2006, or about a third of its US$8.8 billion in payments over the period. (Jan-14, Reuters)

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: The World Food Program (WFP) says that the agency was distributing 300 tons of rice a day with most people around Banda Aceh equipped with one-month rations of rice, noodles and high-protein biscuits. Banda Aceh and the surrounding Aceh Besar Regency have 130,000 displaced which are being moved from ad-hoc camps to 24 organized ones. Nearly 80,000 are reported dead, with 255,000 missing. The pre-tsunami population was 575,000. The Indonesian government reports that 80% of the roads and power infrastructure were destroyed along with virtually all the sanitation capability. Relief is flowing into Banda Aceh mainly by air into the Banda Aceh airport from Medan, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur, and by road from Medan in North Sumatra province. UN setting up Civil-Military Operations Centre in Banda Aceh airport, which will include representatives of the TNI, US, Australia and Singapore Air Force. Some semblance of normalcy is returning with more markets reported open. However, public transportation reported scarce. Around 380 government officials have been imported from Jakarta to get local government affairs restarted; hundreds of police and thousands of TNI have been brought in. TNI is appealing for additional heavy equipment and operators to assist in clean up of Banda Aceh.

 

West Coast of Aceh Province: WFP chartered a vessel, the M/V Kimtrans, with a 3,000 metric ton capacity to serve as a floating warehouse off the western coast, with landing craft ferrying food to shore. In Meulaboh, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that it was mounting an aid mission to help some 20,000 displaced people on high ground crammed into makeshift camps. UNHCR says emergency supplies of tents and food would be airlifted to people. A UN team based on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been doing rapid assessments of west coast areas since Friday (January 14). UNHCR says it will begin airlifting emergency tents to house some 100,000 in badly affected areas of the west coast. US helicopter crews are still delivering aid to remote villages. The west coast of Aceh had a population of about one million in its six regencies, with about 500,000 in the northern three and 500,000 in the southern three. The northern three provinces—south from Banda Aceh to just past Meulaboh appear hardest hit. The largest west coast death toll is in Meulaboh, where some 28,251 people died, the Social Affairs Ministry reports. WFP plans on 130,000 needing food, including 60,000 near Meulaboh in Aceh Barat Regency. The UN is setting up a common office in the town, involving UNHCR, UNOCHA, WFP, UNICEF, the UNJLC and UNSECOORD.

 

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·       Indonesian President Yudhoyono has ordered the reorganization of the National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Relief and Refugees (Bakornas PBP) led by Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Jan-17, Xinhua). MEKOKESRA will handle international assistance. (Dec-30, US Consulate Medan)

 

·       Influx of international aid has prompted local corruption watchdog groups to express fears that aid might not reach where it is needed. Information Minister Sofyan Djalil says the GOI would set up a “credible” oversight scheme to monitor the money, but gave no details. (Jan-17, Reuters) GOI retained the American accounting firm of Ernst &Young to audit foreign aid being sent for reconstruction, according to the US Ambassador to Indonesia, Lynn Pascoe. (Jan-14, IHT)

 

·       The GOI 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)

 

·       Government of Indonesia 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)

 

·       TNI is sending thousands more troops into Aceh to help with the relief effort, bringing the total to 50,000. Major General Syafrie Syamsuddin says that some 12 battalions, with troop numbers ranging from a few hundred to one thousand, will be sent over the coming months. Troops will focus on humanitarian operations, initially the cleaning up of debris in towns. (Jan-13, AFP) Some 38,000 troops were already present in Aceh for military operations against the GAM.

 

·       Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says that some 500 personnel have been sent from Jakarta to help in the recovery of bodies. (Jan-12, DPA)

 

·       GOI plans to immediately set up makeshift schools in some 95 locations near camps for the displaced. (Jan-12, Xinhua)

 

·       The Indonesian Government today established a joint Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with the United Nations, which will prioritize the management and coordination of relief efforts. Assessments will be collected at the DMC to provide useable information for prioritization of needs in order to better assist the affected. UN will assist the government with resources of UNOCHA and UNJLC. Six UN staff will be based at the DMC. (Jan-10, UNOCHA)

 

·       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 police deployed around 800 officers to Aceh Province to fill the posts of some 450 killed in the disaster. The Indonesian Defense Force said 517 soldiers were killed in the tsunami.

 

Local Organizations

 

• The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) sent over 800 trained volunteers to Aceh. PMI members are in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and Lhokseumawe. Focus is on west coast of Aceh between Tapaktuang and Meulaboh. PMI Secretary-General is in Medan. Indonesian Red Cross(PMI)/ICRC/IFRC assessments conducted in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and Lhokseumawe. Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has 32-person disaster response team in Meulaboh to help PMI personnel already deployed.

 

• Two Jakarta-based aid organizations, the Humanitarian Emergency Commission and the Aceh Working Group (AWG) say that government red tape is hampering their relief efforts. (Jan-6, Jakarta Post)

 

International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

• At a two-day informal annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN defence chiefs agreed to “collaborate more closely together using a hotline to communicate with one another in times of really major disasters,” Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said Monday (January 17). (Jan-17, Channel NewsAsia)

 

• Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak says that Malaysia will deploy another 100 military personnel to set up a field hospital. He says there were currently some 300 Malaysian police and military personnel in Aceh. (Jan-17, Reuters) Malaysia also plans to set up a relief center that can shelter at least 10,000 displaced. Malaysia offers to further extend amnesty for illegal migrant workers in Malaysia, should the Indonesian government request. Amnesty was due to expire on Dec. 31, but Malaysia extended it for one month. 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 35,000 orphans in Aceh. 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.

 

·       The Singaporean amphibious ship, RSS Endeavour arrived in Aceh yesterday (Sunday, January 17), carrying some 200 pallets of relief supplies and a pair of trucks loaded on landing craft and volunteers from groups, such as the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief, Touch Community Services, the National Volunteer Philanthropy Centre and YMCA. Ship will provide food, generators and tents to house some 10,000 people. (Jan-17, Channel NewsAsia) Singapore says most of its 1,000 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel will be heading home in the next few weeks. Some 70 troops will remain in Banda Aceh with at least 3 Chinook helicopters to help transport supplies. (Jan-16, ChannelNews Asia) Singapore military slowly handing over relief duties to NGOs and withdrawing over next several weeks. Singapore currently has 6 helicopters and 2 helicopter landing ships in Indonesia. Singapore Armed Forces set up a field hospital in Banda Aceh, which houses 3,000 displaced. Singapore is International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hub for Indonesia relief.

 

·       Afghanistan sending 20 doctors and three tons of supplies, enough for around 5,000 people. Team plans to stay in country for 15-20 days. (Jan-16, AP).

 

·       US Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, after meeting with GOI officials in Jakarta, says that Washington wants to hand relief work over to GOI and other nations affected by tsunami as soon as possible. After meeting with Wolfowitz, GOI officials said that there was no deadline being imposed on foreign militaries involved in the relief effort. US Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. John Bernard says that Navy and Marine helicopters have delivered some 3 million pounds of aid thus far. As of Saturday (January 15) helicopters had flown 955 missions. (Jan-16, AP) USS Bonhomme Richard amphibious strike group will end its tsunami relief operations this week and head for Iraq, CNN reports US military officials as saying. (Jan-16, CNN)

 

·       Admiral Thomas Fargo, Commander of US Pacific Command, toured the disaster region and assessed the relief operation. US agreed for the majority of troops to return to ships after each day’s operations. USS Abraham Lincoln diverted to international waters to allow fighter pilots to maintain level of training without interrupting aid delivery. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group (includes four other ships and some 6,500 sailors and Marines) arrived off Sumatra on January 1. US airlift operations are continuing to be flown out of Utapao base in Thailand.

 

·       Japan has pledged non-project grant aid of approximately US$146 million to GOI. Grant assistance is part of the immediate grant aid to procure goods and services urgently needed in disaster-affected areas. (Jan-17, Government of Japan) A 20-member Japanese medical team arrived in Aceh as an advance team of some 1,000 troops expected to arrive in about a week to help set up a hospital and take part in the reconstruction effort. Reportedly “largest-ever” overseas relief effort by Japanese Self-Defense Forces. (Jan-16, AP) Along with the troops, Japan is sending including two C-130 planes, five helicopters and three naval ships. Japanese Defense Chief, Yoshinori Ohno promised that Japan would keep troops in Indonesia for at least 3 months, as requested by Jakarta. A C-130 provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Force is transporting relief from UNHCR from Utapao (Thailand) to Medan, daily. (Jan-11, UNJLC)

 

·       Philippines sending medical team to Indonesia consisting of ten doctors, nurses and medical volunteers. (Jan-13, AFP)

 

·       Advance troops from a Russian medical unit that arrived Tuesday (January 11) are setting up a mobile hospital in Banda Aceh. Troops will eventually number 200. (Jan-14, AP)

 

• France sent helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc, carrying 11 helicopters and the frigate George Leygues to provide medical aid in Aceh. (Jan 2, AFP)

 

·       German supply/hospital ship Berlin, which also has a field hospital, arrived offshore Banda Aceh.

 

·       Brunei sends team of doctors, nurse, health personnel and volunteers to Banda Aceh.

 

·       Pakistan sent 87 army engineers and paramedics. Personnel are setting up a field hospital and waiting for engineering equipment to arrive. Pakistan sent 2 tons of medicines to Banda Aceh. Troops will set up a 50-bed hospital in the area.

 

·       Egypt is sending medical team and humanitarian aid to Aceh. (Jan-10, Jakarta Post)

 

·       New Zealand has 1 C-130 Hercules cargo plane and crew, and some 30 medical staff in Indonesia. New Zealand is deploying three more Defense Force medical teams to Banda Aceh.

 

·       Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) will send 20 civilian medical volunteers to Aceh for up to one year to help in long-term “post-tsunami restructuring operation.” (Jan-17, AusAID) Aus AID will send a response team of 30. AusAid assessed the offshore island of Simuelue and will deliver 12 tons of emergency supplies. 900 Australian Defence Force personnel are in Indonesia. With Malaysia’s authorization, Australia is operating out of its old airfield Butterworth near Penang Island at the north of peninsula Malaysia.

 

·       European Commission (EC) contributions from Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, and Portugal.

 

United Nations

 

·       UNICEF is shipping 2,000 school tents, 2,000 school-in-a-box kits and 2,000 recreation kits to support more than 100,000 school children and 4,000 teachers in affected areas. Agency also assisting the GOI with the recruitment and training of 2,000 new teachers. (Jan-17, UNOCHA) UNICEF chief, Carol Bellamy says that there were probably fewer orphans than originally thought in tsunami-hit areas, and new efforts should be directed towards uniting them with family members. (Jan-15, SMH) UNICEF is the focal point for education data and information assistance to Aceh. UNICEF says relocation of IDPs from schools is a major issue. At least 5 schools in Banda Aceh are occupied by IDPs, and 3 schools in Meulaboh by the military and NGOs. A rapid assessment in 7 of 11 districts in Aceh reveals 420 schools destroyed and 1,200 teachers killed. UNICEF is sending mobile schools. UNICEF is 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 is looking ahead to establish 600 schools to serve 120,000 children.

 

• World Food Program (WFP) currently loading 2,200 tons of rice, 23.6 tons of biscuits and 6.4 tons of noodles on its chartered vessel, the M/V Kimtrans, in Jakarta. (Jan-17, WFP). WFP is working with the following partners in Aceh and North Sumatra: Mercy Corps, CARE, World Vision and Save the Children. WFP team assessing needs in Aceh is visiting 17 sites in 10 days. WFP has a total of 4 offices in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces; WFP established a presence in ports of Meulaboh and Singkil on the west coast. Temporary warehouses being erected to address shortage of storage. (Jan-10, WFP) WFP’s new Humanitarian Air Hub, operating out of Subang airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, began operations on January 9. WFP base camp in Banda Aceh is reportedly fully operational with a capacity for some 70 people. The camp will be jointly run by the WFP and UNOCHA.

 

·       UN Development Programme (UNDP) says 300 displaced in Banda Aceh were hired by the Ministry of Public Works, with the support of UNDP, to help with clean-up. UNDP says program should expand to include some 3,000 people in the coming weeks. (Jan-17, AP)

 

• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with the request of the GOI, conducted an environmental assessment from January 4 to January 12. UNEP will work with the Ministry of Environment to identify key needs.

 

• UNHCR will soon have three Swiss Super Puma helicopters for use that will operate from Medan-Meulaboh, Medan-Banda Aceh and Banda Aceh–Meulaboh. (Jan-14, Reuters) says using additional commercial charter flights and truck convoys from Jakarta to Aceh in a major push to move all the agency’s 400 tons of relief supplies. (Jan-12, UNHCR)

 

·      World Health Organization (WHO) is appealing for US$60 million to address public health needs. WHO organized to 50 international health groups in Aceh to provide medical care.

 

·       UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) is preparing emergency and reconstruction proposals.

 

International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

·       Save the Children says it has delayed its work in Sigli because IDPs were relocating camps to drier grounds, following several days of heavy seasonal rains. (Jan-17, AP) Save the Children identifying children separated from parents from disaster across some 17 camps so far. (Jan-11, Save the Children).

 

·       World Bank President James Wolfensohn says that initial damage assessments by the bank should appear within two weeks. The World Bank says it will provide US$300 million in initial financial support for Indonesia. (Jan-14, AlertNet)

 

·      Mentor Initiative began anti-malaria spraying in the Banda Aceh area.

 

• World Vision International (WVI) sent 125 tons of relief aid from the US and Canada. WVI has a relief base in Banda Aceh staffed with 30 workers. (Jan-10, WVI) World Vision International (WVI) is assisting traumatized children in Banda Aceh. World Vision Indonesia started aid distribution in Aceh on January 4. Food aid will be followed by distribution of tents and family kits for 5,000 people. (Jan-6, WV)

 

• Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is working in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh, Medan, Lamno and Lampe-Ngo assisting roughly 100,000 people. MSF chartered a landing craft to bring materials to Lamno, on the west coast of Aceh. Extra water distribution points for some 4,000-8,000 people living in camps will be set up as well as for town’s residents. (Jan-12, MSF). MSF sent more than 60 international staff and 120 tons of relief to Indonesia.

 

• Mercy Corps established an office in Meulaboh and is working with Indonesian government to coordinate activities. (Jan-9, USAID)

 

·       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 in Banda Aceh since December 28.

 

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

 

·       The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has GOI Ministry of People’s Welfare (MENKOKESRA) blessing to organize in-land transportation of aid into Aceh and North Sumatra. (Jan-13, IOM) IOM is assisting displaced leaving Aceh for Medan and Jakarta. IOM has some 150 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)

 

·       The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sent its first shipment of 160 tons of relief goods for some 40,000 people to Banda Aceh. ICRC says it currently has enough goods for 300,000 people, and the group is exploring other routes to bypass congested distribution points. (Jan-9, Channelnews Asia) 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, Iceland, Japan , Singapore, 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.

·       Oxfam is working water and sanitation issues in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar Province, and the town of Meulaboh on the west coast.

 

 

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview. …………………………………………………page 21

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 22

 

Domestic Response…………………………………….page 24

            Government

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response…………………………………page 25

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Overview: The death toll from the December 26 tsunami has risen by 7,275 to 38,195 as more bodies were discovered and a backlog of figures from remote areas was calculated in, according to the Public Security Ministry. This figure is expected to rise further as operations to clear rubble continue. About 6,300 are still missing from 14 tsunami-affected districts (out of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts). The Number of displaced has dropped to 440,000 with about 389 camps remaining. Emergency coordinators believe aid is reaching all survivors.

 

President Chandrika Kumaratunga says reconstruction is a priority. On Monday (January 17), the GoSL announced a major reconstruction drive that includes the building of 15 new towns on the southern and eastern coasts. The locations of the new towns were not revealed, however. The plan also gives tax and other concessions to hotels destroyed by the tsunami, and cash allowances of Rs. 5,000 (US$50) to tsunami survivors. Their utility bills will also be waived.

 

The US general in charge of coordinating relief efforts in South Asia said that the “conditions for transition” from US military to host-nation military control of operations in Sri Lanka have been met and that as such, direct US military assistance will no longer be needed within the next week or two. The US pulled back 2 military supply ships deployed for relief operations in Sri Lanka, while Sri Lankan officials said about a dozen other countries that have sent military units, including India, will be scaling down their operations in the coming weeks.

 

Following a meeting between GoSL officials and local Tamil leaders, tensions stemming from the distribution of aid to Tamil tsunami survivors in Ampara district have eased, according to a local leader of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). Tensions were exacerbated last week when the GoSL would not allow UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to visit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -controlled areas during his trip to Sri Lanka. LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, is set to meet Norway’s Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, and Norwegian peace envoy, Erik Solheim, next week in an attempt to restart stalled peace talks.

 

Sector Status
Affected Population	440,000 remain internally displaced with numbers decreasing; some sources report nearly 500,000 in camps or public buildings. Number of people living in camps decreased by 50 percent between January 8 to 11, as people moved in with family or returned home. (Jan-14, UN-OCHA) Other sources have 200,000+ staying with family or friends. World Food Program (WFP) director, James T. Morris, said that the number of people who need food aid might rise from 750,000 to 850,000. (Jan-17, AFP)
Coordination	The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) established the Center for National Operations (CNO) under the direct authority of the Prime Minister. CNO serves as focal point for the coordination of relief work, including coordination of line ministries, and all provincial and governmental bodies. Center also provides links to sectoral ministries and serves as the interface between the government, NGOs, and the UN.