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

 

January 23, 2005

 

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

 

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-6

Indonesia.....................................page 7-18

Sri Lanka......................................page 19-27

Thailand.......................................page 28-34

Overview

 

·      Search and rescue operations for last month’s (December 26) massive tsunamis are largely over. The overall focus of attention is relief, recovery and rehabilitation. 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 is now over 228,000 people along the coastal areas of 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 is particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The death toll in Indonesia’s northern province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra, which was close to the epicenter of the earthquake, climbed to more than 173,981, with tens of thousands people still unaccounted for. WHO estimates 80 percent of Aceh’s west coast was damaged. The death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 38,000 and is expected to go higher. In India at least 10,672 died. India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the southern state of Tamil Nadu were the worst hit areas. The death toll on Thailand’s west coast, including the resort islands of Phuket and Phi Phi, climbed to over 5,300, including some 1,765 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have been reported in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. Preliminary cost are: Indonesia – US$4.5 billion, Sri Lanka - US$3.5 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 will 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. Lieutenant General Blackman plans to officially disband CSF-Thailand by January 22, pending concurrence by US Ambassador to Thailand Ralph Boyce. Blackman also plans to phase out CSF-Sri Lanka by January 29.

 

·      Logistics: A number of logistics challenges remain despite progress. Thailand is in good shape. In Sri Lanka, transport capacity is improving to move relief supplies as are distribution mechanisms. The need for helicopters is diminishing as more areas become accessible by road. In Indonesia, backlogs at Banda Aceh airport and nearby Medan airport are diminishing with increased humanitarian coordination and the opening of airport facilities on Weh Island and 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 have been challenges for relief efforts. UNJLC has teams in Banda Aceh, Medan, Jakarta, and Colombo and liaison officers to work with the US military. Roads are now open to Meulaboh on the west coast of Aceh, but the road south from Banda Aceh is closed for perhaps a month as TNI effects repairs. (Jan-18, OCHA, US DoD)

 

o      The UN is using Malaysia’s Subang Airport near the capital Kuala Lumpur as its regional Humanitarian Air Hub (SHAH). SHAH is jointly managed by WFP, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and UNJLC. Cargo is airlifted to either Banda Aceh or Medan or transported for dispatch by ship. UNJLC recommends all international relief flights land in Subang and then further dispatch the cargo by smaller aircraft to Banda Aceh and Medan. The UN plans to continue to use SHAH as its priority-one dispatch center for all freight and will keep it as a strategic hub until the end of February. An assessment will be carried out in mid-February to determine whether the hub should be kept longer. (Jan-21, UNJLC)

 

o      Agencies with cargo loads too small to charter an aircraft can now complete a cargo request form available at UNJLC’s website. UNJLC will collate these loads for common chartering. (Jan-21, UNJLC)

 

o      With congestion at the Banda Aceh airport, UNJLC will begin to move cargo from SHAH by ship. WFP has a total shipping capacity of 10,000 metric tons, some of which it plans to make available to other agencies. (Jan-18, OCHA)

 

·      Food: 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. UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has already delivered some 9,744 metric tons of food in affected countries. WFP is currently assisting 1,100,000 people with food in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand and Somalia. WFP says it has received US$81.9 million or one third of its US$256 million emergency appeal. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates 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 is adequate to cover needs. FAO recommends local purchases of food, where possible, to meet food aid requirements. The agency is working to rehabilitate fisheries and agriculture in affected countries.

 

o      WFP says as of Friday (January 21) it has provided 14,800 tons of food to some 1.43 million people in tsunami-affected countries. WFP estimates some 2 million people are in need of food assistance in the aftermath of last month’s tsunami. It is currently carrying out Emergency Needs Assessments (ENA) in Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. WFP says it will run out of wheat, sugar and rice by April if additional donor support is not secured. The agency is seeking US$256 million to fund its operations. (Jan-21, WFP, UNJLC)

 

o      WFP says it is currently feeding some 400,000 people in Indonesia’s Aceh province, adding that some 200,000 people were still not receiving adequate food. Gerald Bourke, a spokesman for WFP said the agency would begin distributing aid soon from a ship anchored off Sumatra. (Jan-23, AP)

 

·      Health/Medical: World Health Organization (WHO) officials in South Asia estimate as many as five million people displaced and at risk across the region. In Indonesia alone, an estimated 750,000 people are displaced. WHO estimates 500,000 people were injured. 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 has 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 quickly become infected. Measles inoculation in camps has prevented the spread of that disease so far.

 

o      WHO reports no disease outbreaks anywhere in the region. WHO is conducting helicopter-assisted rapid health assessments along the west coast of Indonesia’s Aceh Province. Large-scale measles vaccination campaigns aimed at 1.16 million children in Indonesia’s Meulaboh and in North Aceh following sporadic reports of measles. Local health officials vaccinated children against measles in four hardest-hit Thai provinces. WHO recommends malaria treatment and control measures be put in place, as well as a strategic plan to support existing health facilities. WHO established an effective disease surveillance system in the vicinity of Banda Aceh; in Thailand, disease surveillance is focused on risks of dengue fever outbreaks following reports of five cases of dengue in mid-January.

 

o      Along Acech’s west coast, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reports 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 is urging other organizations to start preventive measures.

 

·      Security: Indonesia’s military chief General Endriartono Sutarto says the military had stopped raids on Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in tsunami-ravaged Aceh province. The announcement comes amid European efforts to restart stalled peace talks between the government and the rebels. According to unconfirmed reports, talks are likely to be held in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday (January 27). Bakhtiar Abdullah, spokesman for GAM, told Agency France-Presse (AFP) from Sweden that he had no knowledge of such talks. Aid groups and foreign troops helping with the relief efforts in Aceh have not reported any security problems. The Indonesian military says it had killed some 208 rebels in the past four weeks as they interfered with relief operations. The rebels dispute the government’s allegation and death count. (Jan-23, AFP, AP)

 

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 asked the UN staff to be careful.

 

o      UN activities outside the UN compound in Banda Aceh are under curfew from 2400hrs to 0600hrs. WFP has carried out field security assessments in Meulaboh and Calang, on roads from Banda Aceh-Medan, and Singkil-Meulaboh and has found the situation to be acceptable. UN Security Team is doing Medivac/emergency planning. Initial indications are that a charter medivac plane will be placed in Banda Aceh for evacuation to Singapore. (Jan-21, UNJLC)

 

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. The government indicates it may open talks with GAM this month.

o      Sri Lankan government allows the UN and NGOs access to areas controlled by Liberation Tigers of Tamil (LTTE) rebels, which were devastated by last month’s tsunami. Both parties accuse the other of slowing down aid. Norwegian envoys, led by Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, are trying to bridge differences between the LTTE and the government over the distribution of aid to tsunami victims. (Jan-21, AP)

 

·      Political-Military: 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. He said, “we certainly hope that the US military can be handing this off to other people long before [the end of March]”

 

o      UN head of tsunami coordination Margareta Walhstrom says the need for foreign militaries will diminish rapidly in the coming weeks as the UN and other aid organizations organize their own transportation. Admiral Thomas Fargo, the commander of the US Pacific Command, says that effective immediately, the US military will start transferring functions to the appropriate host nations and international organizations. The UN Joint Logistics Center has developed a transportation transition plan emphasizing shipping and trucking. The plan has been approved by the Indonesian government and coordinated with foreign militaries. Some humanitarians express concern that the militaries will depart too soon.

 

o      Senior Indonesian military officials assure their foreign military counterparts that troops from friendly ASEAN nations can stay in tsunami-ravaged Aceh province as long as necessary to assist tsunami relief efforts—withdrawing an earlier-announced Vice Presidential deadline of 26 March.

 

o      Singapore is wrapping up their military projects in Indonesia’s Aceh with the arrival of their third ship with Singaporean NGOs. Singapore’s Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean says the overall situation in Aceh is stabilizing ,and it is time for relief efforts to move from the emergency phase to the reconstruction phase.

 

·      International Assistance: On January 20, an international group of donors known as the Consultative Group on Indonesia, pledged US$1.7 billion to help Indonesia fund the reconstruction of its tsunami-stricken Aceh province. The pledges, made at the close of a two-day donor conference, are preliminary and depend on Jakarta's drafting of a plan to rebuild Aceh. Donors also pledged an additional US$3.4 billion to help Indonesia balance its budget and fund other programs bringing the total aid package to US$5.1 billion. (Jan-20, FT, JP)

 

o      Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, says his office is 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.

 

o      A weeklong UN-sponsored World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) concluded today (Saturday, January 22) in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan with delegates from some 168 nations around the globe agreeing to the Hyogo Framework for Action: 2005-2015 - a broad 10-year framework for action, which calls for nations to share technology and draw up their own disaster reduction and response plans. Delegates also adopted a declaration that recommends a "culture of disaster prevention and resilience" be fostered, and notes the relationship between disaster reduction, sustainable development and poverty reduction. Delegates from the US, Australia and Canada reportedly objected to language in the agreement that points to climate change as a possible trigger for future natural disasters. According to a statement issued following the conference’s conclusion, the documents are non-binding, however they are expected to serve as a blueprint in guiding nations and individuals toward developing more disaster-resilient communities. Critics have expressed disappointment that no new money was committed to risk reduction, adding that the conference documents were non-binding and did not set hard targets to assess progress. The UN will lead efforts to set up a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean within 18 months, at a cost of US$30 million. Richer nations pledged US$8 million toward the system. Thailand is hosting a 43-nation, 13-international organization meeting in Phuket to plan the warning system.

 

·      International Development & Relief Organizations: IFRC says its Revised Preliminary Appeal 28/2004 is funded at US$119 million (77.1%) of the US$155 million target.

 

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 8

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 9

 

Domestic Response……………………………………………page 14

            Government                                                            

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response……………………………………….page 15

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Overview: The Indonesian government today said that the emergency phase of relief operations is almost over, and civilian relief workers should soon begin replacing foreign military troops in delivering relief to survivors. “The emergency phase is almost behind us, so the military will no longer give their contribution. Civilians are more effective,” said Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab. Shihab says that more ground routes were being opened up and so “…we don’t need more helicopters to fly.” The UN says military helicopters remain a key tool for reaching isolated pockets of survivors. However, UN workers say they are ready to shoulder more of the burden as foreign militaries scale back operations. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Health Ministry today raised its estimated death toll by 7,661 to 173,981. In other news, officials say that the GOI and separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels would meet this week in Finland to discuss a formal ceasefire. Military (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto says that the TNI has stopped raids on GAM rebel camps. The UN Joint Logistics Center has developed a transportation plan to take over as the militaries phase out. The plan, while still using helicopters for delivery to difficult areas, will rely heavily on trucking and sea transport. The government of Indonesia is supporting the plan and the militaries are confirming that the plan can handle work they are currently doing. UN special coordinator for tsunami relief, Margareta Wahlstrom, says the need for foreign militaries will diminish in the coming weeks as the UN and other aid organizations organize their own transportation. She hopes the US military will not immediately depart because relief operations depend on its “resources and machinery.” Some aid groups and workers warned that it might be too early for the US military to scale-back its relief operations. Although the road system in north Sumatra is fragile, weather should not add to the burden of increased trucking. With February historically the driest month, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) in Hawaii estimates that rainfall in February, March, and April will be below average.

 

The Consultative Group on Indonesia, made up of some 30 international lenders, pledged US$1.7 billion in tsunami aid for 2005, consisting of US$1.2 billion in grants and US$500 million in soft loans. The aid is on top of some US$3.4 billion donors pledged that will mostly go towards reducing the national deficit. GOI earlier put tsunami/earthquake losses at US$4.5 billion. During the international ministerial tsunami meeting in Geneva on January 11, several countries pledged US$900 million for a six-month period to Indonesia. Indonesia wants its creditors to freeze US$3.3 billion in debt repayments through 2006, or about a third of its US$8.8 billion in payments over the period.

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab in Banda Aceh touring several planned IDP camps. IOM is regularly dispatching truck convoys from Jakarta to north Sumatra, with additional major routes from Medan to Banda Aceh, and, increasingly, Medan to Meulaboh on the west coast. UNJLC mentioned reports of increasing numbers of NGO workers diagnosed with malaria. A midnight to 6AM curfew remains in effect. The World Food Program (WFP) is distributing 300 tons of rice a day with most people around Banda Aceh provisioned with one-month of rations. Some semblance of normalcy is returning to the city. Around 380 government officials were imported from Jakarta to get local government affairs restarted; Over 3,000 government officials are reported dead or missing in the province. Hundreds of police and thousands of TNI have been brought in. UN figures at least 100 NGOs in Aceh. (Jan-20, Reuters)

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Simeulue Island: US Rear Admiral William Crowder today dismissed fears from some aid workers that the US military was leaving too soon. “The bottom line is: I don’t share that same concern. We’re reaching a point where there’s going to be a transition to sustain relief and not an acute emergency gotta-have-it-now relief that we saw in the first couple of weeks.” Crowder says the US departure would be gradual and that some 25-30 helicopters from other countries and organizations would start flying for the UN and aid groups soon. (Jan-23, AP) Meanwhile, a 400-ton landing vessel carrying WFP aid was due to arrive in Calang city today for its first delivery. WFP hopes to leave a one-month supply of rice, noodles, biscuits, fish and vegetable oil. The 3,000-ton WFP chartered vessel, the M/V Kimtrans, carrying some 2,230 tons of rice, biscuits and noodles (enough to feed survivors for one month), is expected to arrive on Monday (January 24) off the west coast. The ship will serve as a floating warehouse off the western coast, with landing craft ferrying food to shore. The west coast of Aceh had a population of about one million in its six regencies, with about 500,000 in the heavily damaged northern three and 500,000 in the southern three. The largest west coast death toll is in Meulaboh, near the southern end of the most-devastated west coast, where nearly 30,000 died. UNJLC says key UN agencies are in Meulaboh, and there is a large and growing NGO presence working to deliver assistance to outlying areas. WFP reports long stretches of the coast between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh are totally destroyed, and survivors are often found 5 to 10 kilometers inland. Pilots report thousands of displaced, who were hiding in the hills, are now streaming down and setting up temporary camps. IRC reports survivors leaving west coast by boat to Banda Aceh. ICRC reports small pockets of communities yet to be reached by international assistance. WFP says helicopters are the only way to reach these isolated communities. The health agency reports that NGOs running mobile clinics and visiting camps unable to provide adequate coverage. NGOs are chartering boats, and sometimes helicopters, to deliver their people and supplies to the west coast. US military increased flights to the west coast from about 30 daily to 80. Simeulue Island, off the west coast and closest to the epicenter, has about 22,000 IDPs. There are two major support centers, and CARE is taking over food delivery from WFP.

 

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·       Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says that the GOI will set up a number of supervisory bodies to monitor various reconstruction projects in Aceh. NGOs and donor representatives would be included. A blueprint for reconstruction is currently being drafted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and is expected to be completed in the next 4 weeks. (Jan-23, Jakarta Post)

 

·       As of Saturday (January 22), 54 out of 241 subdistrict administrations were still not functioning as well as 647 out of 5,958 village administrations. (Jan-23, Jakarta Post)

 

·       In Jakarta, the Indonesian Government established the joint Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with the United Nations, which will prioritize the management and coordination of relief efforts. UN will assist the government with resources of UNOCHA and UNJLC.

 

·       The GOI has a three-phase plan: Emergency measures through January 2005 followed by rehabilitation through February 2006 and reconstruction, also through February 2006.

 

·       Indonesian President Yudhoyono 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 prompted local corruption watchdog groups to express fears that aid might not reach where it is needed. Information Minister Sofyan Djalil says the GOI will set up a “credible” oversight scheme to monitor the money. (Jan-17, Reuters) GOI retained the American accounting firm of Ernst &Young to audit foreign aid. (Jan-14, IHT) Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says the government would make official announcements of the amount of aid received from donors and what had been spent on a monthly basis. (Jan-23, Jakarta Post)

 

·       TNI is sending thousands more troops into Aceh to help with the relief effort, bringing the total to 50,000. 38,000 troops were already in Aceh for military operations against the GAM. Troops will focus on humanitarian operations. TNI said 517 soldiers were killed in the tsunami.

 

·       Indonesian police deployed around 800 officers to Aceh Province to fill the posts of 450 killed in the disaster.

 

Local Organizations

 

• The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) sent over 800 trained volunteers to Aceh. PMI has disaster response team in Meulaboh.

• Indonesian Midwives Association says 30 percent of its 1,650 members in Aceh died in the disaster. (Jan-21, AP)

 

International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

·       Afghanistan sending 20 doctors and three tons of supplies, enough for around 5,000 people. (Jan-16, AP).

 

·       Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) assessed the offshore island of Simuelue and will deliver emergency supplies. 900 Australian Defence Force personnel are in Indonesia. Australia is operating out of its old Butterworth airfield near Penang Island in Malaysia.

 

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

 

·       China says it will offer assembled mobile buildings to Indonesia for temporary schools and houses. A team of reconstruction experts will leave for Indonesia soon, China’s Ministry of Commerce reports. (Jan-20, Xinhua)

 

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

 

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

 

• 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.

 

·       Japan A 20-member Japanese medical team arrived in Aceh as an advance team of some 1,000 troops expected to arrive to help set up a hospital and take part in the reconstruction effort. (Jan-16, AP) A C-130 provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Force is transporting relief from UNHCR from Utapao (Thailand) to Medan, daily. (Jan-11, UNJLC)

 

• Malaysia has 300 police and military personnel in Aceh. Malaysia is setting up a relief center and a 50-bed hospital. Malaysia will deploy another 100 military personnel to set up a field hospital. Two more ships with relief supplies leaving for Aceh late January. Malaysia also plans to set up a relief center that can shelter at least 10,000 displaced. 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.

 

·       New Zealand has 3 Defense Force medical teams in Banda Aceh, 1 C-130 Hercules cargo plane and crew, and some 30 medical staff in Indonesia.

 

·       Pakistan sent 87 army engineers and paramedics. Personnel are setting up a field hospital.

 

·       Philippines sending medical team to Indonesia. (Jan-13, AFP)

 

·       Russian medical unit arrived on January 11 and set up a mobile hospital in Banda Aceh. Troops will eventually number 200. (Jan-14, AP)

 

·       Singapore’s military contingent in Meulaboh and off the west coast leave for home. Replacing the military are Singapore relief supplies, including tents for 10,000, and staff from the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief, Touch Community Services, the National Volunteer Philanthropy Centre and YMCA.

 

·       US Navy and Marine helicopters have delivered some 3.5 million pounds of aid supplies since Jan 1, or about 75 tons a day. (Jan-21, AP) The US is operating two “flat decks” and a number of support ships in the area. US military helicopters have flown more than 1,200 trips. In preparation for drawdown, some air support and control elements return to ships. US airlift operations continue to be flown out of Utapao base in Thailand. A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team under WHO will support the Indonesian Ministry of Health in conducting health facilities assessment.

 

United Nations

 

·       UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) established an office in Aceh and a logistical team in Medan. (Jan-18, UNICEF) UNICEF taking lead in water and sanitation, education and child protection. A rapid assessment in 7 of 11 districts in Aceh reveals 420 schools destroyed and 1,200 teachers killed. UNICEF is looking ahead to establish 600 schools to serve 120,000 children.

 

·       UN Development Programme (UNDP) provides 17 pieces of heavy equipment and 60 crew members. (Jan-21, UNNC) UNDP will expand local hire program to 3,000

 

• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) says damage in Aceh and North Sumatra are 25,000 hectares (ha) (61,800 acres) of mangroves (US$118.2 million), 32,000 ha (74,130 acres) of coral reefs (US$332.4 million) and 120 ha of seagrass beds (US$2.3 million). Coastal forests and a 200-mile (300 kilometer) stretch of coastal lands were also damaged or lost. Rivers and rural wells will also need to be rehabilitated. (Jan-21, UNCC, AP)

 

• UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) focuses on reviving the fishing industry.

 

·       UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) is collecting funds for long-term reconstruction. (Jan-21, UNNC) UN-HABITAT is preparing emergency and reconstruction proposals.

 

·       UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is using three Swiss Super Puma helicopters that will operate from Medan-Meulaboh, Medan-Banda Aceh and Banda Aceh–Meulaboh. (Jan-14, Reuters)

 

·       UN Population Fund (UNFPA) delivered over 600 reproductive health kits. Agency estimates 15,000 pregnant women among the survivors and more than 800 are due to give birth within a month. UNFPA plans to distribute 20 tons of hygiene and prenatal care products. (Jan-21, UNNC, AP)

 

·       World Bank will provide US$300 million in initial financial support for Indonesia. (Jan-14, AlertNet)

 

• World Food Program (WFP) has 4 offices in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces; WFP’s new Humanitarian Air Hub, operating out of Subang airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, began operations on January 9. WFP base camp jointly run by UNOCHA in Banda Aceh.

 

·      World Health Organization (WHO) organizing 50 international health groups in Aceh to provide medical care and organized disease outbreak surveillance system.

 

International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

·       Asian Development Bank (ADB) allocates US$800 million for Indonesia, in addition to tsunami relief. Earlier, ADB identified US$675 million for tsunami relief in Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.

 

·       The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) operates a100-bed field hospital opened in Banda Aceh. ICRC sent its first shipment of 160 tons of relief goods for 40,000 people to Banda Aceh. ICRC says it has enough supplies for 300,000 people.

 

·       Field Assessment and Coordination Teams (FACT) from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) officially terminated its assignment on January 15, and a revised operational structure is being finalized.

 

·       The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is charged with the major truck convoys among Jakarta, Medan, Banda Aceh, and Meulaboh. ION reports road convoys have moved 2,300 tons of relief supplies into Banda Aceh and 600 tons into Meulaboh, since December 30.

• Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is working in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh, Medan, Lamno and Lampe-Ngo assisting roughly 100,000 people. (Jan-12, MSF). MSF sent more than 60 international staff and 120 tons of relief to Indonesia.

 

• Mercy Corps (MC) has over 50 staff in Banda Aceh vicinity and an office in Meulaboh.

 

• Oxfam has an operational base in Banda Aceh, a logistics base in Medan, and a program base in Meulaboh. (Jan-19, Oxfam). Oxfam is working water and sanitation issues in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar Province, and Meulaboh.

 

• World Vision International (WVI) sent 125 tons of relief aid from the US and Canada; World Vision Indonesia started distribution in early January. WVI has staff of 30 in Banda Aceh.

 

• Tzu Chi putting up 1,500 tents in Meulaboh and 1,500 in Banda Aceh - will build 3,000 permanent houses later. Tsu Chi also providing food, water purification equipment, and non-food items.

 

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview. …………………………………………………page 20

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 20

 

Domestic Response…………………………………….page 23

            Government

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response…………………………………page 23

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Overview: The death toll from the December 26 tsunami is in the 30,000s. The Center for National Operations (CNO) reports 30,957, while the Public Security Ministry reports 38,195. The discrepancy could result from the use of different methods of counting and sources of figures. The CNO uses figures provided by government agents, while the Public Security Ministry uses figures provided by the police. The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is using a final toll of around 40,000 for planning purposes in its recovery plan. About 5,600 are still missing from the14 tsunami-affected districts (out of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts). The number of displaced, at about 396,295, continues to drop. About 174,903 are in “welfare centers” and about 221,392 are with relatives or friends. The number of camps is around 325. Emergency coordinators believe aid is reaching all survivors.

 

GoSL, through the CNO, has issued an urgent flash appeal for family–sized tents (double fly/fold center pole) and reinforced PVC ground sheets, as over 17,000 families will have to move from schools where they have been living in order to make room for returning students. After visiting Sri Lanka on Thursday (January 20), UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner urged Sri Lanka to include the tens of thousands of people displaced by the long running conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sri Lanka in its plans for post-tsunami resettlement.

 

The GoSL vehemently denied LTTE accusations that it is using international aid for tsunami relief to purchase arms for its military. LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran raised the issue when he met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen and peace envoy Erik Solheim on Saturday (January 22). LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham pointed out that the GoSL is in the process of purchasing US$150 million in arms from Iran. However, a defense ministry spokesman denied that aid moneys were used and pointed out that talks with Iran had been ongoing for some time.

 

In related news, international donors and watchdog agencies have voiced concerns about a perceived lack of transparency in the GoSL’s approach to aid distribution and reconstruction, which increases the risk of corruption and mismanagement.

 

President Chandrika Kumaratunga says reconstruction is a priority. The government of Sri Lanka announced a US$3.5 billion reconstruction plan, which includes about sixty towns, physical infrastructure such as roads, small cash grants to those affected and forgiveness of fees for utilities and schools. GoSL also unveiled a US$320 million plan to revive the tourist industry. Earlier this week, the British government relaxed its travel warning as some resorts and hotels reopen.

 

Sector Status
Affected Population	About 396,295 remain displaced with numbers decreasing; about 174,900 in camps or public buildings as many return to damaged homes or move in with family. World Food Program (WFP) director, James T. Morris, said that the number of people who need food aid might rise from the current 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.   Information is compiled and disseminated through the government website (http://www.cnosrilanka.org). The GoSL established 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) set up operations at the airport in Colombo and signed an agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka to receive all incoming relief commodities. All assistance at the district level is being coordinated by GoSL agents supported by UN interagency teams deployed to affected areas.   Under th