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

 

January 24, 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 19-28

Thailand.......................................page 29-35

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 costs 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 (161 km) 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 planned to officially disband CSF-Thailand on 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 to move relief supplies is improving, 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 as well as 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)

 

·      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. WFP has begun food shipments via a chartered vessel to the island of Simuelue, Meulaboh town, and other locations along Aceh’s western coast. The vessel is carrying some 4,000 MT of commodities. (Jan-24, OCHA)

 

·      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 its spread 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.

 

o      WHO says disease surveillance is high on everybody's agenda. 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. In Aceh, an assessment of health, water and sanitation in 50 camps began on 24 January. A similar assessment in Jaffna, Sri Lanka confirmed there is work needed for better water quality and hygiene in camps. In Indonesia, close to 55,000 children were vaccinated against measles, and in Thailand, progress is being made in addressing the mental health needs of people in tsunami-affected areas. (Jan-24, WHO)

 

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. Helsinki-based Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), headed by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, is mediating peace talks expected to be held in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday (January 27). Bakhtiar Abdullah, spokesman for GAM, confirmed to BBC News that a meeting with the government was to be held later this week in Finland. He said GAM remained committed to a ceasefire to help aid efforts in Aceh and welcomed the peace 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-24, BBC, 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 each 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: Joel Boutroue, head of United Nations relief efforts in Aceh, says Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) should hand over post-tsunami humanitarian relief operations to civilian authorities at the earliest opportunity. Boutroue said TNI’s work has been essential during the emergency phase of the disaster, adding that it is only normal that operations are gradually handed over to civilian authority. Boutroue also welcomed news of peace talks between the government and separatist GAM rebels, adding it would help to further stabilize the situation in Aceh. (Jan-24, DPA)

 

o      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 tsunamis 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 was 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 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 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, UN 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 on 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 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 in late January.

 

·      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: Although there have been no major outbreaks of diseases in IDP camps, the World Health Organization (WHO) today warned that a major outbreak of diseases remained a threat. WHO special envoy Eigil Sorensen says that water sanitation remained a concern. Sorensen says that there have been several cases of measles and tetanus in camps, but aid workers had been able to treat the diseases and prevent them from spreading. He says that cases of infections continued to decline. The focus of health workers is now shifting to efforts to reestablish collapsed health services. Head of the UN relief effort in Aceh, Joel Boutroue, says that the number of temporary displaced camps has dropped by about 75 percent in the past week from 385 to less than 100. Boutroue says that most of the people were leaving to move in with relatives, with some returning to their homes along the west coast. Meanwhile, the BBC reports that a spokesperson for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Bakhtiar Abdullah, who is in exile in Sweden, says that a meeting between the GAM and the government of Indonesia (GOI) would take place in Helsinki, Finland by the end of this week. The talks will be mediated by the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), which is headed by Finnish ex-President Martti Ahtisaari. According to CNN, the CMI had yesterday confirmed that there would be talks, but released no details. The Indonesian government said over the weekend 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 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. Some aid groups and workers warned that it might be too early for the US military to scale-back its relief operations. 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 on trucking and sea transport. The GOI is supporting the plan and the militaries are confirming that the plan can handle work they are currently doing. Indonesia’s Health Ministry on Sunday (January 23) raised its estimated death toll to 173,981.

 

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: Second WFP consignment of 45 MT of canned fish from Bangkok will arrive tomorrow (January 25) in Banda Aceh. Shipment is part of some 600 MT of canned fish to be delivered. 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. 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) 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.

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Western Islands: Report from multi-agency assessment of west coast reveals that team members found that the tsunami had destroyed virtually every village, town and roads and bridges along a 170-kilometer (105-mile) stretch of coast that was not more than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level. The Age reports that the devastation reached an average of 3 to 6 kilometers inland. The leader of the team, Rob Holden from WHO, says that a complete lack of sanitation along the coast was the main risk facing some 125,000 displaced people. The team found that one of the problems was that IDPs were gathering in the major towns of Meulaboh and Calang, where increasing numbers increased the chances of a disease outbreak. Aid workers say there is an excess of field hospitals and highly trained foreign staff. The west coast had lost some 50 to 70 percent of its health services. (Jan-24, The Age) A 400-ton landing vessel carrying WFP aid arrived in Calang city. 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), arrived off the west coast. CARE began distribution today of some 350 MT in WFP relief supplies at the island of Simuelue. Greenpeace’s ship, the Rainbow Warrior, and Action Contre la Faim (ACF) delivered over 70 MT of WFP relief supplies to the town of Lamno on January 22. A rapid assessment of the western islands off coast of Sumatra found considerable damage to housing and livelihoods, AusAID/CARE reports. Only seven people reported killed by the disaster. Local knowledge of tsunamis possibly helped avert a higher death toll. (Jan-24, Aus AID) 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.