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

 

February 1, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-5

Indonesia.....................................page 6-19

Sri Lanka......................................page 20-27

Thailand.......................................page 28-36

Overview

 

·      Search and rescue operations for the December 26 tsunami 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 290,000 people along the coastal areas of 11 countries in the Indian Ocean.

·      Tsunami-related deaths were recorded 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 toll for the dead and missing in Indonesia climbed to more than 236,000, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for. The death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 38,000 and is expected to go higher. In India, at least 10,672 died in Tamil Nadu State and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The death toll on Thailand’s west coast climbed to 5,400, including some 1,765 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have been reported in the other countries.

 

·      Preliminary costs are: Indonesia – US$4.5 billion, Sri Lanka - US$3.5 billion, India - US$2 billion, Thailand - US$235 million and Maldives - US$1.3 billion. The world’s largest reinsurer, Munich Re, estimates the total cost of the disaster will exceed US$13.6 billion. In the four worst-affected countries, namely Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, the economic impact is expected to be manageable. The GDP growth for India is expected to be unaffected. The 2005 projected GDP growth rate now stands at 5.4% for Indonesia; 4.2% for Sri Lanka; and 4.3% for Thailand.

 

·      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. 1,600 US troops are on the ground. Additionally, the US and others are using the base for transshipment of relief supplies. CSF 536 may stand down by mid-February. (Jan-28, Anonymous) The use of Utapao base will taper off this month as the US moves its efforts to its embassy and JUSMAG facility in Bangkok.

 

• Combined Support Force (CSF 536) subordinate for Thailand, Combined Support Group-Thailand (CSG-T), was stood down on January 22. The Sri Lanka subordinate, CSG-Sri Lanka (CSG-SL), will be phased out in February.

 

·       Logistics: The overall flow of humanitarian relief is smooth. In Sri Lanka, transport capacity to move relief supplies is good and improving, as are distribution mechanisms. The need for helicopters diminished as more areas became accessible by road. In Indonesia the distribution of aid continues uninterrupted with some delays on particular routes and bottlenecks at some air and sea ports. Tracking and prioritization systems for humanitarian cargo and military airlift are being refined. Indonesian military (TNI) control of Banda Aceh and Medan airports and control of humanitarian and military access have been challenges. UNJLC has teams in Banda Aceh, Medan, Jakarta, and Colombo as well as liaison officers to work with the US military. Roads are open to Meulaboh on the west coast of Aceh, but the road south from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh remains impassable, although TNI has begun repairs on various sections. (Jan-31, UNJLC)

 

o      UN is transitioning its air logistics needs from almost total reliance on military aircraft to almost total self-reliance on chartered aircraft, under direct tasking of the UNHAS. Military aircraft are gradually being phased out, subject to operational requirements under UNHAS civilian operations. UNJLC is also working with GoI for greater IO/UN vehicular access to remote areas affected by the tsunami disaster. (Jan-31, UNJLC)

 

o      The UNJLC is using Malaysia’s Subang Airport as its regional Humanitarian Air Hub (SHAH). 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. UNJLC encourages other agencies and humanitarian organizations to use the two IL76 and three Hercules aircraft on the Subang-Medan and Subang-Banda Aceh routes. (Jan-21, UNJLC) UNJLC will decide in mid-February whether the hub should be kept longer.

 

o      UNJLC and OCHA are urging better information flow for relief cargo dispatched into Indonesia. Unannounced planes are creating congestion. Aircraft carrying non-food items should request slot times. (Jan-28, UNJLC)

 

o      US military ceased C-130 flights from Jakarta to Banda Aceh on January 25. (Jan-26, UNJLC) IOM is running truck convoys and welcomes others to join.

 

o      IOM has a significant increase in civilian helicopter aid missions—with Indonesia experiencing a growth from 35 a day three weeks ago to 350 currently. The departure of foreign military forces is not expected to have a negative impact on the delivery of relief aid as functions are handed over to non-military organizations. (Jan-28, Reuters)

 

·      Food: Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, estimates 2 million people are in need of food aid. WFP is currently assisting 1,100,000 people. For February, WFP estimates it will feed 850,000 in Sri Lanka—up from 750,000 in January and 500,000 to 800,000 in Indonesia—up from 340,000. In Indonesia, UNJLC plans to be able to move food and other items for 750,000. UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has already delivered some 10,000 metric tons of food. WFP has received US$81.9 million or one-third of its US$256 million emergency appeal. FAO says overall food availability in the region is adequate to cover needs. The agency is working to rehabilitate fisheries and agriculture.

 

o      WFP is carrying out Emergency Needs Assessments (ENA) in Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. (Jan-21, WFP, UNJLC)

 

o      WFP says 200,000 people in Indonesia not receiving adequate food. WFP is shipping food via sea to Simuelue Island and Aceh’s west coast. (Jan-24, OCHA)

 

o      Japan’s Agriculture Minister says US$20 million of US$60 million donation for WFP will provide 20,000 tons of rice for affected countries. (Jan-28, DPA)

 

·      Health/Medical: World Health Organization (WHO) officials estimate up to five million people displaced and at risk, with 750,000 estimated as displaced in Indonesia. WHO estimates 500,000 people were injured. There are scattered reports of diarrhea, malaria, dengue, measles, pneumonia and skin infections, but no disease outbreaks. WHO priorities are prevention of diarrhoeal diseases, particularly cholera and typhoid. WHO seeks US$76 million for the next six months to combat mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever, which are endemic across South Asian countries, except the Maldives. (Jan-27, UNNC)

 

o      WHO reports no disease outbreaks in the region. Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs warns there is no room for complacency.

o      Large-scale measles vaccination campaigns aimed at 1.16 million children in Indonesia’s Meulaboh and in North Aceh, following sporadic reports of measles In Indonesia, close to 55,000 children have been vaccinated against measles. (Jan-24, WHO) In the four hardest-hit Thai provinces health officials vaccinated children against measles. WHO recommends malaria treatment and control measures be put in place, as well as a strategic plan to support existing health facilities.

 

o      WHO emphasizes disease surveillance mechanisms. WHO established an effective disease surveillance system in the vicinity of Banda Aceh, and a health, water, and sanitation assessment in 50 camps began 24. A similar assessment in Jaffna, Sri Lanka confirmed the need for better water quality and hygiene in camps. In Thailand, disease surveillance is focused on risks of dengue fever outbreaks following reports of five cases of dengue in mid-January.

 

·      Security: Two-day talks between the Government of Indonesia (GOI) and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) ended in Finland without clear resolution. The GOI sent a 10-member ministerial level delegation. The Indonesian military (TNI) kills additional 4 GAM members in Aceh during talks.

 

o      UN activities outside the UN compound in Banda Aceh are under curfew from midnight to 6 AM. WFP security assessments in Meulaboh and Calang and on roads from Banda Aceh-Medan and Singkil-Meulaboh find the situation acceptable. TNI requirements for military escorts for humanitarian aid missions beyond Medan remain in place. The Posko (Coordination Center of the GoI) in Medan continues to discourage foreign aid workers from traveling on some routes. (Jan-31, UNJLC)

 

o      A medivac procedure for UN and NGO staff is implemented; a charter medivac plane is in Banda Aceh for evacuation to Singapore. (Jan-26, UNJLC)

 

 

·      Political-Military: Joel Boutroue, head of United Nations relief efforts in Aceh, calls for Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) to hand over post-tsunami humanitarian relief operations to civilian authorities at the earliest opportunity, now that the emergency phase is past. Boutroue endorses peace talks between the government and separatist GAM rebels to stabilize the situation. (Jan-24, DPA)

 

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

 

o      Foreign military aid operations are winding down and most foreign militaries are scheduled to depart Sri Lanka by early to mid-February. US military is ending its tsunami relief efforts in Sri Lanka and Maldives, and moving its support into civilian-driven reconstruction programs with virtually all US military presence gone by March.

 

o      The UN is proposing an interim early warning system for the region that could be operational almost immediately. The proposal involves the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) (Jan-31, UNNC)

 

·      International Assistance: UN OCHA estimates over US$5.3 billion pledged as grant aid for tsunami-affected nations. The multinational development banks, namely World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), are also providing US$412 million, US$675 million and US$500 million respectively. ADB and WB are carrying out damage assessments that will form the basis for longer-term needs. (Jan-26, DoS)

 

o      The European Commission (EC) earmarked further US$104 million (EUR 80 million) for tsunami relief, bringing total EC contributions to US$134 million (EUR 103 million). The funds will help 2.5 million people over an 18-month period. (Jan-31, ECHO)

 

o      Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stresses the need to build up logistics and communications and cooperation with the private sector before the next major catastrophe

 

o      Mark Malloch Brown, head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), says long-term recovery efforts under-funded. UNDP has only US$48 million of its US$175 million requirement--other agencies have less than half they need. (Jan-29, AP)

 

o      UN representative in the Maldives, Moez Doraid, tells press US$27 million received, but none of it for shelter—15,000 displaced. Doraid calls for boats to revitalize fishing industry, cooking facilities so families can leave relief sites, and revitalized tourism.

 

o      UN World Tourism Organization (WTO) head, Francesco Frangialli holds two-day international conference to revitalize tourist industry. Phuket Action Plan will feature ad campaign, give-aways and aid to small tourist-related businesses.

 

·      International Development & Relief Organizations: International development and relief organization Oxfam, like MSF, IFRC, and UNICEF, received all the funding it needs for tsunami relief and ended fund drive. (Jan-28, Oxfam)

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 7

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 9

 

Domestic Response……………………………………………page 13

            Government                                                            

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

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

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Overview: After a recent visit to Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and Calang, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Indonesia, Bo Asplund, says that government priorities include a more diversified supply of food relief, the provision of education related materials and logistical assistance, the UN News Service reports. World Food Program (WFP) in Aceh chief, Claude Jibidar, says that almost 800,000 people will need food aid in Aceh province. The WFP is currently feeding some 340,000 people, however, the number is expected to climb as isolated villages are reached and the economic effects of the disaster are felt. Despite the rise in the number of needy people, Jibidar says that the WFP is confident it can manage the logistical work needed as foreign militaries scale back their operations. He added that he was sure food supplies in Aceh were enough to stave off malnutrition. (Jan-31, AP)

 

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that Indonesia has escaped major disease outbreaks thus far, however, people are still at risk because current ad hoc IDP camps lack enough toilets and clean water. Health officials say that so far, the most prevalent diseases found among survivors in IDP camps were less deadly illnesses such as diarrhea, respiratory problems and skin infections.

 

An Indonesian government official in Banda Aceh said that some 38,500 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in tent camps will move to new relocation centers in the first stage of resettling the over 400,000 estimated IDPs. The first group will move to wooden barracks in 37 different locations across Aceh. A second group of some 40,000 will move into prefabricated homes and 320,000 will be relocated into military platoon tents. Officials say they would begin taking a census on February 1 to determine who will be allowed to move to the barracks first. Those who get to move to the barracks have either lost everything or live in the worst camps. Officials say the relocations, which will start on February 15, will be voluntary, however, some rights groups have expressed concerns of the involvement of the TNI and the lack of information being given to IDPs. Reuters reports that the GOI says that some 417,000 IDPs are living in some 64 “official locations.” However, many, especially along the west coast, are still living in squalid settlements. Earlier this week, Indonesian officials said about a third of the IDPs were expected to move into temporary housing, while the rest would likely stay with relatives.

 

Vice Admiral Jonathan Greenert, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, said today that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group would soon leave Indonesia. “The Abraham Lincoln strike group, the carrier, and her six ships…will be there about a week longer,” Reuters reports Greenert telling the media.

 

Indonesia’s National Disaster Relief Coordinating Board reported today that the death toll rose by some 1,059 to 109,169 as additional bodies were found and buried yesterday. The number of missing is around 127,774, most of them presumed dead.

 

A senior delegation from the Government of Indonesia (GOI) and exiled leaders of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) met for two-day talks in Helsinki on Friday (January 28). Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari’s office, the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), mediated the talks. The talks ended on Saturday (January 29) one day earlier than expected with no significant breakthroughs. However, both sides had expressed that they may meet again. There was no immediate explanation why the talks were cut short. The delegation is the most senior that the GOI has sent for such talks. Yesterday, in a statement, the GAM leadership in Stockholm expressed “its full and unstinting commitment to achieve peace in Aceh and to negotiate a formal cease-fire.” The GAM also called on the international community to maintain a presence in Aceh until a “comprehensive and sustainable peace is achieved.” Chief security minister Widodo Adi Sucipto said the GOI remained committed to the peace process, but would continue with military operations until a permanent solution is agreed upon.

 

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 in addition to 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. Economics Minister Aburizal Bakrie has said that Indonesia may reject an offer from the Paris Club of creditor nations of a freeze in debt repayments because the recently pledged US$1.7 billion may give the country the opportunity to turn down the offer. Indonesia had wanted 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.

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei visited several areas in Aceh and met officials in charge of relief efforts. He visited Sabang on Weh Island and Meulaboh on the west coast, where Brunei troops are helping with the relief effort. (Feb-1, Reuters) The UNJLC reports that Australian, Malaysian and Pakistani engineers have created a common pool of engineering expertise and assets for tasking. (Jan-31, UNJLC) Aceh’s health care system was relatively good before the disaster, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. The province had an extensive network of local health clinics, however, Dr. Jack Chow, assistant director general of the WHO, said in a recent visit to Banda Aceh that “it could take months if not years (to rebuild), given the range of devastation.” (Jan-30, AP) After surveys in Banda Aceh and the East Coast, UNICEF says that agencies are using as a planning figure 2.5 percent of IDPs for children that have lost parents. UNOCHA reports that aid agencies say that they are confident that the vast majority will be accommodated by extended family and would not require institutional care. (Jan-30, UNOCHA) More than 130 schools reopened last week throughout Aceh province. UNICEF and other aid agencies stressed the need for children to return quickly to a normal routine after a disaster. Following the release of a UNICEF draft report which found that 1 in 8 children or some 12.7 percent are malnourished, UNICEF says that it is coordinating with other UN agencies to distribute emergency supplements. Aid groups reportedly have been shifting from emergency rations to more varied items that include more protein and vitamins. (Jan-30, AP) WFP says 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. Hundreds of police and thousands of TNI have been brought in. Government is aiming to remove all bodies and complete its clean up of the provincial capital by the end of next month.

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Western Islands: The UN News Service reports that the Indonesian military (TNI) has welcomed a more permanent UN presence to reinforce aid coordination in Calang. The World Health Organization (WHO) in Meulaboh reports that local physicians assert that malaria cases are normal and not tsunami-related. (Feb-1, WHO) The National Coordination Board for Natural Disaster Management (BAKORNAS) reports that the rehabilitation of the telephone system in Banda Aceh will be completed today. Fifty percent of electrical power in Banda Aceh and 30 percent in Meulaboh has been restored. (Feb-1, UNOCHA) A report by a 34-member multi-agency team, which includes the UN, GOI and US military, says that the “west coast of Aceh continues to receive aid and assistance in a chaotic manner.” The report says the provision of health services lacked coordination and information was fragmented. Sanitation was also reported to be poor. (Jan-27, AFP) Findings from the report that was earlier released 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 report says that a complete lack of sanitation along the coast was the main risk facing some 125,000 displaced people. The west coast had lost some 50 to 70 percent of its health services. (Jan-24, The Age). Another problem was that increasing numbers of IDPs were gathering in the major towns of Meulaboh and Calang, which increased the chances of a disease outbreak. An assessment of the western islands off the coast of Sumatra found considerable damage to housing and livelihoods, AusAID/CARE reports. Simeulue Island, off the west coast and closest to the epicenter, has about 22,000 IDPs. 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.

 

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·       An official from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment said that the GOI plans to set up 20 children centers in Aceh to accommodate the more than 100,000 children who lost their parents from the disaster. The centers will be jointly managed by the GOI and NGOs. GOI has recruited some 300 to work at the centers. Five of the centers will be located in Banda Aceh. (Feb-1, Xinhua)

 

·       Welfare Minister Shihab has said that the GOI will set up a number of supervisory bodies to monitor various reconstruction projects in Aceh. A blueprint for reconstruction is currently being drafted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas). (Jan-23, Jakarta Post)

 

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

 

·       In Jakarta, the GOI established the joint Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with the United Nations, which will prioritize the management and coordination of relief efforts.

 

·       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)

 

• Information Minister Sofyan Djalil says the GOI will set up a “credible” oversight scheme for international aid. (Jan-17, Reuters) American accounting firm of Ernst &Young to audit foreign aid. (Jan-14, IHT) Welfare Minister Shihab says the government would make official monthly announcements of the amount of aid received and spent. (Jan-23, Jakarta Post)

 

·       TNI is sending thousands more troops into Aceh to help with the relief effort, bringing the total to some 50,000. 38,000 troops were already in Aceh for military operations against the GAM. 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

 

• Indonesia Corruption Watch has sent a team of 10 observers to Aceh. Group says GOI’s count of some 400,000 IDPs in camps is exaggerated, as many IDPs staying with extended families. (Jan-26, IHT)

 

• The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) sent over 800 trained volunteers to Aceh. PMI has disaster response team in Meulaboh. PMI is sending two five-ton trucks with relief items to Meulaboh. (Jan-29, Reuters)

• Indonesian Midwives Association says 30 percent of its 1,650 members in Aceh died in the disaster. (Jan-21, AP) UNOCHA reports that the Ministry of Health has sent some 300 midwives to Banda Aceh to provide support. (Feb-1, UNOCHA)

 

• Walhi, which addresses environmental and humanitarian issues, has approximately 200 volunteers in Aceh providing emergency medical supplies, sanitation, food and water. (Jan-27, EWC)

 

International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

·       Afghanistan’s medical team began work in Banda Aceh on Monday (January 24).

 

·       Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) assessed the offshore island of Simuelue. 900 Australian Defence Force personnel are in Indonesia. Australia is operating out of its old Butterworth airfield near Penang Island in Malaysia. Australian Prime Minister John Howard was expected to visit Aceh on Wednesday (February 2).

 

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

 

·       China will offer assembled mobile buildings to Indonesia for temporary schools and houses and a team of reconstruction experts. (Jan-20, Xinhua)

 

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