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

 

February 7, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

Indonesia.....................................page 7-20

Sri Lanka......................................page 21-27

Thailand.......................................page 28-35


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 295,000 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 240,000, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for. The death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 30,000 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. According to a joint assessment carried out by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the World Bank (WB), reconstruction cost for areas affected by the tsunami disaster on December 26 is likely to exceed well over the preliminary estimates of US$7 billion. World Bank estimates cost of damage to Indonesia at more than US$5 billion, Sri Lanka around US$1 billion or some 4.4 percent of the country’s GDP and as much as US$510 million for the Maldives, accounting for some 50-80 percent of its GDP. (Feb-3, AFP, Reuters, WB)

 

·      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.

 

o      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. In Sri Lanka, road transportation (trucks) appears to be in short supply in Trincomalee. However, sufficient trucking capacity is available in Galle, due to its close proximity to the capital Colombo. (Feb-4, 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. UNJLC has a detailed list of civilian/commercial transportation assets available on its website www.unjlc.org (Feb-3, 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 has asked the TNI if foreign military sea assets could be used as a regular delivery mechanism along the west coast of Aceh. TNI has already approved the use of these assets for the delivery of a road repair plant. (Feb-4, UNJLC)

 

o      Requirements for US military helicopters in Indonesia have decreased in part due to better screening and prioritization of needs by UN and also by replacement by UNHAS-operated helicopters. (Feb-2, OCHA)

 

o      UNHAS does not anticipate an increase in helicopter capacity. It plans to reduce air assets in the absence of additional requests over the next 2-3 weeks. More goods are now being transported via roads and sea. (Feb-4, UNJLC)

 

o      Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID) is funding prefabrication of some 200 meters of bridging to be supplied by an Indonesian manufacturer by February 22 to be used on the west coast of Aceh. (Feb-1, OCHA)

 

o      Significant decrease in the movement of humanitarian relief supplies has been observed by UNJLC, IOM and UNHAS. NGOs that have reported that their warehouses in Indonesia’s Medan and Banda Aceh were overloaded, are encouraged to contact UNJLC and IOM to reduce warehouse bottlenecks. (Feb-4, UNJLC)

 

·      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 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. WHO says malnutrition is emerging as a concern in Indonesia. Government of Indonesia (GoI) is leading a Nutrition Surveillance Task Force in cooperation with international NGO partners and UN agencies. The task force will be established in Banda Aceh next week and training of enumerators is expected to start by mid-February. Ministry of Health and provincial health department in Aceh are GoI’s lead agencies to oversee the task force (Feb-4, OCHA)

 

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.

 

o      International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says sanitation continues to be growing concern in Indonesia and Sri Lanka with latrine construction hampered by high ground water levels. (Feb-1, IFRC)

 

·      Security: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says his government would accept a Finnish invitation for a second round of peace talks with Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels aimed at ending nearly a three-decades long separatist conflict in Aceh. The first round of talks, mediated by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, ended last week in the Finnish capital Helsinki without a clear resolution. The second round of peace talks is expected to take place by the end of February, although no date has been set. Meanwhile, at least 12 suspected GAM rebels were killed in clashes with the Indonesian military (TNI) over the past 48 hours. Despite a unilateral ceasefire announced by the GAM rebels in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami disaster on December 26, TNI has killed more than 200 rebels in the area. (Feb-5, AFP)

 

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      Rear Admiral William Douglas Crowder, the commander of the USS Abraham Lincoln’s battle group, says the US is likely to wrap up its tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia this month. The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, with 5,300 personnel on board, has already left Indonesian waters and is heading back home. Crowder said some 4000-5,000 US military personnel remain deployed, mostly offshore, as part of the multinational relief efforts. He said he expected these personnel to end their mission in next couple of weeks. (Feb-6, AP)

 

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.

 

o      The World Bank is providing US$660 million to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives under the first phase of support for the reconstruction of tsunami-affected areas. Although WBs plan would focus primarily on Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives, it would also provide small scale non-operational grant funding through its international partners to Seychelles and Somalia that have also experienced some losses. (Feb-3, AFP, Reuters)

 

o      UN head of tsunami coordination, Margareta Walhstrom, says donor countries were failing to provide sufficient funds for temporary housing and job creation for hundreds of thousands of people affected by last year’s (December 26) tsunami in the Indian Ocean. She says donor pledges in response to a UN flash appeal of US$977 million cover less than half the money needed for temporary housing and job creation. Walhstrom is urging donors to quickly turn their aid pledges into cash. (Feb-7, Reuters)

 

·      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 8

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 10

 

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

            Government                                                             

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

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

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations


Overview: The Ministry of Health said today that the confirmed death toll now stands at 113,913, while the number of missing remains at 127,774.

 

US Rear Admiral William Douglas Crowder says that he expects US forces to end their mission “in a couple of weeks” but did not give an exact date. The USS Abraham Lincoln has already left Indonesian waters and is currently visiting Singapore, however, some 5,000 US military personnel remain deployed in Indonesia, mostly offshore. “We’re transitioning from the acute care, the emergency response, the humanitarian aid, to a phase of more structured reconstruction and rehabilitation,” Crowder said.

 

On Saturday (February 5), the GoI dispatched 6 boats, each carrying some 50 tons of rice, to the west coast of Aceh, in a sign that Indonesia is cutting its dependency on foreign aircraft to deliver relief supplies. “We’re going back to the traditional way of delivering food supplies. That way, we don’t need many helicopters,” said Vice-President Jusuf Kalla. The boats are among some 20 being rented by the GoI.

 

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said over the weekend that he expects a team of ministers to hold a second round of peace talks with GAM rebels at the end of the month in Helsinki, Finland. In an interview with the Financial Times, Yudhoyono said the agenda would include discussions on how to implement an offer of special autonomy for the province, an amnesty for rebels and what form monitoring of any agreement would take. Meanwhile, the Indonesian military (TNI) say that they have killed 12 suspected GAM members over the weekend and on Monday (February 7). (Feb-7, AP, Reuters)

 

Margareta Wahlstrom, UN special tsunami relief envoy, said today that donor countries were failing to provide enough funds for temporary housing and job creation for survivors. “There are two issues we have to focus on at this stage and over the next six month: providing people with shelter, however temporary, and giving them the opportunity to earn an income….we are talking about hundreds of thousands of people who will need support for at least the next six months, especially in Aceh,” Wahlstrom said.

 

GoI reported that a new target of relocation was some 62,500 IDPs at 37 locations in the first stage of resettling the 425,000 estimated IDPs. GoI says building of barracks in Aceh Timur was completed; total completed barracks stands at 9%, according to GoI. IDP registration has started and expected to be completed by February 10. (Feb-4, UNHCR) GoI assures that IDPs will not be forced into the barracks. Welfare Minister Shihab had said that 374 barracks will be built by February 15 and a similar number will be built by the end of the month. (Feb 3, BBC) A second group of 40,000 will move into prefabricated homes, and 320,000 will be relocated into military platoon tents. Officials began a census on February 1, and relocations will begin February 15. Indonesian officials expect about a third of the IDPs to move into temporary housing, while the rest will likely stay with relatives. An estimated 260,000 IDPs are already staying with extended families.

 

GOI put tsunami/earthquake losses at US$4.5 billion. The Consultative Group on Indonesia, made up of 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 US$3.4 billion donors pledged that will mostly go towards reducing the national deficit. During the international ministerial tsunami meeting in Geneva on January 11, several countries pledged US$900 million for a six-month period to Indonesia.

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan toured Aceh province and pledged Turkey’s help in rebuilding schools, orphanages and hospitals. Yesterday (Sunday, February 6), Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot toured Aceh to assess relief needs. (Feb-7, AP) The UN Development Program (UNDP) said it would employ up to 30,000 survivors for cleanup efforts across Aceh province. UNDP will start with a pilot program, involving some 100 people in Banda Aceh, before expanding. (Feb-4, AP) Government is aiming to remove all bodies and complete the clean up of the provincial capital by the end of February. The World Health Organization (WHO) says Aceh’s health care system was relatively good before the disaster, with an extensive network of local health clinics. WHO says it will take months or years to rebuild. (Jan-30, AP) UNICEF is using a planning figure 2.5 percent of IDPs for children who have lost parents. UNOCHA expects the vast majority to be accommodated by their extended families. (Jan-30, UNOCHA) More than 130 schools reopened in late January throughout Aceh province. UNICEF draft report finds 1 in 8 children or some 12.7 percent are malnourished. Aid groups are 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. Fifty percent of electrical power in Banda Aceh and 30 percent in Meulaboh has been restored. (Feb-1, UNOCHA) The National Coordination Board for Natural Disaster Management (BAKORNAS) reports the rehabilitation of the telephone system in Banda Aceh. 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.

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Western Islands: UNHCR says that it is focusing on getting emergency shelter and supplies to isolated villages, as well as helping to lay the groundwork for rebuilding. Last week, the agency began transferring relief supplies to the village of Keude Panga, 20km (12.4 miles) south of Calang. Some 2,000 IDPs need assistance there. In the village of Kreung Sabe, located some 8 km (5 miles) from Calang, the UNHCR, GoI and other agencies are working on a recovery and rebuilding program. About half of the population was swept away and some 4,000 are displaced. (Feb-4, UNHCR). 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. A January UN, GOI and US military report says that the “west coast of Aceh continues to receive aid and assistance in a chaotic manner. The report says the tsunami 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 report cites the complete lack of sanitation along the coast as the main risk facing some 125,000 IDPs. Increasing numbers of IDPs are 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. Simeulue Island, off the west coast and closest to the epicenter, has about 18,000 IDPs.

 

Sector Status

Affected Population

Aceh province had an estimated population of 4.1 million before the disaster; 575,000 people were in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh and surrounding Aceh Besar Regency. UN estimates 550,000 needing support on the east coast and in Banda Aceh. Multi-agency assessment finds some 125,000 IDPs along the west coast. (Jan-28, Reuters) The US Agency for International Development (USAID) says 100,000 IDPs relocated to Medan from Aceh.

Coordination

GOI decides to scrap plan for new agency accountable to the president, which was called the Badan Otorita Khusus (Special Authority Board), to oversee reconstruction. Vice-President Jusuf Kalla says that the agency was no longer needed because the provincial government was already functioning. (Feb-5, AFP)

 

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

Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab coordinating GOI response. GOI establishes Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in Jakarta with UN.

 

GOI setting up a number of supervisory bodies to monitor reconstruction projects. National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) drafting reconstruction blueprint. (Jan-23, Jakarta Post)

 

MEKOKESRA will handle international assistance. (Dec-30, US Consulate Medan)

 

President Yudhoyono ordered the reorganization of the National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Relief and Refugees (Bakornas PBP).

 

A Joint Liaison Unit, comprised of the GOI, UN and major NGOs to improve coordination between the GOI and international aid agencies, is operating in Banda Aceh. Humanitarian Coordination Committee chaired by BAKORNAS and the UN in Banda Aceh, to be established. (Jan-28, UNOCHA)

 

Foreigners, including aid workers, journalists and military, must coordinate their travel plans outside of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh through the TNI. Organizations may be escorted by TNI.

Logistics

UNJLC reports a significant decrease in relief goods moved. UNJLC suggests aid groups consider using TNI troops to offload cargo on the west coast if needed. (Feb-4, UNJLC)

 

GoI says it will construct a temporary alternative road between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. Construction has already started and will take some 3 months to complete. (Jan-29, Tempointeractive) TNI working on the west coast to restore the northern route from Banda Aceh to Lamno and the southern route from Meulaboh to Teunom. (Jan-28, WFP)

 

IOM says it has some 334 trucks operating between Jakarta-Medan-Banda Aceh and Medan-Meulaboh routes. (Feb-4, IOM)

 

GOI initiated humanitarian aid customs clearances procedures. See http://unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemID/28240. (Feb-1, UNJLC)

 

UNJLC suggests land and sea alternatives instead of additional flights. 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.

 

Posko (Coordinating Centre of the GOI) is a “one stop” shop for authorizations for operating out of Aceh. UNJLC recommends using the centre or it will close down if not utilized. (Jan-31, UNJLC)

 

OCHA and UNJLC push for better information on relief cargos; slot times for aircraft carrying non-food items (NFI) need to be requested in advance at airaceh@unjlc.org

 

US halts C-130 flights from Jakarta to Banda Aceh as phased scale-back begins. (Jan-26, UNJLC)

 

The island of Weh off Banda Aceh, has a usable port and airfield at Sabang.

 

Meulaboh has several helicopter landing pads and can handle light aircraft on its damaged airport. Two sea access ports are in good use.

Food

UNICEF says that a template for initial and ongoing nutrition surveillance in Aceh has been prepared. (Feb-4, UNOCHA) Joint UN and GOI surveys are planned along with the establishment of a nutrition surveillance system for affected people. (Feb-2, UNOCHA)

 

World Food Program (WFP) says 800,000 people will need food aid in Aceh; WFP is currently feeding some 340,000 people. (Jan-31, AP)

 

Ministry of Health has requested WFP to take lead in supplementary feeding programs for pregnant and nursing women and for children aged 1 to 5 years old. (Feb-3, WFP)

 

WFP in talks with GoI about an emergency school feeding program in Aceh. (Feb-3, WFP)

 

WFP winds down its airlifts of emergency food aid from its humanitarian air hub at Subang. WFP will continue to use the hub for moving equipment. (Jan-31, AP)

 

Aid groups, including WFP, are shifting from delivering only emergency rations to more varied food. (Jan-29, AP)

 

The 3,000-ton WFP chartered vessel, the M/V Kimtrans is off the west coast. (Jan-23, Reuters)

 

UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says 42,000 in Aceh made a living from fishing. 70% of the fishing fleet destroyed. Fish provide over 50% of the animal protein in Indonesia.

Water and Sanitation

WHO reports joint assessment of water and sanitation in camps in Banda Aceh shows insufficient provision of latrines and lack of coordination. (Feb-1, UNOCHA)

Committee formed between UNICEF, GoI and Oxfam to manage water and sanitation projects. (Jan-28, Oxfam)

Public Health/Medical

Health officials say that most pregnant women in Aceh are eating too little protein and could have underweight babies or become anemic and bleed to death during labor. “The (pregnant) women here are in a bad shape. If we don’t start to do something in a few weeks, then we are endangering people’s lives,” said Henia Dakkak, with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Aceh. (Feb-7, AP)

 

Over the weekend, the Antara news agency reported that 10 countries have participated in building field hospitals in Aceh. The hospitals were set up by Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Portugal, Pakistan, China, Malaysia and Singapore. (Feb-5, Xinhua)

 

At a Bangkok conference on treating tsunami survivors, experts have warned that up to 90% of survivors are likely to suffer from psychological trauma. (Feb-3, BBC) WHO says that almost 500,000 survivors will need psychosocial support and some 200,000 may require psychiatric care. (Jan-25, AFP)

 

Malnutrition is emerging as a concern. A small UNICEF study found 13% of children acutely malnourished. (Feb-01, WHO)

 

WHO in Meulaboh, reports incidence of malaria cases is normal and not tsunami related. (Feb-1, WHO) Japanese Self Defense Force (SDF) teams are spraying against malaria in Aceh. (Jan-29, Reuters)

 

The UN says some 25,000 or 6 percent of the some 400,000 IDPs are pregnant women. About 27 give birth each day, or about 800 women a month. (Feb-1, AP)

 

IOM and the Japanese Self Defense Force expanding UNICEF/Ministry of Health measles vaccination campaign along the west coast. 77,000 children immunized by end of January. Target to vaccinate up to 1.3 million others. (Jan-26, WHO) Teams will also distribute Vitamin A. (Feb-1, IOM)

 

WHO says Aceh’s tuberculosis treatment program disrupted, raising fears that resistant strains of the disease may arise. 1,400 people were provided daily medication before the disaster. (Jan-30, AP)

 

IOM will build and equip 5 community health centers. Each center will provide health care for between 10,000 and 30,000 people. (Jan-28, IOM)

 

Some doctors fear an explosion in tetanus cases, since it takes around 30 to 60 days for symptoms to show. (Jan-24, BBC)

 

West coast lost some 50-70 percent of its health services. (Jan-24, The Age) Tsunami destroyed 30 health clinics out of 240, seriously damaged 77, and caused minor damage to 40 others. (Jan-18, UNJLC) AusAID says only 82 of health staff of 400 personnel accounted for. Around 150 doctors missing. (Jan-17, CNN) Of 9,800 Ministry of Health staff in Aceh, 10% dead or unaccounted for. (Jan-30, AP)

Shelter

In Meulaboh, UNHCR is expanding the Lehan campsite that is currently hosting some 247 families. (Feb-4, UNHCR)

 

GOI expects 375 relocation centers to be complete by mid-February, with a similar number completed by the end of the month. GOI counts 425,000 IDPs.

 

IOM to build 11,000 semi-permanent houses in Aceh Besar Province. (Feb-02, Acehkita)

 

GOI officials in Banda Aceh say around 260,000 IDPs are sheltering with extended families. (Jan-25, UNOCHA) UN official Joel Boutroue says number of temporary camps has dropped from 385 to less than 100. (Jan-24, AP)

Infrastructure

Mawardi Nurdea, head of Aceh’s urban planning and housing authority, says that coastal cities in Aceh will be pushed back some 2 kilometers and protected by a buffer zone. Nurdea says the plan would be finished in some 2 weeks. The buffer area will be divided into 3 zones. The first zone, comprised of mangroves and palm and pine trees would be separated from the sea by breakwaters and extend 1,000 feet inland. The second zone would extend some 1.6 km inland and be occupied only by fishermen. In the third zone, trees would be planted in a 100-meter zone at the edge of villages and cities. Many people from coastal areas have shown opposition to the plan. (Feb-7, Reuters)

 

The Aceh education office says that at least 1,057 school buildings were damaged or destroyed, causing losses of some US$21.85 million. (Feb-4, Antara)

 

Malaysia will draft a master plan for the reconstruction of Banda Aceh to assist Indonesia. (Feb-3, Xinhua)

 

Singapore has proposed infrastructure projects in Meulaboh that would cost some US$9.1 million. (Feb-3, Channel NewsAsia)

 

GOI estimates more than 1 million homes destroyed, along with some 277 miles (450 km) of roads and scores of bridges. (Jan-30, AP)

 

FAO estimates aquaculture losses at US$210 million and estimates 100,000 acres (150 sq. mi.) of agricultural land devastated. (Feb-02, Star)

Security

A senior delegation from the GoI and exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) met for two-day talks in Helsinki on January 28. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari’s office, the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), mediated the talks. The talks ended on January 29 with no significant breakthroughs. Both the TNI and the GAM had announced unilateral ceasefires shortly after the disaster.

 

TNI reported killing 200 GAM rebels in 86 encounters since the disaster. (Feb-02, AP)

 

The UN sets the security status in Banda Aceh at three and four outside the city, five being the most dangerous on the UN’s scale.

 

Aid workers are restricted to Banda Aceh and the town of Meulaboh. Travel outside of those areas will need permission and will be accompanied by TNI escort.

 


Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·       The TNI says that it will deploy some 6,000 troops in Aceh to open up transportation routes and distribute assistance to isolated areas under the program, “TNI Building Villages.” (Feb-4, Tempointeractive) Total of TNI troops is around 50,000; 38,000 troops were already in Aceh for military operations against the GAM. TNI said 517 soldiers were killed in the tsunami.

 

·       GOI intends to create 50,000 jobs with manpower-intensive projects in 100 locations. (Feb-02, Terrawire)

 

·       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)

 

 

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

 

Local Organizations

 

 

 

 

 

 


International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

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

 

·       Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian military with 900 troops are assisting. The military is providing helicopters and transportation aircraft, a field hospital, and water purification. 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 sent two rescue teams and 3 medical teams to Indonesia. (Feb-7, AP)

 

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

 

 

 

·       German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will tour relief operations in Banda Aceh. (Feb-3, AFP) German supply/hospital ship Berlin, which also has a field hospital, is offshore.

 

·       Iran gave US$1.5 million dollars and will send some 5,000 tons of dates to Aceh. (Jan-26, AFP)

 

·       A Japanese destroyer, amphibious ship, and a supply vessel with some 970 Self Defense Force (SDF) members are anchored off the coast for the relief effort. (Jan-26, AP) Ad Hoc Japanese Embassy started operations in Banda Aceh. (Jan-27, GOJ)

 

·       Malaysia, with perhaps 800,000 illegal workers, many from Indonesia, relented on a strict expulsion plan due to begin February 1. Malaysia has set up relief centers and a 50-bed hospital, has started to withdraw its personnel and equipment. (Jan-25, Jakarta Post) The UN 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.

 

·       Netherlands has offered prefabricated bridges to temporarily fill gaps in highways. (Feb-7, AP)

 

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

 

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

 

·       Portugal has sent a total of some 24 medical workers to Banda Aceh. (Jan-27, Xinhua)

 

·       Russian medical unit set up a mobile hospital in Banda Aceh. (Jan-14, AP)

 

·       Singapore proposed building a 150-bed hospital in Banda Aceh and two clinics in Meulaboh. (Feb-1, Reuters) Replacing the Singaporean military are staff from the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief, Touch Community Services, the National Volunteer Philanthropy Centre and YMCA.

 

·       Spanish planes have distributed some 80 tons of aid in 36 missions to Sumatra. (Feb-4, AFP)