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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

April 27, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

Indonesia.....................................page 7-15

Sri Lanka.....................................page 16-23

Thailand.......................................page 24-28

Overview

 

 

·      The overall focus of attention is on relief, recovery, and rehabilitation for the December 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster. The death toll from tsunamis triggered by an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island has recently been revised to some 228,000 people along the coastal areas of 11 countries in the Indian Ocean, largely due to the Indonesian government revising its estimate for the number of people missing from 93,458 to 37,063, an approximate 60 percent cut. Reuters reports that the change in the missing reflects the identification of people who were listed as missing but were actually among those displaced after the disaster destroyed their homes.

 

·      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. Some 166,000 dead and missing are from Indonesia. 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 around 5,400, including some 1,953 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. On February 16, UN Assistant Secretary General Hafiz Pasha said rebuilding the affected areas would cost some US$10-12 billion dollars over the next three to five years. (Feb-16, AFP) 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 disaster is likely to exceed well over preliminary estimates of US$7 billion. Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush senior visited some tsunami-affected countries in February and said at the end of their tour, that some US$11.5 billion was needed for reconstruction.

 

·      Coordination: The UN announced on March 14 an agreement with accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers for 8,000 hours of pro bono work to monitor disbursement of its some US$977 million tsunami relief fund. A website is planned to be set up to allow people to track how the money is spent. (Mar-14, UN)

 

·       Logistics:

 

o      UNJLC has a detailed list of civilian/commercial transportation assets available on its website www.unjlc.org (Feb-3, UNJLC)

 

·      Food: Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, estimates 2 million people are in need of food aid. FAO says overall food availability in the region is adequate to cover needs. The agency is working to rehabilitate fisheries and agriculture.

 

o      On March 25 the WFP said that the starvation and malnutrition crisis feared after the disaster has largely been averted. WFP says it has shipped more than 50,000 tons of food. (Mar-25, AFP) WFP says it is providing food to more than 1.9 million people. (Apr-26, Indonesia Relief)

 

o      The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warned that a build up of excessive fishing capacity must be avoided in tsunami-affected countries. (Feb-21, FAO) The FAO said that the tsunami cost the fishing industries of the 7 hardest hit countries some US$520 million in damages. (Feb-17, AP, UNNC)

 

 

·      Health/Medical: World Health Organization (WHO) officials estimated that up to five million people displaced and at risk, with some 750,000 estimated as displaced in Indonesia. WHO estimates 500,000 people were injured. There are scattered reports of diarrhea, malaria, dengue, measles, pneumonia, tetanus and skin infections, but no disease outbreaks.

 

·      Security: Reports of continued violence in Sri Lanka’s east.

 

o      The Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) representatives wrapped up a third round of peace talks on Saturday (April 16) in Helsinki, Finland one day earlier than scheduled.  The talks were described as “positive and constructive.” Both sides agreed to hold a fourth round of peace talks from May 26 to 31.  Despite the talks, sporadic clashes between TNI and GAM in Aceh also reported. Indonesia has ruled out foreign peacekeepers as part of any international monitoring of a possible peace deal with separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

 

·       Shelter: On March 8 Aceh Governor Azwar Abubakar said that the GoI will stop building shelters in Aceh and instead focus on making sure existing ones have proper sanitation and clean water. He says that the decision was reached after many survivors indicated that they would rather stay with relatives than in temporary housing.

 

·       Political-Military:

 

o      The Malaysian government said on April 5 that it would soon withdraw all its some 150 remaining troops from Aceh after GoI asked Kuala Lumpur “to take measures to bring them home.”

 

o      Malaysia began crackdown on illegal workers in the country on March 1. UNHCR expressed concern that some asylum seekers and refugees from Aceh may be caught up in the crackdown. Over 4,000 illegal migrants, most of them Indonesians, have been detained in March. (Mar-30, Jakarta Post) Refugees International (RI) says that Aceh refugees in Malaysia are facing a triple threat: Families and lands were devastated by the tsunami; communities in Aceh continue to be in the crossfire as the conflict between the GAM and GoI continues; and they are subject to arrest and deportation in Malaysia as illegal immigrants. (Apr-12, RI)

 

·      International Assistance: The UN reported that humanitarian assistance to tsunami-affected countries totaled some US$6.28 billion. UN spokesperson says around US$2 billion of the money pledged is already in the pipeline. (Apr-25, UN) The multinational development banks, namely the 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.

 

·       International donors on Monday (April 25) established a multi-donor trust fund to manage some US$500 million in aid grants for rebuilding. In conjunction with the establishment of the fund, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), in cooperation with the ADB, began a three-day international conference on promoting financial accountability in managing funds related to the tsunami and other disasters. A total of 20 donors are expected to participate in the trust fund. (Apr-26, Jakarta Post)

 

·    The head of the National Board of Forensic Medicine in Sweden that is currently analyzing a large batch of DNA samples from victims of the disaster, has been slowed by the poor condition of samples sent to labs around the world for analysis. (Apr-26, AFP)

 

·       On April 13 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan officially introduced former US President Bill Clinton as the UN special envoy to head UN operations for recovery and reconstruction. “We have to have a sense of priorities. We’ve got to restore livelihoods as quickly as possible and make sure temporary housing is there, and deal with the fundamental public health issues, like sanitation and clean water, over the long run. I think we have to make a special effort to help the displaced persons, obviously,” Clinton said. Annan says among Clinton’s tasks are to ensure that donors not only pledge but also disburse the money needed for rebuilding and that it also reaches those who need it the most, as well as mobilize support for regional early warning and disaster mitigation mechanisms. (Apr 13, 14, Indonesia-Relief, UNNS)

 

·    Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said on April 6 that the initial response to the tsunami disaster was successful, but the problem now was to maintain the momentum of aid. “There is in some communities a growing frustration. They have heard of the large sums of money pledged but they have not yet got their house rebuilt nor their livelihood and it will take more time,” Egeland said. Egeland says the UN was raising its initial appeal of US$970 million to US$1.08 billion. The UN says some 80 percent of the appeal had been raised or pledged. He says that the total international promise of aid totals nearly US$6 billion, although much of it could take years to materialize. (Apr-6, Reuters)

 

·    In a report on its activities in the first 90 days since the tsunami, UNICEF reported that up to 90 percent of children in the most affected communities have been able to return to school, most within the first month following the disaster. Additionally, UNICEF says that very few children had died from preventable diseases in the aftermath of the tsunami. The agency says it plans to spend some US$90 million on rebuilding schools devastated by the recent disasters in Indonesia. UNICEF also says it wishes to train more than 1,200 new teachers in Indonesia. (Apr-6, AFP)

 

·    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says that 2 million more Asians have joined the ranks of the poor even though the overall impact on the economies of the affected countries looks small. The bank warns that it could take the affected years to recover from poverty and also urged governments to ensure that funds are not lost through corruption. “Despite the huge scale of loss of human life, homelessness and displaced populations, the macroeconomic impact of the disaster appears limited. Nonetheless, the economic impact will be felt severely at the local and community levels, dragging a significant number of already poor people into deeper poverty,” the ADB said in a statement. (Apr-6, AFP) ADB reported a US$4.22 billion shortfall in the US$7.76 billion estimate for required funds to help rebuild the four countries worst-affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster: India, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.  To date, donor nations and agencies have committed US$3.54 billion.  At an ADB-organized conference in Manila on March 18, the ADB presented its data in a “Tsunami Recovery Tracking Matrix.”  An ADB spokesman acknowledged that while the matrix was not definitive, it was hoped to be used as a fundamental planning tool, to get a broad view of what is needed, where it is needed, and how much it will cost.  ADB on Monday (April 11) said that it approved a US$300 million grant for Indonesia, reportedly its largest grant ever, to rebuild areas hardest hit by the disaster. The money will be used for restoring essential public services, reviving economic activity and rebuilding infrastructure. (Apr-11, Reuters).

 

o   The FAO reported at a workshop in Bangkok on March 31-April 1, that soil salinity in affected areas was less severe than previously thought. The FAO says that of the 47,000 hectares (ha) (116,100 acres) of agricultural land damaged by the tsunami in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, India and Thailand, some 38,000 ha (93,900 acres) can be cultivated this year, while the remaining 9,000 ha (22,240 acres), mainly in Aceh have been overtaken by the sea or can no longer be used. (Apr-6, FAO)

 

o      Paris Club grouping of 19 wealthy nations last week offered to freeze payments of tsunami-affected nations until the end of the year and allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years with a one-year grace period. (Mar-11, Reuters) Sri Lanka reportedly immediately accepted the offer and said it would lobby to extend the offer to 2006 or 2007. Indonesia on March 14 said that it would accept the debt moratorium offer. (Mar-14, Xinhua, Tempo Interactive)

 

o         UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura, has called on countries affected by the tsunami to “really” commit themselves to setting up an early warning center within the next 14 months. (Apr-19, UNNS, PTI) The International Oceanographic Commission said April 16 that donors have pledged US$5.5 million dollars in extra funds to set up an Indian Ocean early warning tsunami system. Officials estimate some US$20million-US$30 million would be needed for the system, officials announced at a three day meeting in Mauritius. Around 250 delegates from 25 Indian Ocean states, 8 IOC countries and 10 International organizations attended. (Apr-16, AFP) On Monday (April 18) UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Director Salvano Briceno said that plans for the tsunami warning system is advancing well. (Apr-18, Irin) At a meeting in Paris, countries affected by the tsunami disaster and UN experts agreed on a timetable for an early warning system. The US and Japan will begin providing tsunami warning to countries around the Indian Ocean as a stopgap measure. Under the plan, both the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Japan’s Meteorological Agency will give out alerts after analysis of quakes in the region. A second step will see tidal movement gauges upgraded, while gauges will be fitted near Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. In the last phase, estimated to be completed by the end of 2006, a regional warning center will be built, with links to a network of gauges and sensors across the region. (Mar-9, BBC)

 

o      The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), along with support from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), has pledged some US$145 million for Indonesia’s Aceh province, to be largely spent on children orphaned by the tsunami. (Feb-20, AFP)

 

·       Leaders of more than a dozen international sports organizations have pledged to join UN-led recovery efforts. According to the UN, the International Volleyball Federation has announced US$3 million to recovery, and the international Rugby Board has sent US$3.35 million to the WFP. (Apr-14, UNNS)

 

·       International Development & Relief Organizations:

o      Oxfam International says that the tsunami disaster has left a gender imbalance in affected areas because in some places, the disaster claimed four times as many women as men. Oxfam says women were worst-hit because they were waiting on beaches for fishermen to return or were at home looking after their children. Oxfam did the study in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. Oxfam’s policy director, Becky Buell, says “this disproportionate impact will lead to problems for years to come unless everyone working on the aid effort addresses the issue now.” (Mar-26, BBC, AFP)

 

o      The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it will continue to provide aid to victims of the disaster in Indonesia and Sri Lanka until reconstruction efforts “produce results.” (Apr-22, Jakarta Post)

 

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 8

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 11

Overview: Agence-France Presse (AFP) reported April 18 that according to official data, Indonesia’s confirmed death toll rose by 1,800 to 128,715, compared with figures released earlier. The number of missing remains at 37,063 according to the national disaster coordinating agency. (Apr-18, AFP) The Indonesian government (GoI) earlier in April revised its estimate for the number of people missing from 93,458 to 37,063, an approximate 60 percent cut, because of better data collection. Reuters reports that the change in the missing reflects the identification of people who were listed as missing but were actually among those displaced after the disaster destroyed their homes.

 

On Sunday, April 24 Jakarta extended visas for foreign aid workers in disaster-hit areas in Indonesia by 14 days.  Visas for foreign humanitarian workers in Aceh province, which was devastated by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster, and those providing relief for Nias and surrounding islands affected by an 8.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28, were set to expire this Wednesday (April 27).  Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says that the 14-day extension could be obtained in Banda Aceh or Medan, the capital of north Sumatra.  The government has required foreign aid groups to give detailed reports of their activities so the government could decide whether the visas will be extended.  “The government continues to welcome and appreciate the assistance of foreign humanitarian organizations and is currently reviewing their activities to improve coordination and minimize duplication of efforts while still ensuring that the needs of the communities are being met,” Shihab said.  The Associated Press reports that the decision followed weekend discussions on the issue between UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.  UN Spokesperson Mieke Kooistra says that the UN “welcomes the announcement and calls it a step in the right direction.”  In March, Shihab had said that only groups working on reconstruction projects could remain after March 26, however, the government later extended the deadline by a month, saying it needed time to review the work of aid groups.  Some observers say some nationalist politicians and the military are suspicious of foreign groups and may fear the presence of aid groups might increase international sympathy for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in Aceh province. 

 

In continuing violence in Aceh, at least 5 suspected GAM rebels were killed in the province on Sunday (April 24), the military said.  Military spokesperson Ari Mulya Hasyimi said that the five were killed in the province’s Bireun district.  The fresh violence comes after GAM and Indonesian government representatives finished a third round of talks in Helsinki, Finland on Saturday (April 16).  The talks were described as “positive and constructive.” Both sides agreed to hold a fourth round of peace talks from May 26 to 31.  The talks have been mediated by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, who heads the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI).  Previous rounds were held in January and February.  Fresh peace talks were prompted by a need to ensure that international aid could flow into Aceh.  However, despite the progress, clashes continue on the ground between GAM rebels and the TNI.

 

Indonesia has ruled out foreign peacekeepers as part of any international monitoring of a possible peace deal with separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in its restive Aceh province on the island of Sumatra. Indonesian Information Minister Sofyan Djalil said today (Wednesday, April 27) that the deployment of foreign peacekeeping troops in Aceh was not an option. He said, “The general understanding is that if a peace deal is reached, an external monitoring team will become possible but not a foreign peacekeeping force.” He, however, added that a deal would have to be monitored, and the monitors could be civilians or from the military. The Indonesian statement is in contrast to comments made by the European Union (EU) yesterday (Tuesday, April 26), indicating the possibility of the deployment of international peacekeepers. The EU said Martti Ahtisaari, had briefed EU ambassadors last week on the state of the peace process to end the three-decade long conflict and the possible role of an international presence once the peace deal had been reached.

 

The Jakarta Post reports that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has formally inaugurated the special government agency tasked with coordinating reconstruction in disaster-hit Aceh province and Nias island.  The agency, the Executive Agency for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias, will take over from the provincial government for reconstruction.   The agency will manage some US$5 billion in reconstruction funds over the next 5 years as well as award tenders to the private sector for reconstruction work, the Jakarta Post reports.  State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that the agency was expected to start work this week.  “The regulation stipulates that the agency will have wide powers to manage the reconstruction efforts in Aceh and Nias, including dealing directly with the private sector, and donor countries and agencies,” he said.  “The provincial administrations will handle other functions that are not related to the reconstruction process. However, to avoid any overlapping, a number of provincial officials will hold ex officio positions in the agency,” Yusril added.  According to the Jakarta Post, the government would appoint the Supreme Audit Agency, the State Development Comptroller and private accounting firms to audit financial reports from the agency to ensure accountability of the money spent. The Aceh governor will serve as the vice chair, while the chair is expected to be a professional or senior bureaucrat with a “clean” reputation, according to the Jakarta Post.  The body will be directly accountable to the president and financially accountable to the Ministry of Finance. 

 

Landslides and flash floods swept through three villages about 20 km (12 miles) northwest of Kutacane in the central mountainous region of Indonesia’s Aceh province on Wednesday (April 27), killing at least 15 people and leaving up to 30 more injured.  Local officials expect the death toll to rise.  The flooding, a result of the Mengkudu River bursting its banks after a day of heavy rain, has also damaged or washed away as many as 490 homes.  Many residents were asleep when a wall of water, nearly three meters (about 10 feet) high, swept quickly through the villages.  The search for survivors and bodies of victims has been difficult due to the lack of heavy earth-moving equipment.  Southeast Aceh district chief Armen Desky reported that the search for the remaining five missing people was called off due to darkness but would resume on Thursday (April 28).  Flooding and landslides are common in Indonesia, with environmentalists blaming illegal logging on mountainsides for many disasters. 

 

The Indonesian government reported April 8 that the country would need some US$326.4 million (Rp 3.1 trillion) to rebuild areas damaged by the March 28 8.7-magnitude earthquake.  The money is needed to rebuild damaged roads, bridges, and buildings that are mainly on the island of Nias, The epicenter of the March 28 earthquake was around 100 miles (160 km) southeast of the epicenter of the massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake on December 26. The epicenter was located at a depth of some 18.6 miles (30 km) and was some 880 miles (1410 km) northwest of the capital Jakarta, according to the USGS. The quake was reportedly centered on the same fault line where the December 26 earthquake generated the devastating tsunami. Residents of Sumatra’s west coast are particularly nervous in light of the three and a half months of aftershocks and rumors spread rapidly.

 

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. Asian Development Bank (ADB) allocates US$800 million, in addition to tsunami relief. World Bank will provide US$300 million in initial support for Indonesia. (Jan-14, AlertNet) The GoI has so far announced a series of checks and balances to assuage fears of graft. Information Minister Sofyan Djalil says the GOI will set up a “credible” oversight scheme for international aid. American accounting firm of Ernst &Young will audit the aid. Welfare Minister Shihab says the government would make official monthly announcements of the amount of aid received and spent. State Minister for Development Planning, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, said March 14 that the GoI will accept the offer of a debt moratorium from the Paris Club. The total debt on which repayment will be delayed is US$2.6 billion. (Mar-14, Tempo Interactive) Indonesia has some US$48 billion in foreign debt to donor countries under the Paris Club. (Mar-14, Xinhua)

 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on April 20 said that it plans to lend some US$519 million to Indonesia in 2005. The ADB said it already approved US$64.7 million in loans and US$16.5 million in grants this year to help some 1,500 communities in rural Indonesia that were affected by the disaster. Five more projects amounting to US$454 million are proposed for the rest of the year. Earlier this month, the ADB approved a US$300 million emergency assistance grant, reportedly its largest ever. (Apr-20, ADB) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday (April 6) reported that damage to the agriculture and fisheries sector in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces had increased the number of poor by more than a million, raising the national head count ratio for the poor by half a percentage point to 18.7 percent. (Apr-6, AFP)

 

International donors on Monday (April 25) established a multi-donor trust fund to manage some US$500 million in aid grants for rebuilding. In conjunction with the establishment of the fund, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), in cooperation with the ADB, began a three-day international conference on promoting financial accountability in managing funds related to the tsunami and other disasters. A total of 20 donors are expected to participate in the trust fund. (Apr-26, Jakarta Post)

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: City returning to some semblance of normalcy. UNJLC reports that there are somewhere between 150-200 NGOs in Banda Aceh, of which only some 50 are registered with OCHA and reporting activities on a regular basis. (Feb-23, UNJLC)

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Western Islands: The Indonesian military (TNI) reopened the road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh on March 25. Soldiers have built some 64 temporary bridges and more than 80 kilometers of roads from scratch. Road surface remains rough and local government will be responsible for pouring asphalt. It takes approximately 8 hours to make the trip. (Mar-25, Reuters) A January UN, GOI and US military 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. An assessment of the western islands off the coast of Sumatra found considerable damage to housing and livelihoods. UNICEF assessment found that at least 80 percent of education facilities on Simuelue have been destroyed. (Mar-10, Jakarta Post) A recent UNICEF assessment following the March 28 quake revealed that virtually all remaining education facilities were destroyed. 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.

 

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 17

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 19

 

Overview: Sri Lanka reportedly now has combined the figures for its dead and missing into one figure for dead and presumed dead and missing. The combined total stands at 38,916. (Apr-8, Reuters) The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is using a final toll of around 40,000 for planning purposes in its recovery plan. Justice Minister John Senevirathne says that the current period of one year before a missing person can be declared dead would be reduced to one month for people who were last seen or heard from on December 26, 2004. (Feb-23, AFP)

 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that some 518,698 people remain displaced with most living with relatives and friends, some in “collective accommodation centers” or in camps. UNICEF says that according to the GoSL, 800,000 people were initially displaced. UNICEF says it has carried out a rapid assessment to collect information on what the IDPs think of their situation and options available to them. The agency says that along with the UNHCR, they have undertaken a survey of some 226 families in Ampara, Jaffna, and Galle as well as 76 host families. (Apr-19, UNICEF) UNJLC had reported in mid-February that 141,985 IDPs are in “welfare centers” and 411,302 are with relatives or friends. (Feb.16, UNJLC)

 

UNOCHA reports that a Sri Lankan Parliamentary Select Committee is expected to be established in May to investigate the activities of local and international NGOs. (Apr-26, UNOCHA)

 

The OCHA field office in Batticaloa district is establishing a database of non-food items that have been distributed over the past four months in tsunami-affected areas of the district. Database will be maintained for distributions in the future as well. (Apr-26, UNOCHA)

 

Two workshops that will target the needs of women and groups working with women are being held in Batticaloa district this week. One is on “Land Rights and Government Shelter Policies” and the other is on “Construction: Planning and Building.” (Apr-26, UNOCHA)

 

The GoSL says that it has received donor pledges amounting to some US$2 billion as tsunami assistance following the disaster, however, only US$750 million has been made available for disbursement. (Apr-11, GoSL) On April 7, the GoSL had said that a national reconstruction plan could finally get under way because donors had firmly committed some US$1.5 billion worth of tsunami aid. Donors pledged US$2 billion, but around US$500 million is yet to be signed and firmly committed. A few weeks ago, the GoSL had complained that rebuilding had been delayed because aid was only trickling in. (Apr-7, Reuters) The GoSL plan involves building some 62 townships, 75 miles (120 km) of electric railway, improving 55 miles (89 km) of highway and granting assistance to affected families to rebuild housing. Chair of the GoSL Taskforce for Rebuilding the Nation, Mano Tittawella, estimates that it will take 6-9 months to build houses, 1-3 years to build roads and a modern water supply system, and another 1-3 years to build new railway lines. (Mar-23, Reuters)

 

An international donors meeting attended by former US president Bill Clinton who is also the UN Special Envoy on tsunami reconstruction, will be held in the capital Colombo in May to evaluate the progress of donor-assisted projects, Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said. The meeting will reportedly be the first of quarterly meetings held by donors. (Apr-8, DailyNews)

 

UNOCHA reports that an FAO salinity expert says that some 10,400 acres of farm land have been destroyed by the tsunami, which includes some 8,000 acres of paddy land. Additionally, a total of 27,000 home gardens were destroyed. The Sri Lankan Minister of Agriculture says that direct damage to the farmers of the tsunami was some US$3.5 million. An FAO Agriculture Advisor says that around 148,000 chickens, 7,600 cattle, 4,900 buffalo, 14,200 goats and 118 pigs were killed in the tsunami. He adds that some 273 tons of paddy seed with just over 1,000 tons of fertilizer and funds for vegetable production and other field crops are needed in the four districts of Amapara, Hambantota, Matara, and Galle for the Yala season. FAO is focusing on restoring the poultry sector as soon as possible. Forty percent of the damaged land should be ready for cultivation this Yala season and 70 percent for the Maha season.

 

The UN’s Food and Agriculture (FAO) organization reports that poor farmers face losing a whole season’s worth of crops unless they are helped immediately. The first growing season since the disaster struck is due when monsoon rains begin later in April. FAO estimates around 40 percent of affected lands are ready for cultivation. The agency says there is an immediate need to rebuild fences, repair pumps and agro-wells, and supply farmers with tools, seeds and fertilizer. (Apr-1, FAO)

 

A key party in Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition government, the Marxist JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, said that a proposed “joint mechanism” deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to handle foreign aid for tsunami survivors would lead to a separate Tamil homeland. Somawansa Amarasinghe, the JVP leader, says that the LTTE has not given up its idea of a separate state and would use the tsunami aid deal to reach that goal. “This joint mechanism is only a bridge to the ISGA (interim self-governing authority),” Amarasinghe said. The ISGA is a self-rule plan introduced by the LTTE. President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s ruling coalition government relies on the 39 seats of the JVP in the 225-member assembly. The JVP has said that it would pull out of the coalition government if Kumaratunga signed a tsunami aid deal with the Tigers. Additionally, several other parties, including some Muslim parties and the Buddhist National Heritage Party, have said they do not support the deal. After the December 26 tsunami disaster which killed or left missing nearly 39,000 people in Sri Lanka, many were hopeful that both the government and LTTE would set aside their differences and work together to bring aid to the survivors. After allegations by the LTTE that the government was discriminating against Tamils in tsunami-affected areas, the international community urged the so-called joint mechanism idea. However, disagreements between the various domestic parties involved in the process has led to a delay in the handling of millions of foreign dollars in aid for the survivors. However, diplomatic sources close to the peace process say that a deal between both sides on the joint mechanism could be reached by the end of May. The joint mechanism reportedly will make it possible for donor countries, such as the US and Japan, to provide aid indirectly to LTTE-controlled areas without violating laws barring direct aid to the LTTE, which both countries have blacklisted as terrorist organizations. A shaky ceasefire has been in place between the GoSL and LTTE since February 2003, however, continued violence in the east has threatened the peace process. (Apr-19, 20, AFP, Reuters)

 

Suren Batagoda, head of the state Urban Development Authority’s (UDA) tsunami housing unit, tasked with finding and acquiring land to build on, says that there has been “land acquisition problems.” After the disaster, the government has imposed a coastal buffer of at least 100 meters along its southern, eastern and northern shores. “Our policy is to give land closest to the original location where (those displaced) lived. But options are limited. In some areas…we don’t have land to build houses because of the se and lagoons. When we pass the lagoons, it is too far inland,” Batagaoda said. The UDA has secured land to build around half of the 60,000 permanent houses the GoSL reconstruction plan envisions. (Apr-21, Reuters)

 

Sri Lanka’s central bank said on February 16 that reconstruction work and foreign aid will more than offset the economic losses suffered during the disaster. The bank revised economic growth for 2005 upwards to around 5.5 percent, which is higher than the 4.0 percent forecast by the International Monetary Fund. The bank says that fisheries and tourism had already begun a recovery. (Feb-18, AFP)

 

World Bank doubled its commitment to relief in Sri Lanka from US$75 million to US$150 million in emergency credits and grants. Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it would reallocate US$7 million from Rural Financial Sector Development Program to an emergency micro-credit program. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board earlier this week approved some US$157.5 million for Sri Lanka. (Mar-9, IMF)

 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on April 14 that it has approved a US$197 million assistance package for two projects that will rebuild areas in Sri Lanka. The package includes a US$150 million grant and a US$7 million loan for the Tsunami-affected Areas Rebuilding Project (TAARP) to restore basic social infrastructure, community and public services, and livelihood, the ADB said in a statement. A US$14 million grant and a US$26 million loan will be for the North East Community Restoration and Development Project II (NECORD II) to continue the government’s rehabilitation program in conflict-affected areas in the north and east of the country. (Apr-14, AFP)

 

The ADB reported that the disaster led to significant job losses in Sri Lanka’s fishing communities and small-scale traders, increasing the number of poor by 287,000 people and the national poverty level by 1.4 percentage points to 26.6 percent. ADB also said economic growth is expected to slow this year with GDP falling from 5.5 percent in 2004 to a forecast rate of 5.2 percent this year. The bank says the biggest risk for the economy was the lack of progress in the peace process with the LTTE. Additionally, the ADB reports that the tsunami cost an estimated 400,000 jobs for 200,000 families. (Apr-6, AFP, Mar-18, ADB)

 

Following confirmation from the Paris Club of 19 creditor nations that it would freeze payments from tsunami-affected nations this year, Sri Lanka said that it would lobby for a freeze of its payments until the end of 2006 or 2007.  Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister, Sarath Amunugama, said that reconstruction in Sri Lanka would take from three to five years.  The Paris Club has agreed to allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years, with a one-year grace period.  Sri Lanka reportedly owes the Paris Club some US$4.6 billion in debt stock and interest.

 

Information on many NGO activities can be obtained from the following link: http://www.humanitarian-srilanka.org/ (under Tsunami 2004 Information Center)

 

Sector Status
Affected Population	Over 516,000 people remain displaced; over 100,000 still in camps or shelters, over 400,000 now living with relatives or friends. (Mar-24, Reuters) WFP foresees the number of beneficiaries for February to be 845,000, and increase from its January figure of 750,000. This figure is likely to fall to about 650,000 in March. Nearly 72,000 children and 2,700 teachers affected. More than 1,000 children were orphaned and at least 3,600 lost one parent. (Mar-9, DPA)
Coordination	On February 4th the Centre for National Operations (CNO) handed over responsibilities of continuing its main functions of collating and analyzing data, coordinating and facilitating relief measures connected to healthcare, education, foreign donor assistance and food relief. The Task Force for Relief (TAFOR) will directly assume these responsibilities. TAFOR will be based and managed from the Ministry of Defense. Another task force, Task Force for the Reconstruction of the Nation (TAFREN), has been given responsibility of spearheading reconstruction, assessing the damages, and coming up with a master plan to rebuild infrastructure. Food relief will be channeled through the Ministry for Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation (RRR) together with CGES. Responsibilities connected to IDPs, Transit Camps, and liaison with the District Secretaries will be the task of the CGES. (Feb-9, UNJLC)   UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team established an operations center at the Ministry of Public Security, Law, and Order and is working to coordinate emergency assessments and reports. UN-agencies (WFP, UNHCR, IOM and UNICEF) have to set up regional offices in Galle. Logistic Operations Centers (LOCs) has been set up in Batticaloa and Kilinochchi.   Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) is posting on its website the weekly meeting schedules of UN agencies, NGOs, and government agencies in Colombo and Batticaloa districts. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)   For information on IDP camps, injured, mission, deaths, and, schools, hospitals, houses and roads and bridges damaged, as well as spreadsheets with the amounts and sorts of relief goods that have been distributed, check the CNO website at http://www.cnosrilanka.org/ The Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation’s website, www.mrrr.lk contains additional information.
Logistics	According to the UNJLC, on April 26, relief consignments of UN agencies at the Colombo port and airport will no longer be exempt from taxes and duties when new clearance procedures are to be introduced. NGOs can only acquire tax and duty concessions by handling the consignments through the Department of Social Services for distribution or having the department supervise the distribution. UNOCHA reports that most UN agencies and NGOs are trying to clear as much cargo as possible before the deadline. (Apr-19, OCHA)   Train operations on the coastal railway line were reportedly fully restored on April 11, after the Pinwatte bridge, which was damaged by the tsunami, was repaired. Reportedly over 70,000 people travel on the coastal railway line. (Apr-11, DailyNews)   GoSL has reportedly issued a series of measures to accelerate customs clearances of relief goods (Mar-9, UNJLC)   UNJLC report, “Comprehensive Road Network Assessment of the Tsunami Struck Areas in Sri Lanka” completed and available at www.unjlc.org. (Feb-23, UNJLC)   There is a UN On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) and UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) presence in Colombo. The UNJLC also runs the Logistics Operations Center (LOC) which has been tasked to coordinate logistics operations of UN agencies and assists humanitarian relief agencies and NGOs in acquiring transport for the movement of humanitarian relief cargo out of Colombo.
Food	FAO’s Senior Advisor for Fisheries, with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, says that the total number of traditional craft (canoes) destroyed by the tsunamis is 9,975. Some 741 boats have been provided to recipients thus far, and a total of 11,217 are to be constructed. The east coast was the hardest hit, with total losses of some 4,340 canoes. (Apr-19, OCHA)   WFP says it is providing food aid to some 709,000 people. WFP says that from April, WFP will begin giving 120,000 children a nutritious snack at school. (Mar-30, AFP)   Thousands of fishermen unable to return to sea because of lack of boats and nets. (Mar-24, Reuters)   WFP says it will start a school feeding program in April for some 120,000 children, in addition to the 165,000 children who were already enrolled. (Mar-9, Dailynews)   WFP will begin distribution of corn-soya blended food to 200,000 vulnerable people and to 112,000 mothers and infants. (Mar-9, Dailynews)   WFP reports that more than 90 percent of beneficiaries have now been issued coupon cards by the GoSL that enable them to receive allotments of food and cash. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)
Water and Sanitation	Americares has launched a US$1,000,000 water purification program to improve water quality and provide permanent sources of clean water for more than 46,000 survivors. (Apr-18, Americares)   Japan donated 9 gully suckers (sewage cleaning trucks) and 30 water tanks to GoSL in late March. (Mar-31, DailyNews)
Public Health and Medical	IOM, working with the Sri Lankan Department of Health and the College of Opthamologist,s has launched a project in Hambantota to provide ophthalmic care for some 6,500 survivors. Up to 77,000 others may benefit from the program which could become nationwide over the year. (Apr-19, IOM)   Canadian Red Cross and ICRC will train health workers to provide psychosocial support along with first aid and hygiene awareness to people in IDP camps. (Apr-26, IFRC)   According to Save the Children, some 29 cases of Dengue fever have been reported in March in Matara. (Apr-19, UNOCHA)   UNICEF says it distributed almost 80,000 mosquito nets, issued leaflets promoting breastfeeding and issued emergency health kits. (Apr-5, AFP)   Doctors in Sri Lanka say there are small outbreaks of illnesses such as chicken pox, diarrhea and fever in refugee camps in the Kinniya area near the northeastern town of Trincomalee. There are some 4,000 refugees in the area. (Mar-30, BBC)   Sri Lanka Ministry of Health has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to rebuild and rehabilitate 34 health facilities. (Mar-18, IFRC)   UNICEF says some 5 to 10 percent of child survivors remain traumatized. (Mar-7, DPA)   WHO is the lead agency in facilitating health sector coordination issues through the Ministry of Health and Nutrition (MOH)   All hospitals are functioning. Three basic public health laboratories are established in Kalmunai, Batticoloa, and Ampara to diagnose epidemic-prone diseases and to test water quality. In Ampara and Batticaloa districts, 37 different agencies are offering psychosocial support. (Feb-4, WHO)
Shelter	The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has so far secured land for some 9,000 of the 15,000 houses it has pledged. (Apr-21, Reuters)   Singapore Sinhala Association and Singapore Red Cross are ready to start rebuilding a village where some 500 people lost their homes. Homes will be built in village of Sinha in Hambantota district and is expected to cost some US$609,000. (Apr-24, DPA)   In Trincomalee, Save the Children has begun construction of 46 out of 118 temporary shelters and is supporting the cleaning of 400 wells in the district. (Apr-19, UNOCHA)   GoSL says it has taken measures to immediately grant US$2,500 to families whose houses have been completely destroyed while owners of partially damaged houses would receive US$1,000. (Apr-5, GoSL)   Aid agencies say reconstruction in the south and east going slowly. Many people in the south reportedly building their own shelters and defying a 100-meter coastal buffer zone imposed by the government. Officials in the rebel-held North say tens of thousands of people will most likely have to wait around a year before enough homes are finished. (Mar-25, Reuters)   The Urban Development Authority (UDA), in collaboration with donors and NGOs and the corporate sector, will construct some 40,000 permanent houses within six to nine months. (Mar-23, Dailynews) Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) says it has constructed some 12,000 transitional houses out of the total 40,000. (Apr-11, GoSL)   Temporary shelters under the Transitional Accommodation Projects (TAP) being built by the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) is working to complete the construction of 30,000 temporary houses. Each unit will reportedly be built to last some 12 to 18 months. 10,000 to be built before April 10 and the rest by end of May. (Mar-23, Dailynews) The focus will be on the south of Sri Lanka which will face the early monsoon rains first. (Apr-13, Oxfam) The TAP says that so far some 15,468 temporary houses in 8 districts have been built since April 15. Work on some 7,856 units are in progress and expected to be completed soon. Breakdown by district is: Colombo (798), Kalutara (628), Galle (1968), Matara (1076), Hambantota (1229), Ampara (54442), Batticaloa (2892), and Trincomalee (1436).   Immediate needs are being met by 315 camps, schools, places of worship, and other public buildings. A total of 155 schools are being used as temporary shelters for displaced families. IDPs continue to leave camps, reportedly because they are concerned that they could lose their land.
Infrastructure	Some 5,500 survivors participating in UNDP and Japan cash-for-work program to clear coastal debris.   WFP said that it is working with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other agencies to help clear debris in fishing communities and to replace boats and nets. (Mar-30, AFP)   Some 260 schools were destroyed and 170 others damaged or being used for IDP camps. (Mar-7, DPA)   Mano Tittawella, senior advisor to President Kumaratunga and head of the reconstruction task force, announced a three-year plan to rebuild the country. Around sixty percent of the US$1.8 billion plan will target LTTE-controlled areas with fisheries and small businesses as the main focus. The plan is separate from another US$1.4 billion aid scheme that will focus on infrastructure needs over the next decade. (Feb-11, AFP)   Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said it is estimated that nearly 100,000 new houses would have to be built due to the tsunami. (Feb-14, Daily News)   ICRC through the Danish Red Cross Society and American Red Cross have a long-term plan to support Sri Lanka in rehabilitation/reconstruction of the public health facilities. (Feb-10, WHO) UNICEF is also supporting the GoSL for the reconstruction and renovation of damaged health facilities.
Security	Internecine clashes between rival Tamil Tiger groups in the east continue. Sri Lankan military says LTTE firing upon some government positions in an effort to provoke security troops, Daily News reports. (Apr-22, AFP)   On February 11, GoSL extended by a month a state of emergency in tsunami-hit areas to give wide powers to security forces to carry out relief operations.   UNHCR and UNICEF are doing a rapid protection assessment in the East, North and South to determine the preferences of people regarding their relocation. Assessment will be completed by the end of the month. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)   Sri Lanka marked the third anniversary of its longest ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on February 23.

 

Thailand

 

 

 

Overview. ………………………………………………. page 25

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 26

 

Overview: Thailand is well into recovery and reconstruction. Key issues are environmental, psychosocial and livelihood restoration, ensuring care for vulnerable groups and improving disaster preparedness.

 

Latest death toll on April 8 was at 5,395 and missing was 2,929. (Apr-8, Reuters) At least 1,953 of the victims were foreigners. As of March 23, the identities of some 1,010 people had been confirmed. There are about 2,450 unidentified bodies (Apr-17, TNA). A senior Thai official said last Thursday (April 7) that it may take up to five years to identify the some 2,547 unidentified victims in Thailand, at least half of which are thought to be foreign tourists. An international forensic team had identified 1,176 bodies since it began work on Jan. 13. (Apr-7, Reuters)

 

Thai Senators criticized the government for its failure to provide long-term assistance to survivors, saying that initial relief money had largely dried up and the survivors were being ignored. Senators asked what the government was doing to help some 20,000+ workers and 240 businesses still facing problems, highlighting the fact that many workers were not being paid. Politicians also pointed out that Phuket seemed to be receiving most of the relief, while other areas were being ignored. Additionally, it was pointed out that the government had refused foreign financial assistance but now appeared to be unwilling or unable to provide sufficient help to survivors. (Apr-25, TNA)

 

Royal Thai Police (under Interior Ministry), and Australian Federal Police are heading the DVI in Phuket. 460 international forensic experts from more than 20 countries are assisting in body identification. Three centers for identifying victims are left: Bang Maruan morgue, Mai Khao morgue and the Phuket Disaster Victim Identification Center. (Mar-14, Xinhua) TNA reports that it is thought that around 50 percent of the remaining bodies could be Thai, but so far only 360 Thai relatives have come forward with information to prove their identity. (Apr-17, TNA)

 

Land grab by wealthy politicians and developers for lucrative beachfront properties of tsunami victims continuing in Khao Lak. (Apr-8, CSM) People living on disputed land in Phangnga province reportedly not getting aid. Village leaders have refused to endorse them for state help, saying that because the people were living on disputed land, allegedly owned by mining companies, they did not want to get into trouble. (Apr-17, Bangkok Post)

 

Supang Chantavanit, the immigration study director from the Institute of Asian Studies said that some 1,000 workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia were killed in the disaster which left 60,000 others without jobs. The survivors also reportedly have little access to government assistance because they were not prioritized by the government and many have also lost important documents in the disaster. (Apr-20, Bangkok Post)

 

Disaster expected to cost tourist industry some US$780 million (30 billion baht) in 2005. (Mar-24, Reuters) Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi contribute about half of Thailand’s tourism revenues. Security has been increased in the southern region since the April 3 bombings at Hat Yai International Airport, a French retail store and a hotel in Songkhla province killed at least 2 people. The attacks were the first major ones outside the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and have raised concerns that insurgents may be extending their reach beyond the region and to new targets.

 

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that a preliminary earthquake-warning system will be completed by the beginning of next month. He says that the government would welcome outside sources, particularly where links could be made with other monitoring networks. (Apr-23, TNA) The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has finished a master plan for the evacuation of people from tsunami-prone areas in the six provinces along the Andaman coast.

 

Britain’s Prince Andrew (Duke of York), son of Queen Elizabeth II, visited Phuket and thanked doctors who had treated victims of the disaster. (Apr-26, AFP)