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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

August 18, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2

Indonesia.....................................page 3-7

Sri Lanka.....................................page 8-11

Thailand.......................................page 12-15


Overview

 

·   The overall focus of attention is on long-term recovery and rehabilitation for the December 26, 2004 earthquake and tsunami disaster.  The dead and missing toll from tsunamis triggered by the undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island was 232,010 (Jun-22, Reuters) people along the coastal areas of 11 countries in the Indian Ocean.  Over 1.7 million are reported to be homeless.

 

·   Tsunami-related deaths were recorded in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya.  The loss of life was particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.  Nearly 166,000 dead and missing are from Indonesia.  The dead and missing toll in Sri Lanka climbed to nearly 39,000.  In India, at least 10,672 died in Tamil Nadu State and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  The death toll in Thailand is around 5,400, including about 1,953 foreigners from at least 36 countries.  More than 400 combined deaths have been reported in the other countries.

 

·   Coordination: 

 

· Indian Ocean Earthquake-Tsunami Flash Appeal Expenditure Tracking: http://ocha.unog.ch/ets/Default.aspx

 

·   International Assistance: 

 

· UN raised its initial appeal of US$977 million to US$1.086 billion.  (Apr-6, Reuters) Reuters reports that government and multilateral agencies have pledged around US$9 billion in aid for nations affected by the disaster, while global private donations amounted to almost US$5 billion.  (Aug-11, Reuters)

 

· Delegates of 27 Indian Ocean countries decided to set up a network of seabed sensors and buoys as part of a tsunami warning system.  The system may be in place by summer 2006, but some buoys may be in place by December. The three-day forum in Perth Australia, which ended Friday, August 5, decided that seven warning centers instead of one would be created.  The centers will be based in Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, Iran and Pakistan.  (Aug-11, BBC) At the meeting, it was also decided that India would be the warning system’s first head, a position that will rotate every two years. Indonesia and Mauritius were elected vice-chairs.   (Aug-3,4 Reuters, AFP)

 

·   Food:  WFP expects to feed about 800,000 people in Indonesia for at least another year; in Sri Lanka, about 915,000 people being fed—distributions will discontinue in August and will give way to targeted and recovery-oriented approaches; in Thailand, food assistance provided to some 26,000. 

 

·   Health/Medical:  WHO estimates 500,000 people were injured.  There were scattered reports of diarrhea, malaria, dengue, measles, pneumonia, tetanus and skin infections, but no outbreaks. 

 

·   Security:  Police superintendent and civilian killed in violence in northern Sri Lanka late last week

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 4

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 5


Overview: 

 

In Finland, Indonesia’s Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin and the Free Aceh Movement’s (GAM) Malik Mahmud signed a peace memorandum of understanding ending 30 years of conflict in which nearly 15,000 people died, mostly civilians. The agreement is built on the understanding that GAM will not push for independence and will be allowed to participate in Indonesian politics. The agreement calls for the disarming and demobilization of GAM’s 3,000 members, the destruction of their weapons by international monitors, and the removal of non-local Indonesian military and police by the end of the year. Remaining Indonesian security forces will be about 14,000 military and 9,000 police; any movement of more than a platoon will require notification of international monitors. GAM members jailed for political reasons will be released and an amnesty will be offered. New laws will come into play, an election will occur in 2006, and a human rights court and a truth and reconciliation commission will be established. The European Union (EU) is taking the lead in the international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) with support from five Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Dutch diplomat Pieter Feith is leading the mission and is in Aceh with core EU and ASEAN monitors. The AMM team will officially begin on September 15th and will eventually grow to 200 to 300 unarmed members. Challenges are expected from hard-line Indonesian security forces, GAM members, and government-supported militias, as there was when East Timor voted for independence in 1999.  On July 17, a draft peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the GAM was agreed upon at the end of a fifth round of peace talks in Helsinki, Finland, mediated by the Helsinki-based Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), and headed by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari.  The European Union (EU) is expected to lead a peace monitoring mission in Aceh, following the formal signing of the peace deal. About 200 unarmed military and civilian officials from the EU and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to monitor the disarmament of GAM fighters and a military (TNI) troop withdrawal from the province, which are key points of the peace agreement.  The peace accord has drawn widespread praise from the international community. In praise of the agreement, former US President Bill Clinton, United Nations Special Envoy overseeing Indian Ocean tsunami relief and recovery efforts, said, “In the aftermath of the tsunami, the daunting recovery challenges in the region have underscored the critical importance of political reconciliation in Aceh, and I hope this agreement will lead to the peace and stability so critical to the reconstruction process.”

 

 

Sector Status

Affected Population

The death toll stands at 131,029, with some 37,000 others reported to be missing. 

 

The Aceh Central Bureau of Statistics says that 7,000 surveyors will launch a population census in Aceh to more accurately gauge how many died from the disaster.  Aceh had a population of 4.2 million people, according to the 2003 national census.  (July-5, AFP)

 

The Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR - Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi) says that there are over 500,000 IDPs in Aceh and over 22,000 in Nias. In Aceh, about 250,000 are staying in tents, while about 150,000 are in temporary government shelters.  The remaining 100,000 are either staying with host families or are rebuilding their homes.   (Jun-19, GoI)

Coordination

The BRR will oversee reconstruction.  The agency will be headed by former mines and energy minister Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, who will manage the US$4.84 billion fund.  (May-9, Reuters, BBC)

 

The GoI has collaborated with NGOs and donors to initiate the construction of the website, e-Aceh, in response to the need for transparency and coordination of reconstruction.  (www.e-aceh.org)

Logistics

For more logistical information see: http://www.unjlc.org.

Food

WFP and Save the Children (SC) completed distribution for July reaching as many as 125,000 beneficiaries, primarily IDPs in Lhokseumawe, Aceh Utara, and Bireuen.  Save the Children (SC) submitted a proposal for distribution to 111,015 IDPs for the month of August. (Aug-12, WFP)

 

Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) reports a nutritional assessment of children conducted at 20 of their sites in Banda Aceh finds 11 percent children between the ages of 3 to 5 are exhibiting some stage of malnutrition.  According to World Health Organization (WHO) standard anything beyond 10 percent is critical.  (Aug-12, Reliefweb)

 

World Vision says it has distributed some 2,000 MT of food to over 130,000 recipients in Aceh over the past month.  Rations are supplied by the WFP.  IOM says numbers have gradually increased over the past few months.  Monthly distributions are taking place in and near the cities of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh.  (Aug-4, WVI)

 

IFRC says total number of beneficiaries currently registered and possessing ration cards for food and non-food relief aid is 437,445 and the number is increasing.  (July-28, IFRC)

 

WFP expects to feed up to 800,000 people for another year.  (June 22, Reuters)

Water and Sanitation

IFRC says overall water distribution figure for Aceh and North Sumatra stands at more than 1 million liters per day.  IFRC says water and sanitation activities continue to benefit some 113,000 beneficiaries.  (Aug-11, IFRC) 

Public Health/Medical

The Ministry of Health will begin a mass immunization campaign against polio on August 30.  UNICEF and WHO are providing assistance to this campaign. (Aug-15, Reliefweb)

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established an integrated health emergency unit for distaster response, located at the Ministry of Health in Jakarta. The unit is coordinating inputs and tracking progress of ongoing activities in disaster affected areas. (Aug-15, Reliefweb)

 

WHO says that access to health services, mental illness and the potential threat of disease remain daily challenges to Aceh residents.  (Aug-11, Reuters)

 

IOM building more than 50 satellite health clinics to help those living in temporary living facilities.  (July-19, IOM)

 

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)

Shelter

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) has committed to rebuild 12,500 homes in Aceh and Nias, with 6,000 homes to be rebuilt in Aceh and 2,500 in Nias by the end of 2005 and an additional 4,000 in Aceh to be completed by 2007. (Aug-14, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation will begin construction in August on 3,700 permanent homes to be built in Aceh Besar, Banda Aceh, and Aceh Barat over the next year. (Aug-17, Reliefweb)

 

The IFRC has committed to build, as of August 1, more than 27,000 permanent new homes and to repair more than 7,000 other houses. IFRC estimates that more than 65,000 people are living in government-built barracks and says that many of these will need repair in the upcoming months. IFRC will help build extensions to existing homes to alleviate overcrowding for an estimated 16,500 families living with host families.  The UN estimates the displaced could be living with host families for one to two years.  IFRC will also replace some 33,000 tents which have reached the end of their life-span.  (Aug-11, IFRC) 

Infrastructure

According to the World Bank, less than 25% of the 300,000 tsunami-hit land parcels in Aceh were titled before the tsunami struck. (Aug-16, Reuters)

 

The UN said that the tsunami eroded some 97 percent of the GDP in Aceh, amounting to an estimated US$4.5 billion in damage. (July-15, The Jakarta Post)  

 

116,880 houses were destroyed or damaged in 2,496 villages throughout 17 affected regencies (kabupaten) from a total of 21 in Aceh.  Of these, 57% were destroyed and 12% sustained major damage.  The total amount of settlement areas affected by the tsunami amounted to 173,673 hectares (429,200 acres), of which 35% of the villages were completely destroyed.  (Jun-19, GoI, IOM)

Security

Police reminded international NGOs and UN agencies not to travel after dark in South Nias district after a riot on July 18. (Aug-12, WFP)

 

UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) reports a reduction in the number of clashes in Aceh after July 2005.  However, UNJLC reports that UN staff are still being cautioned to retain a low profile.  (Aug-11, UNJLC) 

International Financial Assistance

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) reports it has raised US$1.3 billion to help victims in Indonesia. (July-1, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

GOI put the December 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.  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 World Bank says that about US$500 million has been raised from foreign donors for reconstruction thus far.  The Steering Committee of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Aceh and North Sumatra will manage the funds.  (Jun-26, AFP)

 

BRR head Kuntoro says that around US$2.8 billion is ready to be spent on reconstruction projects in Aceh, out of which about US$1.9 billion had come from international and private sector donors.  (Jun-25, Reuters) Indonesian House of Representatives on June 4 approved 8.2 trillion rupiah (US$863 million) for fiscal year 2005 for Aceh and Nias (Jun-12, GOI)


Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 8

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 9

 


Overview: 

Norwegian peace brokers held talks with the chief negotiator for Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels yesterday (Wednesday, August 17) in an effort to save a three-year-old ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the rebel group.  The ceasefire has been in jeopardy since last week’s (Friday, August 12) assassination of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.  Several members of the international community including the United Nations, US, and Norway publicly condemned the assassination.  Meanwhile Erik Solheim, Norway’s chief peace broker, has described the killing as a “major setback” for the peace process and Hagrup Haukland, the chief Norwegian peace monitor, called the assassination is a “big blow” to the ceasefire and the whole peace process irrespective of who is behind it.   In an attempt to salvage the peace process, Norway’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Peterson and his deputy Vidar Helgesen met yesterday (August 17) with LTTE’s chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham.  Earlier, Norwegian mediators held talks with Sri Lankan officials who, according to anonymous sources, want to renegotiate the 2002 Oslo-brokered truce to give more powers to the monitoring mission so they can impose sanctions when a party is guilty of a serious violation.  

In a televised address last Sunday (August 14), Kumaratunga directly placed the blame on the LTTE saying Kadirgamar had joined “a long list of distinguished Tamil leaders…murdered by the LTTE.”  She said the incident is the latest in a series of violations of the 2002 Oslo ceasefire agreement.  However, a pro-LTTE website denied LTTE’s involvement in Kadirgamar’s assassination saying the Sri Lankan military should be looking for the killers within its own ranks.  Despite accusations over the Kadirgamar’s assassination, Kumaratunga has said that her government remains committed to the ceasefire but has called on the rebels to renounce violence before the peace process can get back on track.  SP Thamilselvan, chief of LTTE’s political wing, is also saying the group had no plans to return to the armed struggle in their campaign for self-rule for Tamil areas in the north and the east of the country.  In an interview to Reuters, Thamilselvan said, “War is not an option” adding, “But if war is thrust upon Tamil people, we will have no option but to face it.”   As the Sri Lankan government and LTTE attempt to work through this crisis with the Norwegian peace brokers, the Sri Lankan government extended by one month the state of emergency that was declared following the Kadirgamar’s assassination for one month to ensure security the aftermath of this setback.  Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities have detained 14 individuals with suspected links to LTTE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sector Status

 

Affected

     Population

Sri Lanka has combined the figures for its dead and missing into one figure for dead and presumed dead and missing.  The combined total stands at 38,940.  (Jun-22, Reuters) Of the total, approximately 5,000 have been declared missing. (May-3, DPA)   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.

 

 

Coordination

An August report, “Listening to those Who Lost”, published by the Sri Lankan Institute for Policy Studies and the World Bank, highlights the challenges and limitations in coordination and cooperation in relation to housing, homelessness, and rebuilding.  (Aug-16, Reliefweb;IPS)

 

The Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) has established a Helpline to provide information for queries of tsunami-affected in the country.  (July-7, UNOCHA)

 

Joint mechanism deal, officially known as the Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS) to allow committees from the LTTE, the government and Muslims to discuss and monitor tsunami aid projects.  Sri Lankan Supreme Court temporarily blocked the deal and is expected to decide on a ruling in September. 

 

The Task Force for Relief (TAFOR) will collate and analyze data, coordinate and facilitate relief measures connected to healthcare, education, foreign donor assistance and food relief. 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 Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES).  Responsibilities connected to IDPs, Transit Camps, and liaison with the District Secretaries will be the task of the CGES. (Feb-9, UNJLC)

 

UNDP in Colombo says that relief work is being conducted in the country with little or no consultation with affected people.  To remedy this problem, UNDP says that it will hold consultations in 1,100 villages in 11 tsunami-hit districts.  The program will be assisted by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and Colombo University, who will present the findings to TAFREN and the Ministry of Finance and Planning.  (Aug-8, Hindustan Times)

 

For further information, check the TAFREN website at http://www.tafren.gov.lk/ or the CNO website at http://www.cnosrilanka.org/ The Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation’s website, www.mrrr.lk contains additional information. 

 

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

Logistics

For logistical information see: http://www.unjlc.org.

 

Food

WFP says it is feeding some 915,000 people.  Food distributions will discontinue in August and will give way to targeted and recovery-oriented approaches.  (Jun-27, WFP) WFP says targeted feeding currently reaches 260,000 mothers and children through Maternal Child Health projects and 144,000 children through school feeding programs. (Jun-27, WFP)

Water and

     Sanitation

IFRC says it is producing and distributing over 3 million litres of water a week, which benefits up to 50,000 people.  

 

Public Health

     and Medical

 

 

Shelter

IFRC says it has pledged to build up to 15,000 houses.  IFRC currently has sites confirmed for over 2,800 houses.  (Aug-11, IFRC)

 

IOM has built more than 2,100 transitional homes and expects to build 3,000 before the onset of the eastern monsoon. (July-22, IOM)

 

World Bank in Sri Lanka found about 90,000 homes fully or partially destroyed. The Bank has allocated initial US$40 million for permanent housing cash grants. (June-2, World Bank)

 

TAFREN chair Mano Tittawela said that 7,000 permanent houses have been completed and said that 80 percent of the required permanent housing for the displaced will be completed before the end of this year.  (July-7, GoSL)

 

IOM says it has finished about 2,000 transitional homes as of this week.  IOM reports that the GoSL has said more than 40,000 transitional houses island-wide have been completed, but 20 percent do not meet minimum standards. (Jul-12, IOM)

Infrastructure

The European Commission released US $55.8 million of the US $123.6 million pledged for long-term post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka.  This funding disbursement will primarily cover coastal road reconstruction in eastern and southern Sri Lanka. (Aug-12, Xinhua)

 

The Ministry of Tourism and the Sri Lanka Tourist Board have reportedly developed short- to long-term recovery plans for 15 coastal towns in Galle district.  The resort towns will reportedly be master-planned.  UNOCHA reports the return of local and foreign tourists in Galle town and nearby popular local beaches.  (Aug-11, UNOCHA)

 

SP Thamilselvan, chief of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said that more than US$1 billion was needed to rebuild Tamil areas

 

A total of 77,561 houses have been damaged or destroyed by the tsunami, including 41,393 houses that were completely washed away, according to the Census and Statistics Department.  (Apr-29, Daily News)

 

The Minister of Agriculture says that direct damage to the farmers of the tsunami was some US$3.5 million.

Security

Increased tension and violence have led to restricted movement of UN staff and stringent checkpoint measures particularly in areas of Kilinochchi and Poonahari Division. (Aug-12, WFP)

International Financial Assistance

Officials say that international donations and debt relief have reached some US$3 billion over a period of three to five years, nearly twice as much as what the government has estimated it will cost to rebuild.  (May-20, Reuters)

 

The government has estimated that it will cost up to US$1.6 billion to rebuild infrastructure destroyed or damaged.  The so-called Paris Club of rich creditor nations in March offered to freeze Sri Lanka’s $300 million in debt payments until the end of 2005.  The government has said it wishes to see that extended for three years.  (May-11, AFP)  The Paris Club has agreed to allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years, with a one-year grace period.  Sri Lanka owes the Paris Club some US$4.6 billion. 


Thailand

 

 

 

Overview. ………………………………………………. page 12

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 13

 


Overview: 

 

At least 2,010 bodies of tsunami victims have now been identified at the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TVVI) center in Phuket. Another 1,767 bodies still await identification. Most are thought to be Thais or Burmese workers, and only 207 are thought to be non-Burmese foreigners. NGOs say that many bodies of Burmese migrant workers remain unidentified.

 

Pol Maj Gen Udom Raksiltham, Deputy Commander of the TVVI Information Management Center (IMC) says the identification effort will continue until December 2005, at which the situation will be re-evaluated. (Aug-6-12, Phuket Gazette)

 

  
Sector Status

Affected Population

Latest death toll issued by the Thai Ministry of Interior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) is at 5,395.  The number of Thai deceased is at 1,972 and foreign nationals at 2,248, with another 1,175 of unknown nationality.  Number of missing is at 2,817.  Of those, 1,924 are Thais.  (May 13, UN)

 

The TVVI has sent 3,241 DNA samples abroad to the International Commission of Missing Persons in Bosnia, Beijing Genomic Center in China, the National Board of Forensic Medicine in Sweden and 260 to agencies in other countries. Some 120 foreign workers from 20 different countries are still working on the effort, including New Zealand, Canada and Norway.  (Aug-6-12, Phuket Gazette)

 

The Tsunami Action Group (TAG), a migrant advocate group, and the Law Society of Thailand have estimated that between 700 and 2,500 Myanmar migrant workers went missing. Many of them were not officially registered, and do not appear to be included in the official list of the killed. (June-8, Amnesty International) Other estimates have the number at 1,000 to 7,000.  (Jun-27, Irrawaddy)

 

World Vision International (WVI) says that it has assisted sea gypsies along Rawai beach, Phuket with clothing donations.  WVI says it is the only NGO working in the area.  Most of the affected are from the Moken tribe.  The Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI) estimates some 1,000 sea gypsy households have been affected by the disaster. (Aug-4, WVI)

 

In Phang Nga and Krabi provinces, UNDP and UN Habitat are working with indigenous communities and the Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI) to ensure the tenure of community land.  (Aug-11, UNCTT)  

 

Land title disputes continue to slow down recovery in Phang Nga and other affected provinces. The World Bank is working with authorities to ensure access to legal assistance by vulnerable groups. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Coordination

The government continues to pay out compensation and relief assistance, as scheduled. According to the Department of Disaster Prepardeness & Mitigation (DDPM), further assistance totaling 1.43 billion baht is still needed in the affected areas. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

 

The government has provided assistance to tsunami victims totaling nearly US$9 million (355, 727,050 baht).

 

Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center, the first among tsunami-affected countries, formally opened on May 30. In the first phase, it will focus on earthquakes and tsunamis before extending to other disasters. (May-31, Bangkok Post)

 

The Donor Assistance Database (DAD) is being updated to include UN tsunami program tracking, and is expected to be completed by the end of the month. The DAD was installed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the help of UNDP to aid tracking of assistance to the country. Information will be updated on a monthly basis, according top UNCTT. (Aug-11, UNCTT) 

Logistics

For logistical information see: http://www.unjlc.org.

Food

 

Water/Sanitation

 

Public Health/Medical

A Disease Control Department official, who asked to remain anonymous, says that budget constraints and violence are the reason for the sharp rise in malaria cases in the country’s three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. The department says 2,534 people in the provinces were infected between January and June, an almost 150% jump from 2004.  (Aug-3, Bangkok Post)

Shelter

Anupong Sungauannam, president of the Association of Tourism Operators, about 80 percent of housing will be available this month for residents in Phang Nga province. About 50 percent have received some government assistance. (Aug-14, The Nation)

 

World Vision is building 800 homes in the five affected provinces of Phuket, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Phang Nga. The NGO is also providing livelihood materials in Phang Nga, including tricycles and fishing boats. (Aug-15, World Vision)

 

Ministry of Social Protection estimates number of people still living in shelters in Phang Nga and Krabi provinces have fallen from approximately 7,000 people at the beginning of July to 1,200 people in Phang Nga and 4,000 people in Krabi as of early August.  (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Infrastructure

Australia will fund a Thai marine research and management mission to Queensland state, Australia, as part of Australia’s A$400,000 support program for tsunami recovery in Thailand. The program is organized with AUSAid. (Aug-6, The Nation)

 

Tsunami-affected areas in worst-hit Phang Nga province are expected to operate only 20 percent of hotel room capacity by the end of this year as there have been a long delay in loans for reconstructions. According to sources much of the slowness in funds has been due to red tape. So far, only half of the rehabilitation of public services, infrastructure and town planning has been completed. (Aug-14, The Nation)

 

The UNCTT says that the GoT has continued to pay out compensation and relief assistance, however, the Thai Ministry of Interior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reports that as of August 1, further assistance totaling 1.43 billion baht (US$35 million) is still needed in the affected provinces. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Security

The US, Britain and Australia have issued travel warnings to its citizens, advising against non-essential travel to the south.  Insurgency violence continues in three southernmost provinces (Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani). 

International Financial Assistance

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has set aside US$1.7 million for Thailand, to help develop long-term solutions for tsunami-affected areas, especially Krabi, Phuket and Phang Nga.  Funds will come from the Asian Tsunami Fund, which was set up by the ADB in February with an initial contribution of US$600 million.  (July-12, Phuket Gazette)