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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

September 8, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

Indonesia.....................................page 4-8

Sri Lanka.....................................page 9-13

Thailand.......................................page 14-17

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:

 

·    According to the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) Bulletin no. 53, the UNJLC will exit its tsunami mission on September 30, 2005. At the request of the Government of Indonesia and the UN Country Team, a UN logistics coordination service, called the UN Logistics Coordination Support (LCS) will be established to provide integrated, multi-modal logistics coordination support to aid groups in Indonesia during reconstruction. (Sept-8, UNJLC)

 

·    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: Violence continues in Sri Lanka’s east and Thailand’s south. UNJLC reports alleged GAM attacks on several boats off the coast of Sumatra, according to TNI sources. (Sept.-6, UNJLC)

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 5

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 5

Overview:

According to an Agence France-Presse report citing the state Antara news agency, up to 160 foreign observers from the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) are scheduled to begin arriving in Aceh province today (Thursday, September 8) and tomorrow (Friday, September 9). Under a historic peace deal between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels and the Indonesian government, signed on August 15. The AMM is tasked with monitoring the demobilization of GAM rebels and the surrender of their weapons, and the withdrawal of non-local police and military troops. The AMM will be comprised of 200 unarmed officials from the European Union (EU) and from members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. “They will carry out their tasks in a number of districts in Aceh,” AMM deputy chair Nipak Thonglek said. The AMM is officially set to begin operations next week Thursday, September 15. Before deployment, monitors are expected to undergo training in matters relating to Acehnese social structure, background information on the peace deal, and AMM procedures and regulations, Thonglek said. He added that an initial team of monitors has established 9 of 11 planned offices across Aceh. The weapon surrender, decommissioning, and troop withdrawal are scheduled to be completed by December 31, according to reports. Peter Feith, head of the AMM, said that the government and GAM rebels, have agreed on four locations in Aceh province where rebels can safely disarm as part of a peace agreement signed in August.  Feith did not say where the locations would be, but said that those places would be “safe” for the rebels to use. 

The Jakarta Post reports that following recent allegations, the House of Representatives disciplinary body is expected to soon begin investigating graft allegations surrounding disaster aid involving Indonesian lawmakers and regional officials. The newspaper reports that two documents published last week allege that legislators are offering billions of rupiah in extra relief funds to officials in disaster affected areas in return for a fee taken from the funds. Lawmakers have denied the allegations, saying the documents were anonymous and lacked evidence. (Sept-6, Jakarta Post)

 

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 GoI says that as of September 6, 442 concept notes (for projects) have been approved by the BRR with a value of around US$2.6 billion. (Sep-6, GoI)

 

The BRR has requested that NGOs engaged in rehabilitation and reconstruction to submit progress reports on their ongoing activities. BRR is currently collating data from implementing NGOs ahead of the Aceh Recovery Forum and the Consultative Group on Indonesia meeting scheduled for October. BRR says that it is requiring NGOs to submit their first report by September 16 and the second report by December 2. BRR says NGOs can access guidelines and monitoring forms from www.e-aceh-nias.org (BRR website) or by requesting forms at projects@brr.go.id (Sep-6, GoI)

 

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 currently operating three general activities: General Food Distribution (GFD), a School Feeding Program (SFP), and a Maternal Child Nutritional (MCN) program. Food-for-Work reportedly has not started due to difficulties in implementation. GFD will only target vulnerable groups over the coming months. However, supplementary feeding activities will increase. SFP expected to reach 340,000 and MCN plans to reach 180,000 beneficiaries by December. For August, planned GFD distribution stood at 739,000 beneficiaries in 18 districts in Aceh and North Sumatra, while SFD for August was planned at 286,300 beneficiaries in 10 districts in Aceh province. (Aug, WFP)

 

The FAO says that farmers have started replanting in some fallow fields, but it may take up to five years to rehabilitate the worst hit areas. Farmers on the east coast have reportedly defied some expectations, however, on the harder hit west coast, the FAO estimates that some 17,400 hectares (42, 995 acres) of land were severely affected and 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) have been completely lost. The FAO says that salinity of the soil has become less of a concern. (Aug-29, AP)

 

The British Weekly New Scientist reports that any fear that fertile agricultural land in Aceh has been wrecked by seawater from the tsunami, is unfounded. Waves swept up to 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) inland and covered nearly one-third of Aceh’s agricultural lands. However, despite the optimistic outlook, scientists say that some problems remain, such as changes in drainage patterns and some rice fields remaining inundated with sea sediment. Some of the problems may take a decade to fix, according to the report. (Aug-24, AFP)

 

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 World Health Organization (WHO) has established an integrated health emergency unit for disaster 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)

 

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

IOM will build 200 transitional schools in Aceh for around 44,000 students. The US$2.3 million project is funded by UNICEF. (Aug-30, IOM)

 

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

TNI alleges attacks by GAM rebels on several boats off coast of Sumatra. (Sept-8, UNJLC)

 

Aid groups say that the disaster has left women in Aceh more vulnerable to rape and harassment and has urged greater protection. Particular risks were found in overcrowded public areas that are not segregated by gender. (Aug-26, Reuters)

International Financial Assistance

The World Bank says that reconstruction and monetary aid pouring into Aceh could put livelihoods at risk once the money dries up unless the economy is strengthened. World Bank data shows the province’s annual inflation rate at 17 percent, versus 7 percent in other parts of Indonesia. Reuters reports that Aceh’s unemployment rate is at 27 percent and around 600,000 people will be pushed below the poverty line, with daily earnings below US$1 within the next 6 to 18 months. (Aug-25, Reuters)

 

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 10

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 11

 

Overview:

 

In a statement issued on Thursday (September 8), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), turned down the suggestion made by Norwegian peace-brokers on Wednesday (September 7) to conduct talks at the international airport, with LTTE’s political wing chief S.P. Thamilselvan calling the venue “totally unacceptable.” Meanwhile, the office of President Chandrika Kumaratunga reportedly agreed to the choice of venue. On Wednesday (September 7), Norway had proposed the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo as a neutral venue for the talks, in an attempt to settle the ongoing disagreement over where the talks would be held. The government has insisted they be held in the country, while the LTTE has insisted they be held overseas or in the LTTE-held north. In a statement regarding the neutral venue, the Norwegian embassy said, "Any travel out the country by the [Tigers] would have involved several hours of transit at the international airport. Hence we draw the conclusion that this venue also should be acceptable to the [Tigers].” This disagreement over the venue of the talks has been ongoing for the past several weeks, with the government saying that the LTTE would use a foreign location to promote their bid for autonomy, while LTTE sources have said that they do not want to hold talks in Sri Lanka because of security concerns.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s special envoy to Sri Lanka, Lakhdar Brahimi, on Wednesday (September 7) ended a four-day visit to the capital, Colombo.  At Annan’s request, Brahimi held talks with government officials and others in the country. International attention was drawn by the recent August 12 killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was allegedly killed by Tamil Tiger rebels, as well as continuing violence in the east that has threatened to derail the ceasefire.  The LTTE denied any involvement in his death.  “The heightened attention by the United Nations is meant to reinforce, and in no way replace, the ardent efforts of Norway to facilitate the peace process.  The Secretary-General reiterates his full support for the Norwegian-led efforts to advance the peace process,” a statement by the spokesperson for Annan read.  Kyodo news also reported Brahimi as saying that there would be no new UN role in Sri Lanka’s peace process.  “There’s no question of that. No one asked us, we have not offered and we’re not looking for a job,” Brahimi told reporters at the end of his visit.  

Latest official figures released last Friday (September 2) shows that as of the end of July, foreign donors have delivered less than half of one billion dollars pledged for tsunami recovery. The database of Sri Lanka’s Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) shows that international donors had spent US$459 million dollars on tsunami relief projects as of July 31. In addition, actual pledges recorded on the database total US$1.04 billion dollars, short of the US$3.2 billion the government said it had received from international donors in May. However, TAFREN chief Mano Tittawella, said that the donor pledges would go up as figures are entered into the database. (Sept-2, AFP)

 

The UN development Program (UNDP) announced the launching of the web portal, known as the Development Assistance Database (DAD), which will help to better coordinate and monitor post tsunami recovery aid. TAFREN is spearheading the online database with support from UNDP. The website can be found at: http://dad.tafren.gov.lk. (Sept-2, UNDP)

 

As of August, 2005, some 800,000 people remain displaced in Sri Lanka by both the island’s long-running civil war and the December 26, 2004 tsunami disaster, the Global IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council reports.  Around 457,500 people displaced by the tsunami are still living in temporary shelters or with friends and family. Another 347,500 people remain displaced by the conflict.  The tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004, had initially added one million displaced to the country.  A Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in February, 2002 reportedly led hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict to return home.  However, the Global IDP Project says that the breakdown of peace talks in 2003, ceasefire violations, land issues, and slow reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in tsunami-affected areas has virtually halted the return.  The Global IDP project notes that after years of neglect, IDP’s displaced by the conflict may increasingly benefit from post-tsunami relief efforts.   However, projects for conflict affected IDPs is underfunded and hampered by continuing political instability, as well as the unresolved issue of whether tsunami aid is to be shared between the government and LTTE.  

 

UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Eric Schwartz, visited Sri Lanka from September 2-6 and met with President Chandrika Kumaratunga, officials at TAFREN, UN, and people from the business community and civil society. Schwartz also toured Galle and Matara in the south. Schwartz said that tens of thousands of tsunami survivors are living in basic shelters and shacks over eight months after the disaster and frustration is rising. However, Schwartz said that rebuilding takes time and reconstruction should not be rushed. (Sept-6, 8, UNOCHA, Reuters)

 

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

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)

 

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

 

IOM currently maintains a fleet of some 83 vehicles in Sri Lanka. (Sept-6, UNOCHA)

 

Food

WFP reports that under its school feeding program, 111,476 children in 550 schools received mid-morning meals in July. In the WFP Mother and Child Nutrition program, 200,000 pregnant and nursing mothers and children under five received fortified corn soya blend. (Aug-26, UNOCHA)

 

UNOCHA reports a total of 600 WFP Food-for-Work rehabilitation activities/projects requiring 5,252 MT of food were approved in July. Projects will be implemented from July to December and will benefit some 138,000 people. (Aug-26, UNOCHA)

 

WFP says it is feeding some 915,000 people.

Water and

Sanitation

Xinhua reports that The Daily News said that a large-scale Red Cross assisted program on construction, rehabilitation and improvement of water supply and sanitation facilities in affected areas would be launched soon. The project will be implemented in Hambantota, Galle, Matara, Ampara and Jaffna districts at a cost of some US$100 million. (Aug-24, Xinhua)

 

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

 

Public Health

and Medical

The 23rd Meeting of Ministers of Health of the Countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region and the 58th Session of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia was inaugurated in Colombo. Attendees called for greater commitment and resources for health development. (Sept-8, UNOCHA)

 

Shelter

IOM says it has constructed over 3,000 transitional houses, which are designed to last between two to four years. In the first two weeks of August, IOM finished 403 transitional houses and an additional 512 are currently under construction. So far, land has been allocated for IOM to build a total of 3,910 transitional homes in 7 districts. (Aug-19, UNOCHA)

 

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)

 

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 80 percent of the required permanent housing for the displaced will be completed before the end of this year. (July-7, GoSL)

 

 
Infrastructure

The Ministry of Housing and Construction Industry, Eastern Province Education and Irrigation Development, has launched a program to reconstruct school buildings in the Eastern Province. UNOCHA says that almost 50 percent of the school buildings were destroyed or partially damaged due to the tsunami. (Aug-19, UNOCHA)

 

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

Three Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and five others injured in eastern Sri Lanka, earlier this week, according to a BBC report citing the pro-rebel TamilNet website.  The LTTE say that they were attacked by a group of Sri Lankan soldiers, however, the defence ministry has denied any involvement and suggests that a breakaway eastern faction of the LTTE may be behind the clash. The Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM), which monitors the ceasefire between the LTTE and government, reports that it has not received any complaints from the LTTE about the incident. 

International Financial Assistance

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said on August 25th that tsunami aid has helped Sri Lanka’s balance of payments, a record of receipts from and payments to the rest of the world, swing to a surplus in the first half of the year. The Central Bank said that the balance of payments rose from a deficit of US$233 million dollars in the same period last year to a surplus of US$174 million dollars. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Sri Lankan officials say that Sri Lanka saved some US$300 million to US$500 million in debt repayment after international lenders cancelled or rescheduled loans. (Aug-25, AFP)

 

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 15

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 15

 

Overview:

 

After a mobile cabinet meeting in Phangnga, Smith Dharmasarojana, assistant to a Prime Minister’s Office minister, said that red tape is delaying the installation of an integrated tsunami warning system, the Bangkok Post reports. Smith’s panel has reportedly been tasked with installing the tsunami warning system for the six affected provinces and which will reportedly be connected to the National Disaster Warning Centre’s Control and Transmission Centre in Nonthaburi province. (Sept-7, Bangkok Post)

 

Earlier this week, several hundred villagers gathered in front of Phangnga naval base, and claimed that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration’s pledge to rehabilitate tsunami villages has become a “big lie,” the Bangkok Post reports. The villagers are reportedly facing eviction by landlords. The villagers say that no cabinet ministers who were attending a meeting at the site came out to address their concerns. (Sept-7, Bangkok Post)

 


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 head of the victim identification centre, Police General Noppadol Somboonsub, says that by the end of 2006, investigators should finish identifying all the bodies of the people killed in Thailand by the tsunami. said that the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) Information Management Centre has identified around 2,200 bodies out of about 3,777. Foreign experts helping to identify unknown bodies killed in the disaster will leave Thailand by the end of the year when their Thai colleagues will take over, Somboonsub says. (Aug-25, Reuters)

 

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)

 

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

According to the Department of Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation (DDPM), further assistance totaling 1.43 billion baht is still needed in the affected areas. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

 

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 to 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. (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

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. (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)