PACIFIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NETWORK (PDMIN)
1 Jarrett White Road MCPA-DM, Tripler AMC, HI 96859-5000
Telephone: 808.433.7035 · PDMIN@coe-dmha.org · http://www.coe-dmha.org

 

Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

December 22, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

Indonesia.....................................page 4-9

Sri Lanka.....................................page 10-15

Thailand.......................................page 16-19

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’s Aceh province. 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.

 

·       Some US$12 billion has been raised to rebuild countries affected by the tsunami disaster, which according to Reuters, is more than enough to meet estimated needs. Total damage is some US$10.73 billion, with rebuilding costs approximately US$10.375 billion. About 1.5 million people remain displaced. The number of houses needed is at some 308,000 and the number built or under construction is at around 46,000, according to Reuters. The UN’s humanitarian chief, Jan Egelan says that a record 90 countries contributed to the relief effort, while some militaries from 36 nations and 500 NGOs from around the world also assisted. “The world’s response to the tsunami was the best ever. Governments, the private sector, and individuals around the world opened their hearts and their wallets. Private donations for the tsunami eclipsed anything seen before,” Egeland said. Dozens of governments, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have pledged more than US$7 billion. So far, over US$6 billion has been allocated, according to Reuters. The public donated over US$5 billion. Egeland has praised the relief effort but says that reconstruction is taking more time than the UN expected. (Dec-19, AP, Reuters)

 

·    The World Food Program (WFP) says it has helped feed more than 2 million people in 6 countries. The WFP has distributed 210,000 metric tons of food to 2.24 million people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Myanmar, Maldives and Thailand over the past year. WFP says it has spent some US$215 million, or some 80 percent, of the US$273 million in donations it received for the disaster. (Dec-21, AP) WFP says it will extend its operations in Indonesia and Sri Lanka through 2007 for 1.5 million people affected by the disaster, but will phase out Somalia and the Maldives by the end of this year. Aid will be provided to some 1.2 million people affected by the tsunami in Indonesia and another 347,000 in Sri Lanka. Relief operations in Thailand and Myanmar were wrapped up in mid-2005. The food agency says it will concentrate on the most vulnerable: Children, new mothers, displaced people and the elderly. At the peak of the operation in May, WFP had provided food to some 2.24 million people in 6 countries. (Nov 29, WFP)

 

·    UN human rights investigators say that a year after the disaster, many survivors still live in “substandard conditions” that fail to meet international criteria for housing. The UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari, and Walter Kaelin, special representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the human rights of internally displaced persons, also say that women are exposed to physical and sexual violence in some camps, as well as greater domestic violence. The two called on governments to provide permanent housing and restore livelihoods. “Large numbers of survivors remain forced to live in sub-standard conditions that fail to meet criteria for adequate housing and living conditions dictated by international human rights standards. We are concerned that a year later, reconstruction efforts are plagued by serious delays and have not been awarded the priority they so urgently warrant,” the two said. (Dec-20, Reuters)

 

·    UNICEF says that the majority of children in nations hit by the disaster are hopeful about the future, however, Indonesian children appear to be recovering the slowest. More than 1,600 children were surveyed by UNICEF from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India, all of whom had lost a relative or home. One third of children surveyed in Indonesia said that their lives would not improve, versus some 80 percent of children in the other three countries who believed their lives would improve. (Dec-22, AFP).

 

·       In a report, the British-based aid group Oxfam International said that only one-fifth of the some 1.8 million people made homeless by the tsunami disaster will be in permanent homes by the end of this year. The report is entitled: “A Place to Stay, A Place to Live.” In the three worst-affected countries—Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the total need was for 308,000 homes. Oxfam also said that progress has been hindered because the government has been slow to allocate lands for rebuilding and have issued unclear guidelines for exclusion zones where no rebuilding is to take place. (Dec-14, Reuters)

 

·    The non-profit San Francisco-based Fritz Institute, which provides logistic expertise to relief groups, says that almost all of the aid recipients in affected villages are still living in temporary shelters or camps, according to a survey in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. In Indonesia, 100 percent of the respondents still lived in camps or temporary shelters, as did 92 percent in India and 78 percent in Sri Lanka. Rebuilding was slowed by continued flooding in India and by land allocation and building code issues in all three nations. (Dec-6, Reuters)

 

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

 

·    Violence continues in Sri Lanka’s north and east; Insurgency violence continues in southern Thailand;


Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 5

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 5

Overview:

 

The last weapons handed in by former separatist rebels in Aceh province as part of a landmark peace deal have been destroyed by international monitors on Wednesday (December 21).  The weapons were destroyed in a ceremony observed by the head of the foreign-led Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), an Indonesian general and a former rebel commander, signaling a formal end to the weapons handover phase of the agreement.  The former rebels have handed in all of their declared 840 firearms, while the Indonesian military has withdrawn some 20,000 troops from the province, with thousands more set to leave before the end of the month.  Major-General Bambang Darmono, Indonesian armed forces representative, praised the rebels but said the military still disputed the number of eligible weapons that were handed in.  “On behalf of the government of Indonesia, we give our appreciation to the strong efforts of GAM in decommissioning its weapons.  Therefore we have to show our confidence that GAM has already done it completely,” he said.  The government has begun its final phase of troop withdrawals as agreed to, and has pledged to continue despite the dispute over the weapons.  “The decommissioning process is finished.  GAM has surrendered 840 weapons as stated in the Helsinki agreement, and as such, there is no need for further controversy about that,” AMM chief Pieter Feith said.  “It is a sad moment for GAM members to see their weapons destroyed, but we are committed to not using arms as our weapons, but switching to politics,” rebel spokesperson Irwandi Yusuf said.  More than 1,600 troops left Aceh Tuesday (December 20), and about 5,600 are scheduled to leave before the end of the year.  Some 14,700 soldiers and 9,100 police officers are to remain in the province.   

 

UN Chief Recovery Coordinator for Aceh, Eric Morris, says that restoring livelihoods was one of his two priorities for the next year, with the other the building of permanent houses. “I think we really will try to look at 2006 as the year of livelihoods,” Morris said. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

 

Sector Status

Affected Population

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

 

According to latest figures by the BRR, around 192,000 people remain displaced by the disaster. Around 15 percent will have permanent homes by the end of the year. (Dec-16, Reuters)

 

Male survivors reportedly outnumber women by a ratio of 3:1 in some villages. (Dec-14, Reuters)

Coordination

Scientists from the Meteorological and Geophysics Agency (BMG) say that warning buoys off Sumatra will be operational next month. The system will be able to alert officials within 10 minutes of an earthquake. BMG says an effective system for passing the information along the country’s coast still needs to be set up. (Dec-21, AP)

 

The BRR oversees reconstruction.  The agency is headed by former mines and energy minister Kuntoro Mangkusubroto  (May-9, Reuters, BBC)

 

BRR has set up a special trust fund to speed up rebuilding, the Rehabilitation Aceh and Nias (RAN) Trust Fund.  The BRR says that the new plan would cut red tape in disbursing money for projects.  

 

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

The United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) exited its tsunami mission on September 30, 2005. (Sep-28, UNJLC) At the request of the GoI 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 during reconstruction. (Sept-8, UNJLC)

 

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

Food

The World Food Program (WFP) says it will extend its operations in Indonesia through 2007 for 1.2 million people affected by the tsunami in Indonesia. The food agency says it will concentrate on the most vulnerable: children, new mothers, displaced people and the elderly. At the peak of the operation in May, WFP had provided food to some 2.24 million people in 6 countries. (Nov 29, WFP)

 

WFP currently operating three general activities: General Food Distribution (GFD), a School Feeding Program (SFP), and a Maternal Child Nutritional (MCN) program. GFD will only target vulnerable groups over the coming months. However, supplementary feeding activities will increase. SFP expected to reach 340,000 beneficiaries by December. WFP working to expand Mother and Child Nutrition (MCN) program to other districts in order to improve nutritional status of children under 5 and pregnant and lactating mothers. Program expected to assist 180,000 beneficiaries by the end of the year. (Nov-4, WFP)

Water and Sanitation

113,000 people benefit from 1 million liters of water provided by IFRC each day. (Nov-9, IFRC)

Public Health/Medical

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says that it is finding that health indicators have returned to pre-tsunami levels. However, an MSF survey showed that in some locations up to 83.6 percent of those surveyed showed signs of severe emotional distress. (Dec-16, Reuters)

 

IOM handed over the final two satellite health clinics to the District Health Office in Banda Aceh. IOM built 37 clinics in 9 tsunami-affected districts to provide health care to some 45,000 people living in GOI Temporary Living Centers (barracks) as well as thousands of others in nearby communities. (Dec-6, IOM)

 

The 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)

Shelter

IFRC will erect some 20,000 transitional shelters for survivors in Aceh to replace inadequate tents. (Dec-14, IRC)

 

The IFRC has shipped the first of some 20,000 steel-framed temporary shelters into Banda Aceh as part of an effort to get thousands of survivors out of tents. (Dec-6, ARC)

 

BRR head Kuntoro says that the agency was sticking to a target to have some 30,000 houses built by a variety of partners by the end of the year, with 80,000 to be built next year, which is more than the national capacity, according to Kuntoro. Some 16,500 houses have already been built. NGOs were expected to build some 38,000 houses out of the total. He says the BRR plans to have all those living in temporary barracks and tents moved to permanent houses by 2007. Some 67,000 remain in tents and 30,000 live in barracks. 15,000 houses are currently under construction. (Dec-15, Reuters)

Infrastructure

UNDP says that Aceh will soon experience a construction boom that will require another 200,000 workers in mid-2006, while construction in Aceh and Nias could soon reach US$2 billion a year. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

Rebuilding the road that links the coast of Aceh will take until 2009. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

Nearly 1,000 reconstruction projects are underway in Aceh. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

Oxfam reports crops being sown on reclaimed land. It may take 2-5 years before moderately affected land was back to normal. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

Reconstruction work has begun on Aceh’s main tsunami-damaged port. The US$9.8 million dollar reconstruction is scheduled to take less than 6 months. (Dec-13, AFP)

 

UNICEF says it is starting the construction of some 300 primary schools and the rehabilitation of some 200 others, which will serve some 120,000 children. (Nov-30, UNICEF)

 

The Jakarta Post reports that a study by the Aceh Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Appraisal (ARRA) project found that poor coordination has been blamed for the slow reconstruction progress, particularly in housing and economic recovery.  Some of the findings included the housing and clean water sector, where the ARRA found that there was too wide a variety of styles and types of housing, such that people did not know minimum standards set by the BRR.  In the economic recovery sector, the ARRA found that many of the economic recovery programs being offered comprised only partial assistance and was not accompanied by appropriate guidance.  Nearly 600,000 people lost their livelihoods. (Dec-22, Reuters)  

 

GoI says that of an estimated 57,758 hectares (142,700 acres) of devastated land, 20,000 hectares (17,300 acres) has been targeted for rehabilitation for 2005. BRR will rehabilitate 7000 hectares (49,420 acres), while the other 13,000 hectares (142,700 acres) will be rehabilitated by groups such as the ADB, USAID and FAO. (GoI, Sep-26)

 

Disaster destroyed or damaged some 948 miles (1526 kilometers) of roads. (Oct-25, CSM) 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) More than 2,000 schools were damaged or destroyed. (Dec-16, Reuters)

Security

UN Department of Security and Safety (UNDSS) downgraded security phase for Aceh from Phase IV to Phase III as of November 2. (Nov-15, OCHA)

International Financial Assistance

Total funds pledged is: US$6.5 billion. Around US$4.5 billion has been secured, which includes some US$2.5 billion from NGOs. (Dec-14, Reuters) Reuters says that Indonesia will need to spend some US$5-5.5 billion for the long-term recovery of Aceh. (Dec-16, Reuters)

 

World Bank says that reconstruction in Aceh has taken too long, with 180,000 people still in temporary homes. WB data shows the unemployment rate at 27 percent and economic stagnation could push 600,000 below the poverty line, and earning less than a dollar a day within the next 6 to 18 months. (Dec-14, Reuters)

 

Critics say the unprecedented amount of money pledged to Indonesia has helped to slow down the pace of reconstruction. Many critics also say that the money is too much for Indonesia’s needs. (Dec-7, DPA)

 

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)


Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 11

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 11

 

Overview:

 

The Sri Lankan government is condemning the latest attack by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels on two of its navy vessels on a routine patrol off the northwestern coast on Thursday (December 22).  According to Sri Lanka officials, the LTTE rebels disguised as fishermen on ten boats surrounded and opened fire at two naval boats on a routine patrol in the Pallimunai lagoon near Mannar Island, wounding one sailor and abducting another three.  Jayantha Perera, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan navy said, “They [rebels] have taken away three of our soldiers and we presume they have been killed.”  In another incident, six policemen were reportedly wounded in a grenade attack on a security checkpoint in the rebel stronghold of Nallur on the northern Jaffna peninsula.  In a statement, the Sri Lankan government said it strongly condemns the series of provocative attacks on its security forces in recent weeks that are in violation of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).  The officials said that the latest violation of the CFA has been reported to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).  The statement also said that it is regrettable that the LTTE has chosen to totally disregard a statement issued by the Co-Chairs on December 19, 2005, urging the international community to exert maximum pressure on the LTTE for the release of all Security Forces and Police personnel, who have been taken hostage by the rebels.  A recent upsurge in violence in the country’s north and east has threatened to overturn a shaky February 2002 Norwegian-brokered ceasefire.  Earlier this month, two separate attacks on patrols killed at least 14 soldiers, in what is reported to be the deadliest attacks since the truce was signed. According to the BBC, at least 19 soldiers have been killed this month.  Both the government and LTTE have blamed the other for trying to escalate the violence. 

 

International donor countries meeting in Brussels, who are also “co-chairs” of the Sri Lankan peace process, have urged the LTTE to end violence in the country “immediately.” In a statement released Monday (December 19), the donor countries condemned the recent violence in the east and north.  “The co-chairs call on the LTTE to put an immediate end to their ongoing campaign of violence and again urge the LTTE to demonstrate their commitment to the ceasefire agreement and the peace process,” the statement said.   The donors are comprised of the European Union, the US, Japan and Norway.  The group also urged the government to take action against paramilitary groups which the donors say are suspected of working with the Sri Lankan army.  “The co-chairs recognize that activities of paramilitary groups are another of the causes for the deteriorating situation.  They urge the government to ensure that such groups cease their paramilitary activities, as a demonstration of its commitment to a peaceful way forward,” the statement read. 

 

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) Reuters reports that the number displaced is at 516,150. TAFREN says that some 275,000 are living in transitional shelters. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

As of August, 2005, some 800,000 people remain displaced in Sri Lanka by both the island’s long-running civil war and the 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. 

 

 

Coordination

IOM, along with the GoSL National Data Center in Colombo, are carrying out the creation of a centralized database of people affected by the tsunami. The project is expected to cover some 1 million people affected. (Dec-13, IOM)

 

Officials say they hope to use text messages and the mobile phone system as a mobile phone warning system. A pilot project will be launched in the island’s southern coast, and will use text messages to alert police, village chiefs and other officials. Dialog Telekom, a mobile phone operator, says the system could be up and running by mid-2006. About 3.5 million Sri Lankans have mobile phones. The system will also use alarms linked to the network which will trigger sirens in temples, churches and police stations. Officials will control the system from the capital, Colombo. (Nov-14, Reuters)

 

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 database with support from UNDP. The website can be found at: http://dad.tafren.gov.lk. (Sept-2, UNDP)

 

Sri Lankan Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Joint mechanism deal, officially known as the Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS.

 

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.

Logistics

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

 

Food

Oxfam says the August catch for the fishing industry reached nearly 70 percent of the previous year’s. Reuters reports that aid groups have estimated that as little as 10 to 20 percent of fishermen have returned to work along the north coast. Reuters reports that 16,919 boats were damaged or destroyed, or some 74 percent of the fishing fleet. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

The World Food Program (WFP) says it will extend its operations in Sri Lanka through 2007 for some 347,000 people affected by the disaster. WFP says the assistance to tsunami-hit communities will be joined with a larger, ongoing program for people in conflict-affected areas. Assistance will focus on long-term recovery rather than free food distributions. Some 100,000 children under age five, as well as pregnant and new mothers will be provided with supplementary food through mother and child nutrition programs. (Nov-29, WFP)

 

WFP says that from October 1, Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) has replaced General Food Distribution (GFD) which scaled distribution down to 350,000 people. The program will continue until December 31. WFP planning to distribute 17,485 tons of mixed food commodities under VGF. 444 Food For Work (FFW) projects were approved. From October to December, WFP planning to distribute 10,967 mixed food commodities to some 183,000 beneficiaries. School feeding activities involve 397 schools (106,000 children) (Nov-4, WFP)

Water and

Sanitation

IFRC says an estimated 45,000 latrines and 76,000 wells were destroyed or damaged by the tsunami. (Oct-10, IFRC)

 

IFRC says it is producing and distributing over 3 million liters of water a week, which benefits up to 50,000 people in the east of Sri Lanka (Oct-10, IFRC).

 

Public Health

and Medical

Sri Lankan health officials say that the number of patients affected by dysentery and dengue had increased early this week due to heavy rains and flooding in many parts of the country, including tsunami-affected areas. (Dec-7, Xinhua)

 

Shelter

Around 10,000 permanent houses have been built. Some 78,000 in total are needed. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

IFRC says that the GoSl, NGOs, and UN think that it will take a year-and-a-half to three years to construct or repair all housing. The major challenge thus far has been to identify and secure adequate land. About 15,000 permanent houses will be built by IFRC donors, while another 25,000 will be supported by other agencies. As of November 1, IFRC says it has been allocated 43 sites in 10 districts for the construction of 5,517 houses and the construction of over 2,200 homes is underway. (Nov-9, IFRC)

 

UNHCR is pushing ahead with a project to provide transitional shelters for 14,000 people in Ampara district. UNHCR also expected to complete its transitional shelter work in Jaffna with some 1,558 shelters being built, which will accommodate some 8,000 people. UNHCR has supported the GoSL’s Transitional Accommodation Project (TAP) with the provision of over 55,000 shelters at 500 sites nationwide. More than 200,000 people in all should benefit from the program. The UNHCR Shelter Coordinator says that with some 95 percent of transitional shelter needs met, focus is beginning to shift to “care and maintenance” of shelters. UNHCR says it will complete its transitional shelter work by the end of the year. (Oct-25, 26, UNHCR, UNNS) The project was funded by UNDP, UNHCR, IOM and local and international NGOs. 38,600 shelters were constructed in Northern and Eastern districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Jaffna, Killinochchi and Mullativu, while 12,260 have been constructed in the Southern districts of Galle, Kalutara, Hambantota, Colombo and Matara. (Oct-11, Daily News)

 

World Bank in Sri Lanka found about 90,000 homes fully or partially destroyed. (June-2, World Bank)
Infrastructure

According to Reuters, damages have been estimated at US$2.2 billion. Estimated needs for long-term recovery is at US$2.5 billion. The government had earlier estimated that it will cost up to US$1.6 billion to rebuild destroyed or damaged infrastructure. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

The Daily News reported that the GoSL has decided to revise its 100/200 meter buffer zone for reconstruction along the island’s coastal areas. The GoSL Information Department said that under the new set of rules, the buffer will be reduced to a range between 25-55 meters in the south and 50-100 meters in the northeast. Following the disaster, the government declared a 100/200 meters strip of land as a “no build zone,” however, many residents had complained that this would push back those whose livelihoods depended upon being closer to the ocean. (Oct-15, Xinhua)

 

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved US$310 million in donor funding to reconstruct 1,137 kilometers (706 miles) of road and 25 bridges. The Cabinet has also approved the purchase of 100 new passenger train carriages for the Sri Lanka Railway Department. Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority estimates that some 2,425 kilometers (1,507 miles) of coastline out of a total of 2,825 kilometers (1,755 mile) was directly affected by the disaster. (Sept-22, UNOCHA)

 

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) Reuters reports that 65,275 houses were destroyed. (Dec-22, Reuters)

Security

Violence continues in north and east

 

Sri Lanka on October 18 extended the state of emergency in the country which was imposed following the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August. 

International Financial Assistance

According to Reuters, funds pledged for long-term recovery is at some US$3.3 billion, of which some US$2.2 billion has been secured. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

ADB has approved a US$50 million loan to help improve basic urban services and infrastructure facilities in at least 68 towns in Sri Lanka. (Dec-5, ADB)

 

The independent think-tank, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), says that international and local NGOs have wasted aid money and slowed reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka. The IPS recommended the government rein in the number of NGOs which it says is in competition with one another and primarily concerned with grabbing media attention. “Reluctance to cooperate with government institutions and competitive behavior towards others continue to hamper coordination and implementation,” the IPS said. Almost 300 NGOs collected millions of dollars for Sri Lanka following the disaster, according to Agence France-Presse. (Dec-1, AFP)

 

The World Bank says that around 220,000 families affected by the disaster have received up to 3 installments of cash grants worth some US$50 each, with another installment coming soon. The total disbursed by the WB by the end of the year will be US$40 million. Aside from the cash grants, WB has been handing out cash grants for housing, worth some US$2500 for families to repair or rebuild their homes. WB has committed up to US$150 million for the country. (Oct-21, World Bank) Aid groups say 90 percent of working people in affected areas lost their livelihoods. (Dec-22, Reuters)

 

The ADB announced a US$2 million grant from its Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to help restore income for poor families affected by the disaster. ADB estimates more than a third of the 500,000 people affected by the tsunami lost their incomes. (Oct-11, ADB)

 

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on September 12 delayed a hearing on a controversial government deal to share about US$3.2 billion in tsunami aid with the LTTE rebels.  The court is expected to hold the hearing for the aid-sharing deal, formally known as the Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS), on November 22, which falls after the November 21 deadline for the country’s presidential election. 

 

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 17

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 17

 

Overview

 

The UN praised Thailand’s government response to the tsunami disaster, but said that land disputes, housing shortages, rights of migrant workers, recovery of poor communities and other long-term problems must be addressed. “The Royal Thai Government led an effective emergency response, including a massive forensic operation for identifying the bodies of thousands of foreign visitors and Thai citizens…The anniversary of the disaster provides an opportunity for the people and government of Thailand to collectively assess the situation of the affected communities and whether their needs are being fully met,” the UN said in a report. The Thai government has provided more than US$1 billion to more than 442,000 affected people and international aid has totaled US$69 million. Biggest donors are UNICEF, World Vision, UNDP, World Bank and USAID. Loss in tourism-related income is at US$15 million while the fishing industry suffered losses of some US$267.8 million after the tsunami destroyed some 6,000 boats and marine hatcheries, according to the report. (Dec-22, Irrawaddy, Reuters)

 


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 2,436, with another 1,175 of unknown nationality. Number of missing is at 2,817. Of those, 1,924 are Thais. (May 13, UN, Dec-16, Reuters)

 

Number of people affected is at 54,672 people or some 12,068 families in six southern provinces.

 

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) Some 30,000 Burmese workers were registered with the Thai government according to the Irrawaddy. (Irrawaddy, Oct-6)

 

The Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) authority has announced that the first group of some 80 bodies of Myanmar nationals killed in the disaster will be returned to their families by the end of this year, the Bangkok Post reported. Pol Col Khemmarin Hassiri, superintendent of the TTVI’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit, said that he is going to contact the International Organization for Migration and the Law Society of Thailand about the planned return of the bodies, who will then reportedly contact the victim’s families. Khemmarin says that the two organizations have been acting as coordinators between the TTVI and Burmese workers who lost relatives in the disaster. (Dec-2, Bangkok Post)

 

The Thailand Tsunami Victims Identification Centre (TTVIC) in Phuket will be moved to the Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok, TTVIC chief Police General Noppadol Somboonsab said. Some 805 bodies remain unclaimed, including some 548 Thais. The bodies will be transferred from Mai Khao morgue in Phuket to Bang Maruan morgue in Phang Nga. According to The Nation, most bodies have been processed by disaster victim identification (DVI) officials and the information will be available for later identification so relatives can claim the bodies. Most of the international teams are due to leave Thailand after helping to identify some 2,945 bodies since the disaster. Nearly 2,000 experts from 31 nations have been involved with the TTVIC. (Dec-13, 14, The Nation, Reuters)

Coordination

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry and the UNDP on October 28 launched a website, “Thailand’s Development Assistance Database” (DAD) that tracks international assistance to Thailand. The site was created to avoid redundancy and provides systematic and accurate information for resources tracking and reporting of technical projects and activities. Donors will also be able to update their projects online. The website can be found at: http://dadthailand.mfa.go.th. As of October 28, more than US$120 million has come in and 165 projects are under way in 10 Thai provinces. The head of the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency’s (TICA) humanitarian relief and assistance coordination task force, Manoth Suksabjarern, says that the system will serve as a prototype for other tsunami-affected countries including Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives. (Oct-31, The Nation)

 

Thai Ministers Jarusombat and Liptapanplop are responsible for victim assistance in Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket, and Minister Krea-ngam will oversee disbursement of compensation funds. Minister Vejjajiva, from the Prime Minister’s Office, has been assigned overall responsibility for the country’s disaster alert system. (Sept-9, UNNCTT)

 

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 Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva on October 12 announced that the construction of the tsunami warning system is in progress and that 24 warning towers will be completed by the first anniversary of the disaster, on December 26. Suranand says that the government plans to build 62 warning towers, of which four will come under the responsibility of Phuket’s local officials. The warning towers will be linked to 12 warning stations and will be overseen by the Ministry of Interior and cost Bt38 million (US$929,000). Maps and signs showing tsunami escape trails will be finished by November 15. (Oct-13, The Nation)

 

The Thai government says it has a working tsunami early warning system in cooperation with the US and other neighboring countries. Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon says the GOT has been working closely with neighboring countries and the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. “We have an early warning center in Thailand. We will continue to upgrade that center. We are coordinating with our neighboring countries and also the center in Hawaii,” he said. (Nov-7, AFP)

 

Phuket launched a Thai-English language website (www.phuketremembers.com) to commemorate the disaster and keep people updated on the progress and activities to mark the first anniversary from December 25-27. (Oct-18, The Nation)

 

Thailand plans to subsidize hotel rooms and flights for thousands of relatives of foreign victims who plan to attend anniversary memorials of the disaster. According to Reuters, Bangkok said it would pay for flights to the country for the next of kin of some 2,000 foreign victims as well as two nights of hotel accommodations. Tourists who were hospitalized as a result of the disaster will be invited to attend memorials, but will not receive reimbursements for their travel. Details can be found at the Thai Foreign Ministry website at www.mfa.go.th/tsunami. (Nov-3, Reuters) According to AFP, GOT plans to spend up to US$12 million on events and accommodation and expects at least 2,000 foreigners and 4,000 Thais to attend commemorations along 6 beaches at the first anniversary of the December 26 disaster. (Nov-7, AFP)

Logistics

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

Food

The number of fishermen given aid to replace or repair boats is around 24,486. (Dec-16, Reuters)

Water/Sanitation

UNICEF supporting some 800 schools in all 6 tsunami-affected provinces for water supply improvements. (Dec-1, UNICEF)

Public Health/Medical

Mental Health Department says there are some 18,509 people who need mental health rehabilitation. (Dec-16, Reuters) Mental Health Recovery Center in Phangnga says that it has provided counseling to 18,356 villagers in 6 coastal provinces. The counseling service would be provided until 2008. (Nov-7, Bangkok Post)

Shelter

Some 2,685 homes were completed by November out of a government target of some 3,349 houses. (Dec-22, Reuters)

According to Reuters, only some 2,900 people are in temporary shelters, down from 7,000 in June. About 6,799 homes and properties were destroyed. Number of new homes completed is at 1,907. (Dec-16, Reuters)

Infrastructure

According to a study by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, damage and losses caused by the tsunami in Thailand are at some US$2.05 billion. Losses to the tourism industry amount to around US$971 million, Reuters reports. Of the 70 billion baht (US$1.7 billion) spent so far on humanitarian aid and reconstruction, 59 billion baht was in soft loans to large and small businesses. (Dec-16 and 22, Reuters)

 

Phangnga province is reportedly building 4 warning towers in Takua Pa and Kuraburi districts which will be completed before the government’s warning towers are ready for use. The budget to build the warning towers comes from private funds and community organizations. They are expected to be finished in two months. (Sep-30, TNA)

Security

Thailand on October 18 extended a controversial emergency decree in the restive south. The emergency law, which was declared on July 20 and replaced martial law that was declared shortly after a renewed insurgency began in the region early last year, is renewable every three months. Over 1,000 people, including Muslim and Buddhist civilians and security forces, have been killed in the region since last year. Insurgency violence continues in southernmost provinces (Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani, and Songkhla). Military declared martial law in Songkhla districts of Chana and Thepha on November 3. (Nov-3, Bangkok Post)

 

The US, Britain and Australia have issued travel warnings to its citizens, advising against non-essential travel to the south.

International Financial Assistance

The 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)