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

 

January 7, 2005

 

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

 

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-5

Indonesia.....................................page 6-15

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

Thailand.......................................page 24-35

Overview

 

·     Search and rescue operations for last month’s (December 26) massive tsunamis are largely over. The tsunamis were triggered by an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra Island and killed more than 150,000 people along the coastal areas of some 11 countries in the Indian Ocean. The fate of nearly one million people along the western coast of Indonesia’s Aceh remains unknown. The overall focus of attention is now quickly shifting to relief and recovery efforts. Tsunami-related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. The loss of life has been particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. According to the Indonesian Health Ministry, the death toll has now climbed to 98,489, with the possibility of well over 100,000 in the northern province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra and along the 115 miles of the islands along Indonesia’s northwestern coast, which is close to the epicenter of the earthquake. WHO estimates 80 percent of Aceh’s west coast has been damaged. UN officials think the number of people dead and affected by the disaster in Indonesia could significantly climb once authorities were able to assess all hard to reach areas. The death toll in Sri Lanka and India has also climbed to in excess of 30,000 and 9,995 deaths respectively. India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as the southern state of Tamil Nadu, have been the worst hit areas. The death toll in Thailand’s resort islands of Phuket and Phi Phi has now climbed to 5,291, including some 2,500 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have also been reported in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. UNICEF officials say the health situation in India’s worst-hit district of Nagapattinam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu is “decent.” An adequate supply of clean drinking water has prevented the outbreak of an epidemic. (Jan-7, AFP, AP, NDM India)

 

·     Indian officials are saying they are considering accepting foreign reconstruction assistance to rebuild tsunami-devastated areas along the southern coast. Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said today that the massive scale of disaster had made India consider foreign aid in dealing with the long-term rebuilding and rehabilitation. He said India has been wrongfully accused of adopting an isolationist stand and of not accepting international aid. Damage from the tsunami disaster in India is estimated to climb to over US$2 billion, with US$1.6 billion on the mainland and another US$600 million on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

 

·     The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is the first international organization that has been allowed by the Indian government to begin operating in the Andaman Islands. UNICEF is vaccinating children against measles on the island of Car Nicobar. Other international aid groups, including MSF, are still waiting for the Indian government’s approval.

 

·     The United States has designated Thailand’s Utapao Royal Thai Naval Air Force Base near Sattahip city in Chonburi province as its hub to coordinate relief efforts for countries affected by last week’s tsunamis. The US has already deployed its surveillance aircraft, helicopters and C-130 planes to Utapao along with 350 officials who will coordinate with Thailand’s 536 Task Force, under the command of Marine Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman.

 

·     The United Nations (UN) has accepted Singapore’s offer to set up a UN Regional Coordination Center there to coordinate relief efforts to affected areas. According to Singapore’s foreign ministry officials, Singapore would provide its Air and Naval bases, the use of its aircraft and helicopter carriers as well as dedicated administration, secretariat, command, control & communication, and media support center for the UN Regional Coordination Center. Singapore has also waived charges for handling of relief supplies at its ports. Singapore’s Paya Lebar Air Base and Changi Naval Base in the southeast are capable of taking largest transport aircraft and aircraft and helicopter carriers respectively. (Jan-03, Xinhua, JP, AP)

 

·     UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today (January 6) launched a “flash appeal” for nearly US$1 billion (US$977 million) to fund emergency relief for countries affected by last month’s tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The appeal covers a six-month period for humanitarian emergency needs of an estimated 5 million people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles and Somalia. The appeal is the largest in response to a natural disaster in the United Nations’ 60 years of existence. Annan stressed that billions of dollars pledged by foreign governments, corporations and private individuals were needed now and pledges needed to be converted into cash quickly. (AFP, AP, UNNC, CNN)

 

·     United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in Geneva has called for a ministerial level meeting next Tuesday’s (January 11) to discuss tsunami disaster. OCHA has sent out invitations to all permanent missions to the UN in Geneva.

 

·     The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) head Jan Egeland says pledges exceed US$2 billion; Secretary-General Kofi Annan says it may take ten years and cost tens of billions of dollars to reconstruct devastated areas. Annan said he is concerned that some of the US$2 billion pledges may never materialize. Germany and Australia are expected to significantly increase their aid contribution. Australia plans to announce a US$385 million aid package for Indonesia to restore infrastructure. According to unconfirmed reports, Germany is considering upping its pledge to US$665 million (500 million Euros). (Jan-04, AP, Reuters, AFP)

 

·     The US Secretary of State Colin Powell is saying that he is hopeful that the tsunami crisis might bring reconciliation among warring parties in both Indonesia’s restive Aceh province and Sri Lanka’s Jaffna peninsula and the eastern region. Last week, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged both government and rebel groups in Indonesia and Sri Lanka to work together to help their people overcome the crisis.

 

·     Britain is the latest country to join the call for a debt moratorium for countries affected by last week’s tsunami disaster. European countries led by Germany and France had earlier called for debt relief for the worst-affected countries. British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, is saying a repayment freeze could total as much as US$5.7 billion a year for the affected countries. He said the debt freeze will be offered as part of a broader package of emergency aid and reconstruction funds to severely hit countries that would include Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Paris Club members will discuss the proposal at its meeting on January 12. Italy has issued a similar appeal to G8 nations. Last week, Canada placed a unilateral debt moratorium for affected nations with immediate effect. (Jan-05, AP, BBC)

 

·     US Secretary of State Colin Powell told a news briefing in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta that the “core group” formed by the United States in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami disaster to “catalyze” the international response will fold itself into the broader coordination efforts of the United Nations. US President George W Bush on Wednesday (December 29) announced the creation of a “core group” comprising the United States, India, Australia and Japan to help mobilize and coordinate response efforts. (Jan-6, AFP, Reuters, CNN)

 

·     World Health Organization (WHO) officials in South Asia estimate as many as five million people have been displaced and are at risk across the region. In Indonesia alone an estimated 1 million people are either displaced or homeless. However, at this stage of the crisis the actual extent of both those affected and those displaced remains unclear. Many are in temporary camps or sites close to their homes; the West coast of Indonesia’s Aceh, which was the area closest to the epicenter, has yet to be assessed.

 

·     WHO says an estimated 500,000 people believed to have been injured in the tsunami disaster. Officials are warning of a “health disaster” if the survivors were not given quick access to clean drinking water. There have been some reports of diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia and skin infections in Indonesia. However, so far there have been no reports of disease outbreaks. The threat of a pneumonia outbreak remains very high as ingestion of contaminated water, combined with overcrowded camps, provides ideal conditions for the spread of this potentially fatal respiratory illness. WHO is seeking US$60 million for the next six months to overcome the threats of water-borne and respiratory diseases. (Jan-4, AFP, Reuters)

 

·     UN experts are warning of possible epidemics within days if health systems are not brought up to speed. According to the UN, water, sanitation, food, shelter and medical teams with supplies are priority sectors to stem any disease outbreaks. Due to the contamination of drinking water sources and stagnant water, the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, malaria and dengue fever, remains very high. Food and medicine in many areas are in short supply. Health experts at the UN and International Committee of the Red Cross warn of significant number of additional deaths due to possible outbreaks of disease. The risk of malaria is significantly high due to warm temperatures. Sri Lanka is particularly vulnerable to malaria due to the recent monsoon season as standing water provides ideal conditions for mosquito breeding. (Dec-30, UN News Service, PBS)

 

·     WHO is encouraging setting up smaller-sized camps for displaced survivors. WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-Wook is saying smaller camp sizes would lessen the risk of disease outbreaks, such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid, that can otherwise spread easily when people are packed in together.

 

·     A number of logistical problems remain despite some progress. Although main roads are now accessible in most affected districts in Sri Lanka, except Batticaloa, transport capacity is insufficient to move relief supplies inland. Distribution mechanisms remain weak. The Sri Lankan government, in conjunction with the United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC), is reportedly addressing these problems. In Indonesia, backlogs at Banda Aceh airport and nearby Medan airport due to shortage of loading and unloading equipment and resulting congestion in North Sumatra Province, are diminishing with the opening of airport facilities in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. A tracking system for the relief shipments is still in the works. Problems reportedly still persist with customs clearance as officials are not fully aware of the government’s simplified new procedure. Civil-military cooperation remains weak. The UNJLC is sending a liaison officer to USPACOM in Honolulu to improve coordination and communication with the US military. There have been no reports of pending logistical issues from Thailand.

 

·     The US military is doubling its helicopter fleet from 46 to over 90 in an effort to speed up tsunami relief operations for tsunami-stricken nations in the Indian Ocean. Admiral Thomas Fargo, Commander of the US forces in the Pacific, said yesterday that the additional helicopters would come from US military assets in South Korea and Guam.

 

·     The Australian Defense Forces are establishing their strategic air hub at the military facility in Butterworth, Malaysia. This will take some pressure off the airports of Medan and Banda Aceh. (Jan-7, UNJLC)

 

·     British Airways has offered UNICEF the use of a 747 freighter for ten rotations. The aircraft leaves from Billund (Denmark), but might be able to pick up goods in Brindisi and Dubai. Destinations are Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Subang (Malaysia), depending on demand. The first flight will take place on January 19. Other agencies are invited to inform UNICEF of their requirements for cargo movement.

 

·     The Subang Humanitarian Air Hub (SHAH) has been operational since yesterday (January 6). UNJLC recommends all international relief flights land in Subang and then further dispatch the cargo by smaller aircraft to Banda Aceh and Medan.

 

·     Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs is saying at least 1.6 million people affected by the disaster are in need of food aid.

 

·     United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is seeking US$80 million in urgent humanitarian aid for an estimated 1.5 million children in the region. The appeal is part of a UN flash appeal to be launched this Thursday (January 6).

 

·     International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a consolidated appeal for US$59 million for the crisis.

 

·     In an unprecedented call by a non-government organization (NGO), the Nobel-prize winning international medical relief group, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said today (January 4) that it had collected US$54 million in donations since last Sunday’s (December 26) tsunami disaster, adding that the organization had enough funds to assist millions of affected people in South Asia. MSF is urging donors to redirect funding to those crises that have slipped from public attention.

 

·     German insurance giant Munich Re estimates the cost of damage to buildings and foundations in the affected regions to exceed US$13.6 billion.

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview………………………………………………………...page 7

 

Domestic Response……………………………………………page 10

         Government                                             

         Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response……………………………………….page 11

         Foreign Governments

         United Nations

         International Humanitarian Organizations

Indonesia Overview

 

The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs said today that some 544,927 people were displaced from the disaster. Aid organizations have been saying that they believe the numbers of displaced are much higher. Early estimates say that perhaps some 1 million are affected or displaced and in need of immediate relief. The official death toll for Indonesia has risen to 98,489. Indonesian military (TNI) spokesperson Ahmad Yani Basuki says that bodies being recovered in and around Meulaboh, had pushed the death toll up another 4,289. Officials in recent days have discovered more bodies in villages around Meulaboh that have only just been reached for the first time, according to the Associated Press. The Ministry of Social Affairs says that more than 15,000 people are still missing in Aceh and that 2,086 people were in hospitals. The Indonesian Ministry of Health says that the majority of the deaths are mostly from Aceh province, with some 240 from adjacent North Sumatra province. Hardest hit Aceh province (population estimated at 4.1 million), at the northern end of Sumatra Island, was only 93 miles (150 kilometers) from the earthquake’s epicenter. Worst hit areas in Aceh include the capital, Banda Aceh, at the very northern tip, and the northwest coast, a stretch of about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southeast from Banda Aceh. The 1999 population for the very northern tip of Sumatra around Banda Aceh was about 500,000. There were another 500,000 in the Aceh Barat region, including the city of Meulaboh on the northern part of the west coast and an additional 500,000 in the Aceh Selatan region, including the city of Tapaktuan, along the southern portion of Aceh Province’s west coast.

 

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited Meulaboh today, accompanied by World Bank (WB) president James Wolfensohn. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato, who was also accompanying the two, said that the IMF is considering a request from the Indonesian government for some US$250 million. “I have never seen such utter destruction mile after mile. You wonder where are the people? What has happened to them?,” Annan told reporters. Annan’s comment underscores the fact that many small, isolated communities have yet to be reached by the relief effort. In many places, the status of populations is simply unknown because assessments have not yet taken place and because in a still chaotic situation in some affected areas, such information may be difficult to acquire.

 

Indonesian Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says that dozens of relief camps should be operational within a week on Sumatra Island. There was no immediate information on the numbers of camps or other details. Shihab says that the government would focus on repairing the island’s earthquake-ruined water system to move beyond “stopgap” means of water purification. Many of the mosques that are still standing are being used as refugee camps and emergency health clinics. They were reportedly some of the first places people ran to seek shelter when the earthquake and tsunamis hit.

 

Earlier this week, the government of Indonesia said it had begun laying the groundwork for four camps around Banda Aceh. The UN plans to provide tents and equipment for up to 500,000. There are an estimated 1 million left homeless in the area. Camps that have already been set up are overcrowded and lack proper facilities. Around 150 small makeshift camps have sprung up around Aceh, reports say.

 

The National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) estimates that 82 percent of the roads have been destroyed in Aceh. Less than 1 percent of the sanitation infrastructure is working, 80 percent of electricity infrastructure is destroyed and some 79,000 phone lines damaged. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says that the main road between Medan to Meulaboh is open for land transport, but an assessment may be needed as the security situation is not known. The ports of Belawan in Medan and Lhokseumawe in east Aceh province are the nearest operational ports for the transport of relief supplies.

 

UNHCR says it took part in the assessment of island of Simeulue, located off western coast of Aceh. The assessment mission was told that a relatively small number of islanders were killed. Several thousand were displaced, out of total population of some 79,000.

 

Officials in Meulaboh say they desperately need more tents for survivors. West Aceh military commander, Col. Geerhan Lantara, says that officials only had 50 tents and needed at least 1,000. He added that psychologists were also needed for traumatized victims.

 

Indonesia’s National Coordination Board for Disaster Management (Bakornas) says that the following are urgently needed: Oxygen, baby food, medical teams and supplies (including minor surgery sets, suction equipment, bronchoscopes, measles and anti-tetanus vaccines), as well as emergency tents, health post establishments, women’s sanitary kits, generator sets and communication items. Most flights to Banda Aceh originate from Medan on the east coast of North Sumatra province with some coming directly from Jakarta. Medan is closer to some of the devastated west coast areas than Banda Aceh.

 

US continuing to fly daily missions to isolated areas along the coast, dropping off aid and returning with the sick or wounded. The US military says it would double the number of aid deliveries by Friday (January 7) as more helicopters arrive. Marine Col. Dave Kelley, chief of US Support Group-Indonesia, which is based at the Banda Aceh airport, says that he is trying to increase the facility’s capacity and was searching for other landing fields. With ships arriving from a Marine strike group to join the USS Abraham Lincoln the number of operational helicopters should double from around 10 to 20. Crews report that pockets of survivors are still being found.

 

There are reports that some injured survivors have been making it into Banda Aceh on their own seeking help. Earlier this week, US Navy Capt. David Lausman, the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln’s executive officer, said that Indonesian military and civilian officials were directing US crews to the villages that needed the most help. He says that survivors were beginning to “coalesce into makeshift refugee camps” and were organizing themselves in the unloading of aid, which is in contrast to earlier trips when villagers mobbed helicopters. Aid workers say that many more survivors along Sumatra’s isolated west coast were still cut off from most of the relief effort, with destroyed bridges and roads still perhaps some weeks away from being rebuilt. In some of the hardest hit areas in remote locations, Jan Egeland, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, says that the death toll would likely reach “tens of thousands of further deaths.” According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), US helicopters from the Lincoln flew at least some 150 sorties this week to isolated west coast areas and also brought out over 150 injured.

 

The main hospital in Banda Aceh, Zanoel Adidin general hospital, partially reopened on Thursday, January 6, with the emergency ward reported to be operating again. The hospital had been severely damaged when the tsunami hit. A spokesperson for the hospital says they hope to open other wards in the coming days with the help of the Red Cross. People were reportedly being treated in makeshift wards outside the main building.

 

Jamie McGoldrick, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says that the amount of aid flowing into areas was having a “positive impact” and bottlenecks were starting to clear up. He says that an early UN focus on the threat of cholera, typhoid and dysentery has helped to prevent a major outbreak, although the incidence of diarrhea has increased in some areas. However, health officials continue to warn that if basic needs, particularly access to clean drinking water, are not restored by the end of this week, there may be a risk of infectious disease outbreaks. WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-wook, said that WHO estimates that as “as many as 150,000 people are at extreme risk, if a major disease outbreak in the affected areas occurs.” Dr. Ronald Waldman, who is coordinating WHO efforts in Indonesia, reiterated earlier reports that in many of the injured, some superficial wounds were becoming infected. More people are reportedly being treated for infections than anything else. Measles also reportedly is considered a threat and UNICEF says that it will start mass vaccinations in the area soon.

 

Some doctors have expressed concerns of a possible malaria outbreak, as ideal breeding conditions for the disease were already bad in Aceh before the disaster. At least three of Aceh’s five hospitals are working, however shortages of beds have been reported, US officials say. The AP reports that small clinics are opening across Banda Aceh as well.

 

On Thursday (January 6), the United Nations launched a Flash Appeal at the international tsunami conference in Jakarta. For Indonesia, some US$371,554,203 has been appealed for various sectors. Sectors to be funded include: Water and Sanitation, Agriculture, Coordination and Support Services, Economic Recovery and Infrastructure, Education, Family Shelter and Non-Food Items, Food, Health, Multi-Sector, Protection/Human Rights/Rule of Law, and Security. Indonesia has said it needs some US$2.15 billion dollars, double previous estimates, over the next five years to rebuild Aceh province.

A potential obstacle to the major relief efforts underway in Aceh is the province’s decades old insurgency. Before the earthquake/tsunami disaster, the province was under a civil state of emergency, one level below martial law, as the military (TNI) continued operations to defeat the separatist Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdaka, or GAM). Some 13,000 people have died since the GAM began its fight for independence in 1976. Jakarta had launched a major offensive in Aceh in May 2003 after peace talks with the rebels fell through.  In May 2004, martial law in the province was downgraded to a state of civil emergency and extended for another 6 months in November 2004, even as sporadic clashes continued.  Both the Indonesian government and GAM had declared unilateral ceasefires soon after the disaster occurred. However, the Indonesian military (TNI) and media has reported some small, sporadic clashes in a few areas. Both sides accuse each other for sparking the fighting. The administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Andrew Natsios, says that he knew of at least one supply convoy that had been interrupted by the conflict. However, some aid workers say they do not feel threatened by the GAM, as the rebels only appear to target the TNI. No new reports of clashes between GAM separatist rebels and TNI on Friday (January 7).

 

AP reports that some aid officials were reviewing their security situation after the arrival in Aceh of some members of the Laskar Mujahidin militant group, which has been blamed by many for adding to the violence in sectarian fighting in Indonesia’s eastern Maluku (Moluccas) islands roughly between 1999 and 2001. The group’s leader says that they are not there to fight, but to provide assistance. The Indonesian military (TNI) also said it did not view the group as a threat. An unnamed US official says that American forces helping the relief effort were aware of the group’s presence.

 

Armed guards have been posted at the UN compound recently set up on a tennis court in a neighborhood in Banda Aceh, however, UN officials say they are part of normal security operations for aid operations. The AP reports that Australian and South Korean officials were aware of security threats in the region and were reportedly taking precautions.

 

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·      Government of Indonesia has tasked the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) with the development of an initial reconstruction plan for Aceh in time for Consultative Group on Indonesia donor meetings scheduled for January 19 through 21. (Jan-06, USAID)

 

·      Disaster Management Centre being set up in Jakarta by Indonesian government to coordinate relief actions of all national and international actors. (Jan-5, UNJLC)

 

·      A convoy of trucks from the Indonesian military (TNI) has been provided to WFP and has left Medan for Singkill. From Singkill, the food aid is ferried to offshore islands. (Jan-5, UNJLC)

 

·      The Indonesian military (TNI) has some 20,000 troops on Sumatra for the relief effort. (Jan-4, AP)

 

·      The Indonesian military (TNI) is repairing a bridge and immediate road access down the west coast of the province. (Jan 3, IFRC)

 

·      Indonesian police have deployed around 800 officers to Aceh province to fill the posts of some 450 killed in the disaster, the Antara news agency reports. On December 31, the Indonesian Defense Force said that some 517 soldiers had been killed in Aceh from the disaster.

 

·      The National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Relief and Refugees (BAKORNAS) will handle GOI agencies in the relief effort, while MEKOKESRA will handle international assistance. (December 30, US Consulate Medan)

 

·      There is an Indonesian disaster response command center in Medan near the airport. (Dec 30, US Consulate Medan)

 

·      The Indonesia government has laid out three-phase plan: Emergency measures through January 2005 followed by rehabilitation through February 2006 and reconstruction, also through February 2006. (Dec 30, Indonesian Mission to UN)

 

Local Organizations

 

 

 

 

·      Two Jakarta-based aid organizations, the Humanitarian Emergency Commission and the Aceh Working Group (AWG) have said that government red tape was hampering their relief efforts. (Jan-6, Jakarta Post)

 

 

 

 

 

International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

·      Singapore on Friday (January 7) sent a mobile air traffic control (MATC) tower to Banda Aceh’s airport, following request by Indonesia. Singapore currently has 6 helicopters and 2 helicopter landing ships in Indonesia. (Jan-7, Xinhua)

 

·      USAID/DART members in Medan attended meeting on January 6, coordinated by AusAid and the Civil Military Aid Committee at the request of the TNI. Group organizing process for aid groups to apply for military transport. Australians, Singaporeans, US and UN will jointly prioritize requests and then forward to TNI and Medan governor who will make decision. Two USAID/DART members are stationed at Banda Aceh airport and working with the UNJLC and UNDAC team to coordinate transportation of relief. (Jan-7, USAID)

 

·      US Navy Surgical Team 5 conducted a rapid needs assessment of Meulaboh hospital on January 5. Says no cases of cholera, malaria, dengue reported. Hospital operational but needs more supplies. (Jan-7, USAID)

 

·      Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi says Malaysia would help pay for the education of some 38,000 children orphaned by the disaster. (Jan-7, AFP)

 

·      Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill said that the number of Australian Defence Force personnel in Indonesian region is over 460, and will increase by another 400 with arrival of the HMAS Kanimbla. Australia also will send public health team and plastic water bottles for in and around Banda Aceh as per request of Indonesian government. (Jan-7, GoA)

 

·      New Zealand has 1 C-130 Hercules cargo plane and crew, and some 30 medical staff in Indonesia. (Jan-7, GoA)

 

·      Singapore Armed Forces have set up a field hospital in Banda Aceh, which currently houses some 3,000 displaced. Medical personnel say they see some 120 patients a day. (Jan-7, ChannelNews Asia)

 

·      Singapore proposes that the WHO set up a site office in Singapore for its operations in the region. Singapore Armed Forces planning to build permanent jetty at Meulaboh to help facilitate aid delivery. (Jan-6, Channel News Asia)

 

·      Advance team of Japan’s Self Defense Forces (SDF) began a survey of medical conditions in Banda Aceh. An additional 40 members as well as relief supplies headed towards region. Japan set to send more than 800 SDF members eventually. (Jan-6, Kyodo)

 

·      Pakistan sent two C-130s and batch of troops carrying 2 tons of medicines to Banda Aceh. Troops will set up a 50-bed hospital in the area. (Jan-6, DPA)

 

·      European Commission (EC) contributions:

·      Belgium has sent relief materials.

·      Czech Republic has sent medical supplies and body bags.

·      Germany and France have sent additional experts on site.

·      France has sent a field hospital.

·      Denmark is supplying a field hospital and relief team.

·      Estonia has sent a medical team (thanks to transportation by the Netherlands).

·      Norway has made two C-130 Hercules military transport planes available to the Norwegian Red Cross and UN in a logistics support operation.

·      Through the International Humanitarian Partnership, transportation, accommodation and telecommunication assistance has been made available.

·      Portugal will send medical supplies, a field hospital and a medical team in order to set up an epidemiological monitoring system. (Jan-5, European Commission)

 

·      The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group (includes four other ships and some 6,500 sailors and Marines) had arrived off Sumatra over the weekend (Saturday, January 1). However, as of Monday (January 3), it was reported that Jakarta is only allowing permission for US pilots to fly as far south as Meulaboh. US airlift operations are continuing to be flown out of Utapao, a base in Thailand from the Vietnam War era.

 

·      Meanwhile, the USS Bonhomme Richard and two other warships carrying a Marine expeditionary unit of some 2,200 Marines arrived in the area to join in relief operations. The Bonhomme Richard has at least 29 heavy- and medium-lift helicopters, along with three landing craft with the capability to launch people or equipment ashore virtually any kind of beach. Force also has 60-plus strong medical staff that can man four operating rooms, with a ward capacity for 60 patients.

 

·      Malaysia has opened up its airspace and two airports to UN and US relief operations. The UN’s World Food Program would use an airport in Sabang, located outside Kuala Lumpur, while the US has been permitted to use the Langkawi International Airport in the north to send aid to Aceh.

 

 

United Nations

 

 

·      Flights from UNHCR’s emergency airlift begin arriving in Jakarta. A cargo plane carrying some 100 tons of relief supplies arrived from UNHCR’s central warehouse in Copenhagen. (Jan-6, UNHCR)

 

·      World Food Program (WFP) says it is mobilizing helicopters and hovercraft to overcome rough terrain. WFP says it is setting up a logistics center in Bangkok to coordinate food deliveries. (Jan-5, Reuters)

 

·      UN Development Programme (UNDP) says it has begun to support national authorities in recovery planning. (Jan-5, UNDP)

 

·      World Health Organization (WHO) says that it is providing guidance to national authorities and other NGOs to ensure rapid recovery and rehabilitation of public health services. WHO is appealing for US$60 million to address public health needs. (Jan-5, WHO)

 

·      UNICEF says it has begun registering thousands of orphans in Aceh to protect them from human traffickers. UNICEF also working with Indonesia’s government to set up child centers to help reunite children separated from their families. Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, says that it is unclear if trafficking is occurring on a large scale, but “we are trying to prevent it.” Indonesian government says that as many as 13,000 children may have been orphaned.

 

·      UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) says it is working with overall UN coordination system to prepare emergency and reconstruction proposals. (Jan-5, UN-HABITAT)

 

·      WFP and UNHCR will begin two-day helicopter assessment of west coast of Sumatra. UNHCR will focus on providing shelter particularly to regions in the west. (Jan-4, UNHCR)

 

·      The UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC), which is setting up operations in Jakarta, said the UN was likely to request for more military help, particularly helicopters for Indonesia. The UNJLC says it will need 5 air traffic control units, fixed wing aircraft capable of short take-off and landing, 100 boats or landing craft and large cargo aircraft and fuel storage units. UNJLC adds in a report today that pirates remain a concern off the west coast.

 

·      The UN Disaster Management Team in Banda Aceh is continuing to coordinate relief activities among humanitarian agencies as well as information sharing. (Jan 3, IFRC)

 

 

 

International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

·      Dublin-based GOAL organization says expects to have at least 60 staff in region by end of week. (Jan-7, GOAL)

 

·      The Australian Red Cross, among other relief, deployed 6 Emergency Response Unit’s (ERU’s) in Indonesia (2 Basic health care, 2 Water and sanitation, 1 Telecommunications and 1 Logistics). (Jan-6, Aus Red Cross)

 

·      Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) has been providing medical services since December 28. They are currently posted at Iskandar Muda Military Hospital in Banda Aceh. (Jan-6, AMDA)

 

·      Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAP) says has positioned aircraft in Sibolga at request of Indonesian Air Force where there are some 40 tons of supplies awaiting distribution. From the site and a second airstrip in Meulaboh, MAF will serve islands of Nias and Simuelue off the west coast of Sumatra. (Jan-6, MAF)

 

·      CARE International says it is running 14 survivor camps in Aceh province. (Jan 3, Reuters)

 

·      International Organization for Migration (IOM) technical team based in Jakarta’s Halim military airport to facilitate the loading of relief goods coming in from donors. (Jan-5, UNOCHA)

 

·      IOM started to assist displaced leaving Aceh for Medan and Jakarta. IOM has about 100 trucks shuttling between Medan and Banda Aceh. The logistical base in Medan is providing a logistical base for relief arriving from around the world. IOM Medan is working out of the offices of the BAKORNAS Indonesian disaster management agency. IOM’s Banda Aceh office reported largely undamaged. (Jan-5, UNJLC)

 

·      Field Assessment and Coordination Teams (FACT) from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are active in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. IFRC delegates from Britain, Australia, Spain and Iceland, Japan and Denmark are present in Medan, Meulaboh, and Banda Aceh. These delegates are working in conjunction with Indonesian Red Cross to train and mobilize local volunteers.

 

·      WHO reports 50 international aid groups arrived in Aceh to provide medical care on Sunday (January 2). WHO says will attempt to organize all groups and provide coordination. (Jan 2, AFP)

 

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview………………………………………………….page 17

 

Domestic Response…………………………………….page 18

         Government

         Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response…………………………………page 19

         Foreign Governments

         United Nations

         International Humanitarian Organizations

 

 

Sri Lanka Overview

 

Unprecedented international relief, along with debt relief from China and Britain, continued to flow into Sri Lanka, with relief workers trying to get much-needed aid to affected areas. All totaled, Sri Lankan officials estimated that more than 100,000 houses and 26 schools were destroyed, with the confirmed death toll at 30,718, spread over 14 coastal and inland districts (out of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts). ReliefWeb reported on January 3 that 700,000 people in Sri Lanka were in immediate need of food, and of the 30,000 plus reported killed, nearly 12,000 of them are children.

 

Yesterday (January 6), the United Nations and its partners launched a flash appeal to respond to the urgent and immediate needs of the communities severely affected by the tsunami. This flash appeal calls for a total of US$977 million, with a total of US$166,936,146 for Sri Lanka. The bulk of this amount will be for economic recovery and infrastructure (US$48,960,475), with large amounts going to the areas of health and water and sanitation (US$28.6 and $24.7 million respectively). The Sri Lankan Central Bank announced on Wednesday (January 5) that Sri Lanka had sustained an estimated US$1.3 billion in damage.

 

The Sri Lankan Center for National Operations (CNO) reports today (January 7) that the management of camps, established to temporarily house internally displaced persons, has now been streamlined with the support of the military. The military will help with camp management, and help in maintaining a safe and secure environment within each camp. The staff responsibility of the camps lies with the Government Agents of each district. Also, special healthcare, nutrition, sanitation programs have been developed, with guidelines for all camps. Support has been obtained from humanitarian and other relevant agencies to provide clean drinking water to initiate a new waste disposal system and to ensure proper sanitation.

 

The UN reported on January 6 that there has been a 30% reduction in the numbers of IDPs (from 835,028 to 572,578) due to their returning home. This trend is continuing, confirmed by a report today by the Sri Lankan Center for National Operations (CNO). The report states that there was again an overall drop in the total number of IDPs by 11.1% (from 572,578 to 515,234). Included in this drop is the number of IDPs living with relatives and friends, a decrease of 29% (from 247,491 to 173,755). The number of IDPs in welfare centers however has slightly increased, up a total of 4.8% (from 325,087 to 341,479). It is unclear from the reports the reason for this increase.

 

For the remaining displaced, immediate needs are being met by schools, places of worship and other public buildings. It has been reported however that there is an urgent need for “mid-term” temporary shelters in order that the displaced can be moved out of schools, which need to be cleaned and reopened shortly. There is also a need for similar temporary shelters for families to be able to return to their own communities. Schools in non-affected areas and those that are not being used as welfare camps will reopen as scheduled on Monday, January 10. The government plans to reopen schools in the affected areas on January 20. Currently, a total of 278 schools are being used as temporary shelter for displaced families.

 

US Secretary of State Colin Powell, while visiting Sri Lanka on Friday (January 7), said the presence of US Marines in Sri Lanka was not a hindrance to Sri Lanka’s peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Tensions between the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka have been reported over the last few days, and center on the coordination and distribution of aid to Tamil areas. The LTTE has been engaged in a 20-year civil war with Sri Lanka. A ceasefire brokered in 2002 has largely held although peace negotiations have stalled. The LTTE controls areas in the north and east of the island nation that was hard hit by the tsunami. Both the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka had recently made overtures of cooperation in the aftermath of the tsunami.

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

 

 

·      All assistance at the district level is being coordinated by Government Agents, supported by UN interagency teams deployed to affected areas.

 

·      The Sri Lanka Ministry of Health is coordinating all medical supplies and skilled personnel. (Oxfam, Jan-01-05)

 

·      The Disaster Relief Network (DRN) has set up operation at the airport in Colombo and signed an agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka to receive all incoming relief commodities. Agencies / organizations who are sending relief commodities to Sri Lanka are requested to provide the following information on the virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) in addition to the clearance request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following information is required by DRN: Cargo specification, Weight and Quantity, Origin, Consignee (or unsolicited), a contact point of the receiving agency in Sri Lanka and instructions on how to contact, and specification if commodities are for common use or for specific agency. DRN will keep the commodities in a storage facility in the airport for a maximum of seven days. If the receiving organization has not picked up these commodities, it will be handed over to the Government of Sri Lanka. This service is only available for pure relief commodities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·      The Ministry of Health identified safe drinking water, proper sanitation, shelter, clothing, transport vehicles, and drugs and medical supplies as top priorities for response.

 

Local Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

·      The Roads Development Authority (RDA) is focusing on reconstruction of highway in the East, particularly, the highway from Potuwil to Trincomalee. (ReliefWeb, Jan-07-05)

 

·      The Sri Lankan Red Cross distributed non-food parcels containing plastic sheets, kitchen utensils, saris, sarongs, bed sheets, lanterns and hygiene items in the town of Dampa. There are currently 8 emergency response units in Sri Lanka. . (ReliefWeb, Jan-07-05)

 

 

International Response

 

 

Foreign Governments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United Nations

 

·      The first comprehensive assessment of needs report released by the UN stated the following agencies will support the government in obtaining updated information on district-wide needs: UNHCR – Shelter, WFP – Food, WHO – Health, UNICEF - Water and Sanitation and Protection, FAO/UNDP/ILO – Livelihoods, UNFPA – Trauma Counseling. (ReliefWeb, Jan-05-05)

 

·      UN-HABITAT is working with the overall UN coordination system to prepare emergency and reconstruction proposals for Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Somalia. They will help prioritize the human settlements elements in the interagency response to facilitate the transition from humanitarian relief to long-term recovery and reconstruction, and will contribute to the long-term planning and implementation of broader sustainable recovery of human settlements in the disaster-hit areas. (ReliefWeb, Jan-05-05)

 

·      The United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) report they will assist Sri Lanka with internal transport, the lack of stock tracking, the availability of storage facilities, prioritization ad tasking of transport assets, collection, analysis and distribution of logistics relevant data and information, coordination of joint efforts, and operational Civil Military Coordination. A Logistics Operations Center will act as a Movement Control Center to establish surface and air corridors where required and assist in the movement of cargo and persons. (UNJLC, Jan-04-05)

 

 

International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

Organization activity maps with interactive maps of agencies and their activities in each district can be obtained at the following link:

http://www.humanitarian-srilanka.org/Pages/Tsunami/map/tsunami_map.htm

An illustrated detailed map of the affected districts can be obtained at the following link: http://www.humanitarian-srilanka.org/Pages/Tsunami/map/tsunami_detailmap.htm

(ReliefWeb, Jan-07-05)