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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

January 14, 2005

 

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

 

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

Indonesia.....................................page 7-20

Sri Lanka......................................page 21-27

Thailand.......................................page 28-37

Overview

 

·      Search and rescue operations for last month’s (December 26) massive tsunamis are largely over. The overall focus of attention is now mainly shifting to relief and recovery efforts. The death toll from tsunamis triggered by an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra Island has now risen to 157,000 people along the coastal areas of some 11 countries in the Indian Ocean. 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. The death toll in Indonesia’s northern province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra and along the 115 miles of the islands along Indonesia’s northwestern coast, which was close to the epicenter of the earthquake has now climbed to 110,229, with tens of thousands people still unaccounted for. The fate of nearly one million people along the western coast of Aceh is slowly being assessed with anecdotal reports of death rates in excess of 50%. 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 are able to assess all hard to reach areas. The death toll in Sri Lanka and India has also climbed to in excess of 30,899 and 10,672 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 5,305, 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. Preliminary estimates place the cost of damage for Indonesia – US$1.7 billion, Sri Lanka - US$3 billion, India - US$2 billion, Thailand - US$235 million and Maldives at US$1.3 billion. The world’s largest reinsurer, Munich Re, estimates the total cost of the disaster to exceed US$13.6 billion.

 

·      Coordination: The United States and a number of other militaries and agencies are operating out of and coordinating at Thailand’s Utapao Royal Thai Air Force Base about 100 miles south of Bangkok. The US Combined Support Force, Combined Coordination Center (CCC), which is comprised of liaison officers from Australia, UK, Japan, Thailand and Singapore, and a Civil-Military Coordination Cell are operating. USAID DART representatives are present, as is the UNOCHA coordinator in Thailand. 1,200 US troops are on the ground. Additionally, the US and perhaps others are using the base for transshipment of relief supplies. Work continues on refining the process humanitarian organizations use to request military transport.

 

·      Logistics: A number of logistics problems remain despite progress. Thailand is in good shape. Although main roads are now accessible in most affected districts in Sri Lanka, except Batticaloa. Ttransport capacity is somewhat improving to move relief supplies inland. Distribution mechanisms remain weak. The Sri Lankan government, in conjunction with the United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC), is addressing these problems. In Indonesia, backlogs at Banda Aceh airport and nearby Medan airport are diminishing with increased humanitarian coordination and the opening of airport facilities in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. Tracking and prioritization systems for humanitarian cargo and military airlift are being developed. Indonesian military (TNI) control of Banda Aceh and Medan airports and control of humanitarian and military access is providing a challenge for relief efforts. UNJLC has teams in Banda Aceh, Jakarta, and Colombo and liaison officers to work with the US military. Roads are just now opening up to Meulaboh on the west coast of Aceh, but the road south from Banda Aceh will be closed for perhaps a month as TNI effects repairs. UNJLC plans to soon publish an overview of all air assets on its website at www.unjlc.org that have been made available to humanitarian community. (Jan-8, UNJLC).

 

o      The UN is using Malaysia’s Subang Airport near the capital Kuala Lumpur as its regional transportation hub. Subang’s current air assets include two C130s and a Casa235. An IL76 and an AN12 are scheduled to be deployed. There are 1,000 square meters of warehouse space available. An additional 625-square meter shelter is being erected on the tarmac. Subang has all required loading and ground handling equipment to serve Tristars and C17s. There are no problems flying Military and Civil Defense Assets (MCDA) to Subang. UNJLC recommends all international relief flights land in Subang and then further dispatch the cargo by smaller aircraft to Banda Aceh and Medan. (Jan-10, UNJLC)

 

o      United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) is operating an 8-seat HS 125-700 business jet out of Subang. The flight is operated on a partial cost recovery basis. A flat fee of US$200 is charged, regardless of destination. UNHAS in Subang, Malaysia can be reached at +603-7846-1364. (Jan-13, UNJLC)

 

o      UNHAS says IL76 made available for strategic airlift provides only regional airlift free of charge. All long-range IL76 flights are carried out on reimbursable basis. (Jan-14, UNJLC)

 

o      UNICEF is offering empty space on weekly B747 flights operated by British Airways due to start on January 19. Cargo can be loaded in Copenhagen (Denmark) or in Dubai (UAE). The first two flights are full. (Jan-14, UNJLC)

 

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

 

·      Food: The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates some 2 million people in 12 countries affected by the tsunami disaster are in need of food assistance. FAO says despite local losses, overall food availability in the region should be adequate to cover needs. Recommends local purchases of food, where possible, to meet food aid requirements. The agency is seeking US$26 million to rehabilitate fisheries and agriculture in affected countries. (Jan-11, FAO). UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has already delivered some 9,744 metric tons of food in affected countries. WFP is currently assisting some 1,069,000 people with their food needs in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand and Somalia. WFP says it has so far received US$81.9 million or 32% in response to its US$256 million emergency appeal. (Jan-12, WFP)

 

·      Health/Medical: 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. Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs says at least 1.6 million people affected by the disaster are in need of food aid. Assessments reports from Aceh’s west coast have yet to come in. WHO says an estimated 500,000 people are believed to have been injured in the tsunami. Officials are warning of a “health disaster” if the survivors are not treated to prevent infection and are not given quick access to clean drinking water. There have been some reports of diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia and skin infections in Indonesia. Ingestion of dirty water from the tsunami has increased the risk of pneumonia. Contamination of drinking water sources and stagnant water have increased the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, malaria and dengue fever. With the lack of services in some areas, wounds have quickly become infected. Measles will spread more easily as people’s systems are worn down. Food and medicine in many areas are in short supply. Due to warm temperatures, the risk of malaria, which is endemic to the region, remains high. (Dec-30, UN News Service, PBS) However, so far there have been no reports of disease outbreaks. WHO is encouraging setting up smaller-sized camps for displaced survivors. WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-Wook says smaller camp sizes will lessen the risk of disease outbreaks that can otherwise spread easily when people are packed together.

 

o      The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland is saying he did not believe as many people would die of disease in the aftermath of the tsunami as earlier feared. Egeland told a press briefing yesterday (Jan-13) that he believed relief efforts could avoid the feared “second wave of death.” WHO officials had earlier warned that as many as 150,000 additional people could die of diseases if immediate precautions are not taken. Egeland said combined with lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitary conditions in emergency camps, diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia and measles remain the biggest threat. He said, “We need to get relief teams on the ground if we are going to prevent the second wave of disease and casualties.” Yesterday, a health expert with the aid group, Mentor Initiative, warned that malaria alone could kill as many as 100,000 people in tsunami-affected communities in the Indian Ocean.

 

o      According to Indian Health Ministry sources, cases of measles and chicken pox have been reported in several camps in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman islands. Health officials are on high alert to prevent major disease outbreaks. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) teams are installing water storage tanks and distributing oral rehydration salts (ORS) to prevent water-borne diseases, particularly diarrhea. 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. (Jan-8, DPA)

 

o      WHO is saying that new security restrictions imposed by the Indonesian government, stemming from an ongoing armed conflict between the government and separatist GAM rebels in Aceh, would hinder access to many wounded and injured people needing urgent medical care in hard-to-reach places.

 

o      UNICEF is seeking US$80 million in urgent humanitarian aid for an estimated 1.5 million children in the region.

 

·      Security: Yesterday (January 11), citing security concerns, the Indonesian government introduced new regulations requiring humanitarian relief organizations to seek the Indonesian military’s approval and escort before moving beyond major cities. Budi Atmadi, Indonesia’s director of disaster relief in Aceh, says the new regulations are aimed at improving coordination and eliminating duplication of efforts. The UN is saying that it did not believe the new regulations would hinder its work. The Australian government is supporting the Indonesian government’s demand. However, some non-governmental organizations, such as Mercy Corps, have said the new regulations may have an effect on their operations. The US and the UN are seeking “clarification” from Jakarta that the new restrictions would not affect their relief operations in the country. (Jan-13, AFP, UNNC) Meanwhile, Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalla is reiterating that foreign troops must leave tsunami-hit Aceh no later than March 26, adding that contractors would be able to pick up work when foreign troops leave. He said foreign volunteers would be allowed to stay and continue their humanitarian missions. However, US State Department sources say Mr. Kalla had clarified to the US Ambassador in Jakarta that no fixed timetable would be imposed on the withdrawal of foreign troops. (Jan-14, AFP, AP)

 

·      While visiting the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalla said his government was working with GAM rebels for a permanent truce. He did not elaborate if the negotiations had already taken place.

 

·      International Assistance: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday (January 6) launched a UN “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. 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. He stressed billions of dollars pledged by foreign governments, corporations and private individuals were needed now and pledges needed to be converted into cash quickly. (Jan-6, AFP, AP, UNNC, CNN)

 

o      Ministers and delegates from more than 80 countries met at the UN headquarters in the Swiss capital of Geneva today to discuss the Asian tsunami disaster. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), which called the meeting, said that some 70 percent (US$717 million) of the funds, in response to its nearly US$1 billion “flash appeal” on January 6, have already been raised and are available for immediate spending. Jan Egeland, UN UnderSecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, has called the international response “unprecedented” and generous, and expressed hope that the remaining contributions will materialize over the next few days. Upon UN insistence, donors also promised that funds would be “new” money and unlike in the past, aid funds would not be switched from other budgeted disasters. (Jan-11, Reuters, AFP, AP)

 

o      German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is saying his country is committed to long-term relief and reconstruction projects in tsunami-affected nations. Germany’s cabinet has agreed to increase aid for affected countries to US$660 million (EUR 500 million). Schroeder said it has not been decided how the money would be spent. (Jan-12, DPA)

 

o      The G7 group of seven industrialized nations will freeze debt repayments for countries hit by the tsunami and will work with the Paris Club and other creditors to implement the decision. The EU President, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg advocates full debt relief for tsunami nations. (Jan-9, AFP)

 

o      Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will provide US$500 million in relief and reconstruction aid to countries affected by the tsunami disaster. IDB reportedly made the pledge at the Special ASEAN Leaders’ meeting that was held this Thursday (January 6) in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. IDB said it would make special arrangements for the region’s development partners to ensure quick disbursement of funds for affected countries. (Jan-9, NST)

 

o      World Bank (WB) President James Wolfensohn is saying it could take up to three months to draw up a detailed reconstruction plan for tsunami-affected nations. He warned against hastening reconstruction plans, adding that people must be involved in the process to make plans work. (Jan-12, AFP). WB is providing US$300 million to Indonesia, US$100 million to Sri Lanka, and US$12 million to the Maldives in immediate financial assistance. (Jan-13, Reuters)

 

o      Kuwait has increased its aid pledge for countries affected by the tsunami from US$30 million to US$100 million. The package includes US$30 million in cash, and US$70 million will be used to finance infrastructure projects through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) in the affected countries. (Jan-9, KNA)

 

o      Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said on Sunday (January 10) that his office was working with international financial experts, including the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, to devise a public tracking system on the Internet that would allow donors to track the progress and utilization of their contributions as they make their way to those in need. (Jan-10, IHT)

 

·      International Development & Relief Organizations: The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has revised its preliminary appeal for the tsunami crisis from US$59 million to US$155 million, to fund its operations for a six-month period ending June 30, 2005. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is using Singapore as a regional hub.

 

o      The international development and relief organization, Oxfam, is calling upon international donors to guarantee that nearly US$4 billion pledged last week to help nations affected by last month’s Asian tsunami crisis is new money. In a report released today, Oxfam said it was concerned that some major donors may be “borrowing” from aid pledged for other crises, including Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. (Jan-10, Oxfam)

 

o      In an unprecedented call by a non-government organization (NGO), the Nobel-prize winning international medical relief group, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said January 4 that it had collected US$54 million in donations since the 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.

 

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 8

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 9

 

Domestic Response……………………………………………page 14

            Government                                                             

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response……………………………………….page 15

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

Overview: The UN today urged Indonesia not to impose a deadline for foreign troops to leave Indonesia. “I am sure the Indonesian government will agree with me that the most important thing is to save lives and not have deadlines,” says Jan Egeland, UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination. Earlier this week, Vice President Yusuf Kalla said that he wanted all foreign military to leave by the end of March or “the sooner the better.” The US State Department said that the Indonesian government (GOI) had clarified with the US that no fixed “time limit” would be imposed, and that three months was only an estimate. A statement by Kalla on Friday (January 14) seemed to reiterate the government’s stance that foreign militaries should be out by March 26. However, his comments also indicated that aid workers would be allowed to stay past the deadline. “Three months is enough for emergency help from the foreign militaries. Civilians will still be ok to stay,” Kalla said, while touring Banda Aceh. Communications and Information Minister Sofyan Djalil says that while all foreign military should be out by March 26, “in cases that their help is needed we are quite flexible…the general policy (is) after three months we believe we can handle this by our own troops, by our own volunteers, by our own bureaucracy and by our own people in this area.” The GOI earlier this week said that foreigners working in Aceh would need permission, and possibly military escorts, if they wanted to work outside of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. Reactions from the UN and humanitarian aid groups has been mixed. Some aid workers have said that the restrictions should not hinder aid efforts while others said that they would. Aid agencies are often reluctant to take military escorts for fear of appearing aligned with one side in a conflict. The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) says that it would stick to its unilateral ceasefire and has said that it would not attack anyone involved in the relief effort. Indonesian Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab has said that it was a possibility that aid workers could be expelled if they did not inform the military (TNI) of travel plans. Senior officials have also said foreign journalists would be confined to major towns in Aceh. Meanwhile, Social Affairs Ministry said yesterday that the death toll rose by some 4,000 people to 110,229. The ministry says that the number of people missing in Aceh remained over 12,000 while the number of displaced rose to 703,518. US helicopters have been continuing to ferry food, water and medical supplies to isolated areas along Aceh’s west coast. The situation is still unclear for many areas along the coast, as thorough assessments have not been made or are just beginning to come in. GOI said this week that financial losses from the disaster is some US$1.7 billion (15 trillion rupiah). Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the estimate was preliminary, and based on the range of areas and the number of buildings destroyed. He says a further assessment would be conducted by the government, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and several foreign countries. During the international ministerial tsunami meeting in Geneva on Tuesday (January 11), several countries pledged some US$900 million for a six-month period to Indonesia. (Jan-13, Xinhua). Indonesia has said it needs some US$2.15 billion dollars over the next five years to rebuild Aceh province. Indonesia wants its creditors to freeze some (US$3.3 billion) in debt repayments through 2006, or about a third of its US$8.8 billion in payments over the period. (Jan-14, Reuters)

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: A spokesperson for the TNI appealed for additional heavy equipment and operators to assist in clean up of Banda Aceh. A temporary care center for unaccompanied children is being set up in the city by UNICEF in support of the Ministry of Social Welfare. UN setting up Civil-Military Operations Centre in Banda Aceh airport, which will include representatives of the TNI, US, Australia and Singapore Air Force. The Indonesian government reports that 80% of the roads and power infrastructure were destroyed along with virtually all the sanitation capability. Relief is flowing into Banda Aceh mainly by air into the Banda Aceh airport from Medan, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur, and by road from Medan in North Sumatra province. Some semblance of normality is returning with more markets reported open. However, public transportation reported scarce. The population in the vicinity of Banda Aceh is about 500,000. Around 380 government officials have been imported from Jakarta to get local government affairs restarted. (Jan-14, IHT)

 

West Coast of Aceh Province: Yesterday (January 13), representatives from USAID, the Ministry of Health, WHO and other UN agencies began a six-day interagency mission to assess needs along the west coast. The UNHCR has found some 12,000 tsunami victims in Lamno, along the west coast, whose needs were previously unknown. UNHCR said an assessment found more than half of the population of 23,400 displaced and in need of immediate assistance. UNHCR plans to helicopter in supplies. US military engineers are assessing the damaged airport, located 10 miles (16 km) from Meulaboh and roads around the town. Military says that according to initial assessments, helicopters may be able to land at the airport, despite the damage. The World Food Program (WFP) has established a presence in the ports of Meulaboh and Singkil. UNOCHA reports that in Meulaboh, only one functional hospital remains on the outskirts of the town, which is being supported by Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders). Several field hospitals are reportedly being deployed by various players. US Navy helicopter crews have flown hundreds of relief missions over the past two weeks to isolated areas. The United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) says that multi-sectoral assessment missions on the west coast will be carried out with rotary aircraft provided by the US military starting January 11. The 155-mile west coast of Aceh Province, with a population of about one million, was closest to the epicenter. The WFP reports that an initial inter-agency assessment down the western coast found that the most severe area of impact is between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. South of Meulaboh the damage is reportedly less severe but populations are still in need of assistance. The largest death toll reported thus far is in Meulaboh, where some 28,251 people died, the Social Affairs Ministry reports. The UN is setting up a common office in the town, involving UNHCR, UNOCHA, WFP, UNICEF, the UNJLC and UNSECOORD.

 

 

Domestic Response

 

Local Government

 

·       The GOI has retained the American accounting firm of Ernst &Young to audit foreign aid being sent for reconstruction, according to the US Ambassador to Indonesia, Lynn Pascoe. (Jan-14, IHT)

 

·       The TNI will send thousands more troops into Aceh to help with the relief effort, bringing the total to some 50,000, GOI says. Major General Syafrie Syamsuddin says that some 12 battalions, with troop numbers ranging from a few hundred to one thousand, would be sent over the coming months. Troops will focus on humanitarian operations, initially the cleaning up of debris in towns. (Jan-13, AFP) Some 38,000 troops were already present in Aceh for military operations against the GAM.

 

·       Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab says that some 500 personnel have been sent from Jakarta to help in the recovery of bodies. (Jan-12, DPA)

 

·       Government of Indonesia (GOI) says that it plans to immediately set up makeshift schools in some 95 locations near camps for the displaced. (Jan-12, Xinhua)

 

·       The Indonesian Government today established a joint Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with the United Nations, which will prioritize the management and coordination of relief efforts. Assessments will be collected at the DMC to provide useable information for prioritization of needs in order to better assist the affected. UN will assist the government with resources of UNOCHA and UNJLC. Six UN staff will be based at the DMC. (Jan-10, UNOCHA)

 

·       A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team under WHO will support the Indonesian Ministry of Health in conducting health facilities assessment. (Jan-9, WHO)

 

·       The GOI has a 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)

 

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

 

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

·       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)

 

Local Organizations

 

• The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) sent over 800 trained volunteers to Aceh. Disaster response (SATGANA) volunteers are providing some community support tasks and collecting bodies for burial in Aceh. PMI members are in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and Lhokseumawe. PMI Secretary-General is in Medan to coordinate PMI in Aceh. (Jan 2, IFRC) An Indonesian Red Cross(PMI)/ICRC/IFRC assessment team is in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and Lhokseumawe. Focus will be on west coast of Aceh between Tapaktuang and Meulaboh. (Jan 2, IFRC) Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has 32-person disaster response team in Meulaboh. (Jan-6, Aus Red Cross) 32 members of the National Special Disaster Response Team (Team KHUSUS) were dispatched to Meulaboh on Sunday (Jan 2) to help PMI personnel already deployed. (Jan 2, IFRC)

 

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

 

International Response

 

Foreign Governments

 

·       US Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz scheduled to visit Banda Aceh over the weekend and have talks with GOI officials on Sunday (January 16).

 

·       Advance troops from a Russian medical unit that arrived Tuesday (January 11) are setting up a mobile hospital in Banda Aceh. Troops will eventually number 200. (Jan-14, AP)

 

·       Singapore military reportedly slowly handing over relief duties to NGOs. “Singapore Armed Forces teams will be wrapping up projects over the next week or so and handing over to the Indonesian authorities and NGOs,” Singapore Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said today. Navy amphibious ship, RSS Endeavour, headed to Meulaboh carrying some 200 pallets of relief supplies and a pair of trucks loaded on landing craft. Volunteers from groups, such as the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief, Touch Community Services, the National Volunteer Philanthropy Centre and YMCA, will help deliver supplies and work in field hospitals. Singapore has pledged some US$17 million in aid to Indonesia. (Jan-14, AP) 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) Singapore Armed Forces have set up a field hospital in Banda Aceh, which currently houses some 3,000 displaced. (Jan-7, ChannelNews Asia) Singapore is International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hub for Indonesia relief.

 

·       Admiral Thomas Fargo, Commander of US Pacific Command, is expected to leave today (January 14) to tour the disaster region and assess the relief operation. (Jan-13, AFP). US military reportedly sent in long-range jets equipped with heat sensors to help track down stranded survivors, AFP reports. (Jan-13, AFP). After days of negotiations, US agrees to scale back some operations at GOI request. US agreed for troops not to carry weapons on Indonesian soil and for majority of troops to return to ships after each day’s operations. USS Abraham Lincoln diverted to international waters to allow fighter pilots to maintain level of training. Spokesperson Lt. Cmdr John M. Daniels says that the diversion did not interrupt the stream of helicopter aid flights along the west coast of Sumatra. (Jan-12, AP)

 

·       The US Abraham Lincoln carrier group (includes four other ships and some 6,500 sailors and Marines) arrived off Sumatra on January 1. 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. Force also has 60-plus strong medical staff that can man four operating rooms, with a ward capacity for 60 patients. US airlift operations are continuing to be flown out of Utapao base in Thailand.

 

• France has sent helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc, carrying 11 helicopters, which has reportedly arrived off the Sumatra coast on Thursday (January 13), and the frigate George Leygues to provide medical aid in Aceh. (Jan 2, AFP)

 

·       German supply/hospital ship Berlin, which also has a field hospital, arrived offshore Banda Aceh this week. (Jan-11, UNJLC)

 

·       Brunei sends team of doctors, nurse, health personnel and volunteers to Banda Aceh. (Jan-11, Government of Brunei)

 

·       Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia says some 970 troops will be sent, including two C-130 planes, five helicopters and three naval ships to Aceh. (Jan-10, AP) 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. Japanese Defense Chief, Yoshinori Ohno promised Sunday (January 9) that Japan would keep troops in Indonesia for at least 3 months, as requested by Jakarta. (Jan-6, Kyodo; Jan-9, AFP) A C-130 provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Force is transporting relief from UNHCR from Utapao (Thailand) to Medan, daily. (Jan-11, UNJLC)

 

·       Pakistan has sent 87 army engineers and paramedics. Personnel are in Indonesia setting up a field hospital and doing relief work. (Jan-10, AP) Pakistan sent 2 tons of medicines to Banda Aceh. Troops will set up a 50-bed hospital in the area. (Jan-6, DPA)

 

·       Egypt sending medical team and humanitarian aid to Aceh. (Jan-10, Jakarta Post)

 

·       New Zealand deployed three more groups of some 30 members of the Defence Force Light Medical Team to Banda Aceh. (Jan-10, Government of New Zealand). New Zealand has 1 C-130 Hercules cargo plane and crew, and some 30 medical staff in Indonesia. (Jan-7, GoA)

 

·       Malaysia offers to further extend amnesty for illegal migrant workers in Malaysia, should the Indonesian government request. Amnesty was due to expire on Dec. 31, but Malaysia extended it for one month. (Jan-9, AFP). Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says that Malaysia will help rebuild Sumatra island for up to the next 10 years, including the construction of schools and other infrastructure for the some 35,000 orphans in Aceh. (Jan-9, AP) Malaysia opened its airspace and two airports to UN and Australia relief operations. The UN’s World Food Program/UN Joint Logistics Center is using Subang airport, located outside Kuala Lumpur, while Australia is using Butterworth in the northern part of peninsula Malaysia.

 

·       A total of 35 Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) staff are in AusAID’s Indonesian response team. A team arrived in Banda Aceh on January 8 to assess priorities of needs. AusAid did an assessment of the offshore island of Simuelue and will deliver some 12 tons of emergency supplies to the island. (Jan-9, AusAID) Some 900 Australian Defence Force personnel are in Indonesia. Australia also will send public health team and plastic water bottles to Banda Aceh region in response to Indonesian government request. (Jan-7, GoA) With Malaysia’s authorization, Australia is operating out of its old airfield Butterworth near Penang Island at the north of peninsula Malaysia.

 

·       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)

 

United Nations

 

·       UNICEF has been assigned to be the focal point for education data and information assistance to Aceh. UNICEF says relocation of IDPs from schools is a major issue. At least 5 schools in Banda Aceh are occupied by IDPs, and 3 schools in Meulaboh by the military and NGOs. A rapid assessment in 7 of 11 districts in Aceh has revealed that 420 schools were destroyed and 1,200 teachers killed. (Jan-13, UNOCHA) UNICEF is sending mobile schools to Sumatra that are expected to arrive in a few days. UNICEF says it has begun registering thousands of orphans in Aceh to protect them. UNICEF is also working with Indonesia’s government to set up child centers to help reunite children separated from their families. UNICEF says it is looking ahead to establish 600 schools to serve some 120,000 children in quake-hit areas of Sumatra. (Jan 2, AP)

 

• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with the request of the GOI, has conducted an environmental assessment from January 4 to January 12. UNEP will work with the Ministry of Environment to identify key needs. On January 11, two additional UNEP experts were deployed to Jakarta to establish an environmental crisis center. (Jan-13, UNOCHA)

 

• World Food Program (WFP) says it is working with the following partners in Aceh and North Sumatra: Mercy Corps, CARE, World Vision and Save the Children. (Jan-13, UNOCHA) WFP team will assess needs of people in the province is planning to leave Banda Aceh on Friday (January 14) to visit some 17 sites in 10 days. (Jan-12, WFP). WFP established a presence in ports of Meulaboh and Singkil on the west coast. WFP has a total of 4 offices in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. Temporary warehouses being erected to address shortage of storage. (Jan-10, WFP) The UN World Food Program (WFP) says that its new Humanitarian Air Hub, operating out of Subang air base in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, began operations on Friday (January 9). WFP base camp in Banda Aceh is reportedly fully operational with a capacity for some 70 people. The camp will be jointly run by the WFP and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). (Jan-9, WFP)

 

• UNHCR says it will soon have three Swiss Super Puma helicopters for use that will operate from Medan-Meulaboh, Medan-Banda Aceh and Banda Aceh–Meulaboh. (Jan-14, Reuters) says using additional commercial charter flights and truck convoys from Jakarta to Aceh in a major push to move all the agency’s 400 tons of relief supplies. (Jan-12, UNHCR) UNHCR currently has 9 international staff, and four local staff in Banda Aceh, with another 7 internationals and 3 local staff expected soon. (Jan-7, UNHCR)

 

·       UN Development Programme (UNDP) says that 300 displaced have been hired by the Ministry of Public Works, with the support of UNDP, to help with clean-up in Banda Aceh. (Jan-14, 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) WHO reports 50 international aid groups in Aceh to provide medical care. (January 2). WHO is organizing these organizations and providing coordination. (Jan 2, AFP)

 

·       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)

 

International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

 

·       World Bank President James Wolfensohn says that initial damage assessments by the bank should appear within two weeks. The World Bank says it will provide some US$300 million in initial financial support for Indonesia. (Jan-14, AlertNet)

 

·       Mentor Initiative has begun an anti-malaria campaign in the Banda Aceh area. Main spraying effort would not begin for at least two days, because supplies have been held up in Jakarta, group says. (Jan-14, AP)

 

·       Save the Children identifying children separated from parents from disaster across some 17 camps so far. (Jan-11, Save the Children).

 

• World Vision International (WVI) sent some 125 tons of relief aid from the US and Canada. WVI has a relief base in Banda Aceh staffed with some 30 workers. (Jan-10, WVI) World Vision International (WVI) is assisting traumatized children in Banda Aceh. WVI says plans to set up some 20 other tents to help up to 2,000 children. (Jan-9, AP) World Vision Indonesia started aid distribution in Aceh on January 4, and delivered food aid from the WFP to some 4,100 displaced. Food aid will be followed by distribution of tents and family kits for some 5,000 people. (Jan-6, WV)

 

• Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) chartered a landing craft to bring materials to Lamno, on the west coast of Aceh. Extra water distribution points for some 4,000-8,000 people living in camps will be set up as well as for town’s residents. (Jan-12, MSF). MSF has sent more than 60 international staff and 120 tons of relief to Indonesia. Currently MSF says it is working in Banda Aceh, Meulaboh, Medan, Lamno and Lampe-Ngo assisting roughly 100,000 people. (Jan-9, MSF)

 

• Mercy Corps established an office in Meulaboh and is working with Indonesian government to coordinate activities. (Jan-9, USAID)

 

·       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)

 

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

 

·       The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has officially been mandated by the GOI Ministry of People’s Welfare (MENKOKESRA) to organize in-land transportation of aid into Aceh and North Sumatra. (Jan-13, IOM) IOM is assisting displaced leaving Aceh for Medan and Jakarta. IOM has some 150 trucks shuttling between Medan and Banda Aceh. IOM Medan is working out of the offices of the BAKORNAS Indonesian disaster management agency. IOM’s undamaged Banda Aceh office is supporting other agencies, some of whose facilities were destroyed. (Jan-5, UNJLC) IOM technical team is based in Jakarta’s Halim military airport to facilitate the loading of relief goods coming in from donors. (Jan-5, UNOCHA)

 

·       The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that it has sent its first shipment of some 160 tons of relief goods for some 40,000 people to Banda Aceh. ICRC says it currently has enough goods for some 300,000 people and the group is exploring other routes to bypass congested distribution points. (Jan-9, Channelnews Asia) 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.

 

 

 

 

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview. …………………………………………………page 22

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 22

 

Domestic Response…………………………………….page 24

            Government

            Local Humanitarian Organizations

 

International Response…………………………………page 24

            Foreign Governments

            United Nations

            International Humanitarian Organizations

 

 

Overview: Emergency coordinators believe aid is reaching all survivors. President Chandrika Kumaratunga says reconstruction is a priority. The confirmed death toll in Sri Lanka reached 30,899, spread over 14 districts (out of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts). Approximately 6,038 people remain missing, while 15,256 people were injured. More than 93,500 houses were destroyed, and 169 schools damaged or destroyed. The number of displaced dropped to 440,000; about 450 camps remain. 57 countries have sent nearly 10,000 MT of relief supplies. The 20-year conflict between the government and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in the north and east may be hampering delivery to those areas. Norway’s peace envoy Erik Solheim to return next week to attempt to improve relations between government and Tamil Tigers. Sri Lanka is welcoming assistance from the UN, foreign governments, and humanitarian organizations. Foreign Minister Kadirgamar is pursuing debt relief, rather than delay on Sri Lanka’s US$9 billion of bilateral and multilateral debt, and improved access to Europe’s markets. Sri Lanka is looking at US$3 billion in reconstruction assistance.

 

Sector Status
Affected Population	440,000 remain internally displaced with numbers decreasing; some sources report nearly 500,000 in camps or public buildings. Other sources have 200,000+ staying with family or friends. 750,000 will receive food, for up to six months.