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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

April 13, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

Indonesia.....................................page 7-14

Sri Lanka.....................................page 15-21

Thailand.......................................page 22-26

Overview

 

 

·      The overall focus of attention is on relief, recovery, and rehabilitation for the December 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster. The death toll from tsunamis triggered by an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island has recently been revised to some 228,000 people along the coastal areas of 11 countries in the Indian Ocean, largely due to the Indonesian government revising its estimate for the number of people missing from 93,458 to 37,063, an approximately 60 percent cut. Reuters reports that the change in the missing reflects the identification of people who were listed as missing but were actually among those displaced after the disaster destroyed their homes.

 

·      Tsunami-related deaths were recorded in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. The loss of life is particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The toll for the dead and missing in Indonesia climbed to more than 235,000, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for. Body recovery in Aceh has dramatically slowed down, with the government reporting no bodies recovered for the first time on Monday (March 21) and only one body being found on Tuesday (March 22). (Mar-23, AP) The death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 30,000 and is expected to go higher. In India, at least 10,672 died in Tamil Nadu State and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The death toll on Thailand’s west coast climbed to 5,400, including some 1,765 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have been reported in the other countries.

 

·      Preliminary costs are: Indonesia – US$4.5 billion, Sri Lanka - US$3.5 billion, India - US$2 billion, Thailand - US$235 million and Maldives - US$1.3 billion. The world’s largest reinsurer, Munich Re, estimates the total cost of the disaster will exceed US$13.6 billion. On February 16, UN Assistant Secretary General Hafiz Pasha said rebuilding the affected areas would cost some US$10-12 billion dollars over the next three to five years. (Feb-16, AFP) In the four worst-affected countries, namely Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, the economic impact is expected to be manageable. The GDP growth for India is expected to be unaffected. The 2005 projected GDP growth rate now stands at 5.4% for Indonesia; 4.2% for Sri Lanka; and 4.3% for Thailand. According to a joint assessment carried out by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the World Bank (WB), reconstruction cost for areas affected by the disaster is likely to exceed well over preliminary estimates of US$7 billion. Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush senior visited some tsunami-affected countries in February and said at the end of their tour, that some US$11.5 billion was needed for reconstruction.

 

·      Coordination: The UN announced on March 14 an agreement with accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers for 8,000 hours of pro bono work to monitor disbursement of its some US$977 million tsunami relief fund. A website is planned to be set up to allow people to track how the money is spent. (Mar-14, UN)

 

·       Logistics:

 

o      UNJLC has a detailed list of civilian/commercial transportation assets available on its website www.unjlc.org (Feb-3, UNJLC)

 

·      Food: Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, estimates 2 million people are in need of food aid. FAO says overall food availability in the region is adequate to cover needs. The agency is working to rehabilitate fisheries and agriculture.

 

o      On Friday (March 25) the WFP said that the starvation and malnutrition crisis feared after the disaster has largely been averted. WFP says that more than 1.75 million people are receiving food aid from the agency. WFP says it has shipped more than 50,000 tons of food. (Mar-25, AFP)

 

o      The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warned that a build up of excessive fishing capacity must be avoided in tsunami-affected countries. (Feb-21, FAO) The FAO said that the tsunami cost the fishing industries of the 7 hardest hit countries some US$520 million in damages. (Feb-17, AP, UNNC)

 

 

·      Health/Medical: World Health Organization (WHO) officials estimate up to five million people displaced and at risk, with some 750,000 estimated as displaced in Indonesia. WHO estimates 500,000 people were injured. There are scattered reports of diarrhea, malaria, dengue, measles, pneumonia, tetanus and skin infections, but no disease outbreaks.

 

·      Security: Reports of continued clashes between rival Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) groups in Sri Lanka’s east. The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) reported Friday (April 8) that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had violated the ceasefire by attacking a Sri Lankan navy boat on Tuesday (April 5) near the eastern port of Trincomalee. 

 

o      The Indonesian government and rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are currently in a third round of peace talks aimed at bringing peace to tsunami-affected Aceh province. Both sides said today that they had reached a “point of understanding” following the second of their six-day talks, which are scheduled to end on Sunday (April 17). Despite the talks, sporadic clashes between TNI and GAM in Aceh also reported.

 

·       Shelter: On March 8 Aceh Governor Azwar Abubakar said that the GoI will stop building shelters in Aceh and instead focus on making sure existing ones have proper sanitation and clean water. He says that the decision was reached after many survivors indicated that they would rather stay with relatives than in temporary housing.

 

·       Political-Military:

 

o      The Malaysian government said Tuesday (April 5) that it would soon withdraw all its some 150 remaining troops from Aceh after GoI asked Kuala Lumpur “to take measures to bring them home.”

 

o      Malaysia began crackdown on illegal workers in the country on March 1. UNHCR expressed concern that some asylum seekers and refugees from Aceh may be caught up in the crackdown. Over 4,000 illegal migrants, most of them Indonesians, have been detained in March. (Mar-30, Jakarta Post) Refugees International (RI) says that Aceh refugees in Malaysia are facing a triple threat: Families and lands were devastated by the tsunami; communities in Aceh continue to be in the crossfire as the conflict between the GAM and GoI continues; and they are subject to arrest and deportation in Malaysia as illegal immigrants. (Apr-12, RI)

 

·      International Assistance: The UN reported that humanitarian assistance to tsunami-affected countries totaled some US$6.28 billion. The UN says some US$935 million of the some US$977 million promised to meet a UN flash appeal for 6 months has been paid or committed for payments, with private contributions totaling US$63 million. UN says it already has some US$550 million in the bank. (Mar-1, IHT, Feb-25, Reuters) The multinational development banks, namely the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), are also providing US$412 million, US$675 million and US$500 million respectively.

 

·    Corruption experts gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia (Thursday, April 7) for talks on how to safeguard aid coming into graft-prone countries. The two-day meeting was hosted by the ADB, OECD and the NGO, Transparency International. (Apr-7, DPA)

 

·    Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said on Wednesday (April 6) that the initial response to the tsunami disaster was successful, but the problem now was to maintain the momentum of aid. “There is in some communities a growing frustration. They have heard of the large sums of money pledged but they have not yet got their house rebuilt nor their livelihood and it will take more time,” Egeland said. Egeland says the UN was raising its initial appeal of US$970 million to US$1.08 billion. The UN says some 80 percent of the appeal had been raised or pledged. He says that the total international promise of aid totals nearly US$6 billion, although much of it could take years to materialize. “I think it will be a difficult period that we are now entering. After a successful emergency relief phase and before we really get a development phase going, these will be several months of transition,” Egeland said. (Apr-6, Reuters)

 

·    In a report on its activities in the first 90 days since the tsunami, UNICEF reported that up to 90 percent of children in the most affected communities have been able to return to school, most within the first month following the disaster. Additionally, UNICEF says that very few children had died from preventable diseases in the aftermath of the tsunami. The agency says it plans to spend some US$90 million on rebuilding schools devastated by the recent disasters in Indonesia. UNICEF also says it wishes to train more than 1,200 new teachers in Indonesia. (Apr-6, AFP)

 

·    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says that 2 million more Asians have joined the ranks of the poor even though the overall impact on the economies of the affected countries looks small. The bank warns that it could take the affected years to recover from poverty and also urged governments to ensure that funds are not lost through corruption. “Despite the huge scale of loss of human life, homelessness and displaced populations, the macroeconomic impact of the disaster appears limited. Nonetheless, the economic impact will be felt severely at the local and community levels, dragging a significant number of already poor people into deeper poverty,” the ADB said in a statement. (Apr-6, AFP) ADB reported a US$4.22 billion shortfall in the US$7.76 billion estimate for required funds to help rebuild the four countries worst-affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster: India, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.  To date, donor nations and agencies have committed US$3.54 billion.  At an ADB-organized conference in Manila on March 18, the ADB presented its data in a “Tsunami Recovery Tracking Matrix.”  An ADB spokesman acknowledged that while the matrix was not definitive, it was hoped to be used as a fundamental planning tool, to get a broad view of what is needed, where it is needed, and how much it will cost.  ADB on Monday (April 11) said that it approved a US$300 million grant for Indonesia, reportedly its largest grant ever, to rebuild areas hardest hit by the disaster. The money will be used for restoring essential public services, reviving economic activity and rebuilding infrastructure. (Apr-11, Reuters).

 

o   The FAO reported at a workshop in Bangkok on March 31-April 1, that soil salinity in affected areas was less severe than previously thought. The FAO says that of the 47,000 hectares (ha) (116,100 acres) of agricultural land damaged by the tsunami in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, India and Thailand, some 38,000 ha (93,900 acres) can be cultivated this year, while the remaining 9,000 ha (22,240 acres), mainly in Aceh have been overtaken by the sea or can no longer be used. (Apr-6, FAO)

 

o   Global watchdog Transparency International said in its 2005 corruption report that Asian countries affected by the tsunami are highly vulnerable to fraud. The group, along with the ADB, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will join Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and senior officials in a meeting on April 7-8 in Jakarta to address the risk for corruption in tsunami aid. (Mar-16, AFP, Mar-22, Xinhua)

 

o      Paris Club grouping of 19 wealthy nations last week offered to freeze payments of tsunami-affected nations until the end of the year and allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years with a one-year grace period. (Mar-11, Reuters) Sri Lanka reportedly immediately accepted the offer and said it would lobby to extend the offer to 2006 or 2007. Indonesia on March 14 said that it would accept the debt moratorium offer. (Mar-14, Xinhua, Tempo Interactive)

 

·       Representatives of countries affected by the disaster will meet in Mauritius for the Second International Coordination Meeting for the Development of a Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System for the Indian Ocean on April 14-16. The meeting is being co-organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and UN/International Strategy for Disaster (UN/ISDR). The UN/ISDR says that the meeting will further elaborate plans for a tsunami early-warning system for the Indian Ocean.

 

o         At a meeting in Paris, countries affected by the tsunami disaster and UN experts agreed on a timetable for an early warning system. The US and Japan will begin providing tsunami warning to countries around the Indian Ocean as a stopgap measure. Under the plan, both the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Japan’s Meteorological Agency will give out alerts after analysis of quakes in the region. A second step will see tidal movement gauges upgraded, while gauges will be fitted near Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. In the last phase, estimated to be completed by the end of 2006, a regional warning center will be built, with links to a network of gauges and sensors across the region. (Mar-9, BBC)

 

o      The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), along with support from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), has pledged some US$145 million for Indonesia’s Aceh province, to be largely spent on children orphaned by the tsunami. (Feb-20, AFP)

 

·       International Development & Relief Organizations:

o      Oxfam International says that the tsunami disaster has left a gender imbalance in affected areas because in some places, the disaster claimed four times as many women as men. Oxfam says women were worst-hit because they were waiting on beaches for fishermen to return or were at home looking after their children. Oxfam did the study in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. Oxfam’s policy director, Becky Buell, says “this disproportionate impact will lead to problems for years to come unless everyone working on the aid effort addresses the issue now.” (Mar-26, BBC, AFP)

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 8

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 11

Overview: The Indonesian government (GoI) late last week revised its estimate for the number of people missing from 93,458 to 37,063, an approximate 60 percent cut, because of better data collection. Reuters reports that the change in the missing reflects the identification of people who were listed as missing but were actually among those displaced after the disaster destroyed their homes. A spokesperson for Indo Pacific, which handles public relations for the relief effort, said that since March 26 there had been a concerted effort to gather and collate details of people displaced. The displaced “now have to start giving their details and register their contact details…and that’s why the number of missing people has dropped significantly,” says a spokesperson from the company. (Reuters, Apr-8)

 

The Indonesian government reported April 8 that the country would need some US$326.4 million (Rp 3.1 trillion) to rebuild areas damaged by the March 28 8.7-magnitude earthquake.  The money is needed to rebuild damaged roads, bridges, and buildings that are mainly on the island of Nias, Indonesian Planning Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.  Meanwhile, the National Coordination Agency for Disaster Relief said that the death toll has risen to 656.  The Indonesian government reported that an estimated 2,000 people were reported missing from the earthquake.  Most of the dead are from Nias, however, at least 17 people were reported dead on nearby Simuelue Island and at least 11 in Singkil district in Aceh province on the western coast of Sumatra.  It is estimated that some 200,000 were displaced on Nias and at one point, up to 90% of Simeulue’s 78,000 people were displaced. Continual aftershocks reportedly have made many people fearful of returning to their homes. The Indonesian government had expressed concern over the exodus of earthquake survivors from Nias Island, as well as western coastal areas of Sumatra.  Many people were reportedly moving from earthquake or tsunami-affected areas because of fears of aftershocks or possible tsunamis.  Reports earlier last week said that approximately 800-1,000 people have been reported to have been leaving the island by ferry, saying they did not feel the island was safe anymore.  Xinhua news service on Friday (April 8) reported that some 34,000 people had fled their homes because of the rumors. Although relief work continues at a slow pace due to some distribution problems, reports indicate that life on hardest-hit Nias and Simeulue appears to be slowly returning to normal. The epicenter of the March 28 earthquake was around 100 miles (160 km) southeast of the epicenter of the massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake on December 26. The epicenter was located at a depth of some 18.6 miles (30 km) and was some 880 miles (1410 km) northwest of the capital Jakarta, according to the USGS. The quake was reportedly centered on the same fault line where the December 26 earthquake generated the devastating tsunami.

 

Numerous aftershocks continue each day in the Sunda Trench just to the west of Sumatra and southeast of the December 26 magnitude 9.0 quake that triggered the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami.  Notable aftershocks include the March 28 magnitude 8.7 quake that devastated Nias Island, just off the coast, and the magnitude 6.7 quake in the Mentawai Islands just to the west of the city of Padang on Sumatra on April 10.  Shortly after this quake, the nearly 10,000-foot (3,048-meter) Talang Volcano started erupting.  With a status of “beware,” 26,000 residents were evacuated from five villages.  Talang’s status is now upgraded to “top alert” with more evacuations to public buildings and fields likely.  Although the height of spewing ash has diminished and no lava is flowing, tremors under the mountain indicate molten magma is moving and could make the surface.  Further to the southeast, two volcanoes have increased their activity.  At the southern tip of Sumatra, Anak Krakatoa picked up activity, and on the western end of the adjacent island, Java, Tangkuban Prahu increased activity and built up gasses.  Although activity at these two volcanoes is not unusual, seven thousand-foot (2,134-meter) Tangkuban Prahu, which is near Bandung, was upgraded to “alert” and visitors were banned from this, the area’s main tourist attraction.  No evacuations were ordered.  Residents of Sumatra’s west coast are particularly nervous in light of the three and a half months of aftershocks and rumors spread rapidly.

 

Vice President Jusuf Kalla says that the GoI had finalized the blueprint for the reconstruction of Aceh and North Sumatra. Kalla says that the blueprint was awaiting approval by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Kalla said there would be no changes to the blueprint, and that the people of Aceh had approved of it. He says the GoI would set up a special Aceh Authority Board (BOA) to implement the blueprint. Kalla says the GoI would select members of the BOA and would handle reconstruction projects worth some US$5 billion over the next five years. (Apr-9, Xinhua)

 

The Indonesian government and rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are currently in a third round of peace talks aimed at bringing peace to tsunami-affected Aceh province. Both sides said today that they had reached a “point of understanding” following the second of their six-day talks, which are scheduled to end on Sunday (April 17). The two sides had met separately with the mediator, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), and with each other yesterday. Before the talks, the rebel leaders had said that they would demand that Indonesian troops stop all anti-insurgency operations in Aceh before discussing their demand for self-government. GAM’s requests for a ceasefire were not discussed, but the two sides discussed the integration of GAM members into Acehnese society. They also agreed upon a new term for the autonomy that will be offered to the province, which will be called “self-government of Aceh province within the Republic of Indonesia.”

 

The Malaysian government said Tuesday (April 5) that it would soon withdraw all its remaining troops from Aceh after GoI asked Kuala Lumpur “to take measures to bring them home.” There are currently around 150 Malaysian troops left, down from some 400 earlier. “We have already reduced the number of our soldiers and in a short time all will return,” Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said. (Apr-6, AP)

 

According to a Government of Indonesia (GOI) press release issued on Tuesday, March 22, foreign aid workers working for humanitarian organizations and aid agencies in Aceh province would be able to renew their visas for a further one-month period after March 26.  GOI is requesting organizations wishing to continue their activities in Aceh to submit information about their planned activities and sources of funding by April 27, to help the government ascertain how they can best meet the reconstruction needs of the province.  Based upon the information provided by the organizations, the GOI would identify organizations with proven capability, capacity and experience in reconstruction activities and invite them to continue their involvement in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.  GOI says the measures were not intended to limit the activities of legitimate humanitarian organizations, but were aimed at establishing transparency in their activities and to ensure that their activities were in line with the needs of local communities.  The Jakarta Post has reported that at least 140 NGOs from 83 foreign countries are operating out of Aceh.  UNJLC has reported some 150-200 organizations.

 

On March 8, Aceh Governor Azwar Abubakar said that the GoI will stop building shelters in Aceh and instead focus on making sure existing ones have proper sanitation and clean water. He says that the decision was reached after many survivors indicated that they would rather stay with relatives than in temporary housing. Survivors had also expressed concerns that the centers were too far from places where people would seek employment. The government had planned to house some 100,000 people in at least 24 temporary centers across the province. It was unclear how many had been built so far. However, in February, the Jakarta Post reported that some 3,281 families, or more than 11,500 people, were moved into more than 300 temporary barracks in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar, Sigli, North Aceh, Aceh Jaya and West Aceh. GoI had planned on building some 803 semi-permanent barracks to accommodate the displaced for up to two years. Social Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab had said that after construction of the barracks, work would start on a second phase during which some 800,000 houses, each measuring some 387 square feet (36 square meters) would be constructed. Plans had some 30,000 of the houses to be built around Banda Aceh and 10,000 in Calang on the west coast. Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Human Rights First had expressed concerns that some Acehnese might be forcibly relocated or prevented from returning home. The groups also expressed concerns over the involvement of the military (TNI) in the relocation. (Feb-8, Reuters)

 

GOI put 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. The aid is in addition to US$3.4 billion donors pledged that will mostly go towards reducing the national deficit. During the international ministerial tsunami meeting in Geneva on January 11, several countries pledged US$900 million for a six-month period to Indonesia. Asian Development Bank (ADB) allocates US$800 million, in addition to tsunami relief. World Bank will provide US$300 million in initial support for Indonesia. (Jan-14, AlertNet) The GoI has so far announced a series of checks and balances to assuage fears of graft. Information Minister Sofyan Djalil says the GOI will set up a “credible” oversight scheme for international aid. American accounting firm of Ernst &Young will audit the aid. Welfare Minister Shihab says the government would make official monthly announcements of the amount of aid received and spent. State Minister for Development Planning, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, said March 14 that the 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 Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday (April 11) said that it approved a US$300 million grant for Indonesia, reportedly its largest grant ever, to rebuild areas hardest hit by the disaster. The money will be used for restoring essential public services, reviving economic activity and rebuilding infrastructure. (Apr-11, Reuters). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday (April 6) reported that damage to the agriculture and fisheries sector in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces had increased the number of poor by more than a million, raising the national head count ratio for the poor by half a percentage point to 18.7 percent. (Apr-6, AFP)

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: City returning to some semblance of normalcy. UNJLC reports that there are somewhere between 150-200 NGOs in Banda Aceh, of which only some 50 are registered with OCHA and reporting activities on a regular basis. (Feb-23, UNJLC)

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Western Islands: The Indonesian military (TNI) reopened the road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh on March 25. Soldiers have built some 64 temporary bridges and more than 80 kilometers of roads from scratch. Road surface remains rough and local government will be responsible for pouring asphalt. It takes approximately 8 hours to make the trip. (Mar-25, Reuters) A January UN, GOI and US military report says the tsunami destroyed virtually every village, town and roads and bridges along a 170-kilometer (105-mile) stretch of coast that was not more than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level. An assessment of the western islands off the coast of Sumatra found considerable damage to housing and livelihoods. UNICEF assessment found that at least 80 percent of education facilities on Simuelue have been destroyed. (Mar-10, Jakarta Post) A recent UNICEF assessment following the March 28 quake revealed that virtually all remaining education facilities were destroyed. The west coast of Aceh had a population of about one million in its six regencies, with about 500,000 in the heavily damaged northern three and 500,000 in the southern three.

 

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 16

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 17

 

Overview: Sri Lanka reportedly now has combined the figures for its dead and missing into one figure for dead and presumed dead and missing. The combined total stands at 38,916. (Apr-8, Reuters) The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is using a final toll of around 40,000 for planning purposes in its recovery plan. Justice Minister John Senevirathne says that the current period of one year before a missing person can be declared dead would be reduced to one month for people who were last seen or heard from on December 26, 2004. (Feb-23, AFP)

 

The total number of IDPs has been raised to about 553,287 after figures from additional districts were compiled and added. Of these, 141,985 are in “welfare centers” and 411,302 are with relatives or friends. (Feb.16, UNJLC)

 

Police said on March 30 that at least 5 people were killed when thousands fled coastal areas during the tsunami warning from the 8.7-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on March 28. Sri Lankan lawmakers on Tuesday (March 29) called for a single agency to issue warnings after people complained of a lack of information concerning the tsunami alert after the disaster. (Mar-30, AFP)

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga says that the latest tsunami scare justifies her government’s decision to ban rebuilding 100 meters from the ocean. Critics of the ban have accused the government of wanting to keep poor fishermen off the beach in order to attract expensive resorts. Fishermen have staged several protests against the new rule. (Mar-30, PTI)

 

The GoSL says that it has received donor pledges amounting to some US$2 billion as tsunami assistance following the disaster, however, only US$750 million has been made available for disbursement. (Apr-11, GoSL) On April 7, the GoSL had said that a national reconstruction plan could finally get under way because donors had firmly committed some US$1.5 billion worth of tsunami aid. Donors pledged US$2 billion, but around US$500 million is yet to be signed and firmly committed. A few weeks ago, the GoSL had complained that rebuilding had been delayed because aid was only trickling in. “It is from now that the construction phase begins. Now we are going into the third phase…the full reconstruction and infrastructural phase, for which we have got a lot of donors,” Finance Minister Sarath Amunuguma said. (Apr-7, Reuters) The GoSL plan involves building some 62 townships, 75 miles (120 km) of electric railway, improving 55 miles (89 km) of highway and granting assistance to affected families to rebuild housing. Chair of the GoSL Taskforce for Rebuilding the Nation, Mano Tittawella, estimates that it will take 6-9 months to build houses, 1-3 years to build roads and a modern water supply system, and another 1-3 years to build new railway lines. (Mar-23, Reuters)

 

An international donors meeting attended by former US president Bill Clinton who is also the UN Special Envoy on tsunami reconstruction, will be held in the capital Colombo in May to evaluate the progress of donor-assisted projects, Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said. The meeting will reportedly be the first of quarterly meetings held by donors. (Apr-8, DailyNews)

 

The UN’s Food and Agriculture (FAO) organization reports that poor farmers face losing a whole season’s worth of crops unless they are helped immediately. The first growing season since the disaster struck is due when monsoon rains begin later in April. FAO estimates around 40 percent of affected lands are ready for cultivation. The agency says there is an immediate need to rebuild fences, repair pumps and agro-wells, and supply farmers with tools, seeds and fertilizer. (Apr-1, FAO)

 

Norwegian mediators are trying to finalize a joint agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to handle tsunami aid to Sri Lanka.  In March, the LTTE had accepted a draft proposal on the setting up of a joint mechanism to handle millions of dollars in aid.  The government has yet to formally accept the Norwegian offer, but Kadirgamar said the process appears to be moving closer to a deal. On March 30 the LTTE reportedly sought further changes to the proposed mechanism and handed their proposal to Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim in Vienna on March 28. (Mar-30, Xinhua) An estimated two-thirds of the victims from the tsunami disaster were from the Tamil-dominated north and east of the country. The LTTE has been demanding that they be given access to some of the foreign aid that has come into the country since the disaster.  However, any agreement has reportedly been delayed because of domestic politics.  The Marxist People’s Liberation Front, a key partner in Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s coalition government, has reportedly opposed the LTTE's involvement in rebuilding efforts, saying that it could give international legitimacy to the rebels. Sri Lanka’s donors have been urging the two sides to agree on the joint mechanism. Last week Thursday (April 7), Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said that the government was awaiting a response from the rebels. He says that some of the LTTE leaders who were handling the proposal were out of the country. (Apr-7, AFP)

 

Sri Lanka’s central bank said on February 16 that reconstruction work and foreign aid will more than offset the economic losses suffered during the disaster. The bank revised economic growth for 2005 upwards to around 5.5 percent, which is higher than the 4.0 percent forecast by the International Monetary Fund. The bank says that fisheries and tourism had already begun a recovery. (Feb-18, AFP)

 

World Bank doubled its commitment to relief in Sri Lanka from US$75 million to US$150 million in emergency credits and grants. Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it would reallocate US$7 million from Rural Financial Sector Development Program to an emergency micro-credit program. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board earlier this week approved some US$157.5 million for Sri Lanka. (Mar-9, IMF)

 

The ADB reported that the disaster led to significant job losses in Sri Lanka’s fishing communities and small-scale traders, increasing the number of poor by 287,000 people and the national poverty level by 1.4 percentage points to 26.6 percent. ADB also said economic growth is expected to slow this year with GDP falling from 5.5 percent in 2004 to a forecast rate of 5.2 percent this year. The bank says the biggest risk for the economy was the lack of progress in the peace process with the LTTE. Additionally, the ADB reports that the tsunami cost an estimated 400,000 jobs for 200,000 families. (Apr-6, AFP, Mar-18, ADB)

 

Following confirmation from the Paris Club of 19 creditor nations that it would freeze payments from tsunami-affected nations this year, Sri Lanka said that it would lobby for a freeze of its payments until the end of 2006 or 2007.  Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister, Sarath Amunugama, said that reconstruction in Sri Lanka would take from three to five years.  The Paris Club has agreed to allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years, with a one-year grace period.  Sri Lanka reportedly owes the Paris Club some US$4.6 billion in debt stock and interest.

 

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

 

Sector Status
Affected Population	Over 516,000 people remain displaced; over 100,000 still in camps or shelters, over 400,000 now living with relatives or friends. (Mar-24, Reuters) WFP foresees the number of beneficiaries for February to be 845,000, and increase from its January figure of 750,000. This figure is likely to fall to about 650,000 in March. Nearly 72,000 children and 2,700 teachers affected. More than 1,000 children were orphaned and at least 3,600 lost one parent. (Mar-9, DPA)
Coordination	On February 4th the Centre for National Operations (CNO) handed over responsibilities of continuing its main functions of collating and analyzing data, coordinating and facilitating relief measures connected to healthcare, education, foreign donor assistance and food relief. The Task Force for Relief (TAFOR) will directly assume these responsibilities. 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 CGES. Responsibilities connected to IDPs, Transit Camps, and liaison with the District Secretaries will be the task of the CGES. (Feb-9, UNJLC)   World Bank President James D. Wolfenson stressed it would be imperative that Sri Lanka puts in place quick measures to monitor the large amount of funds that are flowing into the country. President Kumaratunga assured that the GoSL has already put in place mechanisms for the General Treasury to follow. (Feb-10)   UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team established an operations center at the Ministry of Public Security, Law, and Order and is working to coordinate emergency assessments and reports. UN-agencies (WFP, UNHCR, IOM and UNICEF) have to set up regional offices in Galle. Logistic Operations Centers (LOCs) has been set up in Batticaloa and Kilinochchi.   Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) is posting on its website the weekly meeting schedules of UN agencies, NGOs, and government agencies in Colombo and Batticaloa districts. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)   For information on IDP camps, injured, mission, deaths, and, schools, hospitals, houses and roads and bridges damaged, as well as spreadsheets with the amounts and sorts of relief goods that have been distributed, check the CNO website at http://www.cnosrilanka.org/ The Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation’s website, www.mrrr.lk contains additional information.
Logistics	Train operations on the coastal railway line were reportedly fully restored on April 11, after the Pinwatte bridge, which was damaged by the tsunami, was repaired. Reportedly over 70,000 people travel on the coastal railway line. (Apr-11, DailyNews)   GoSL has reportedly issued a series of measures to accelerate customs clearances of relief goods (Mar-9, UNJLC)   UNJLC report, “Comprehensive Road Network Assessment of the Tsunami Struck Areas in Sri Lanka” completed and available at www.unjlc.org. (Feb-23, UNJLC)   There is a UN On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) and UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) presence in Colombo. The UNJLC also runs the Logistics Operations Center (LOC) which has been tasked to coordinate logistics operations of UN agencies and assists humanitarian relief agencies and NGOs in acquiring transport for the movement of humanitarian relief cargo out of Colombo.
Food	WFP says it is providing food aid to some 709,000 people. WFP says that from April, WFP will begin giving 120,000 children a nutritious snack at school. (Mar-30, AFP)   Thousands of fishermen unable to return to sea because of lack of boats and nets. (Mar-24, Reuters)   WFP says it will start a school feeding program in April for some 120,000 children, in addition to the 165,000 children who were already enrolled. (Mar-9, Dailynews)   WFP will begin distribution of corn-soya blended food to 200,000 vulnerable people and to 112,000 mothers and infants. (Mar-9, Dailynews)   WFP reports that more than 90 percent of beneficiaries have now been issued coupon cards by the GoSL that enable them to receive allotments of food and cash. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)   WFP announced the food pipeline has essentially been secured until end of March (Feb-4, OCHA)
Water and Sanitation	Japan donated 9 gully suckers (sewage cleaning trucks) and 30 water tanks to GoSL in late March. (Mar-31, DailyNews)   6019 of some 12,000 contaminated wells have been cleaned so far. (Feb-23, WHO)
Public Health and Medical	UNICEF says it distributed almost 80,000 mosquito nets, issued leaflets promoting breastfeeding and issued emergency health kits. (Apr-5, AFP)   Doctors in Sri Lanka say there are small outbreaks of illnesses such as chicken pox, diarrhea and fever in refugee camps in the Kinniya area near the northeastern town of Trincomalee. There are some 4,000 refugees in the area. (Mar-30, BBC)   Sri Lanka Ministry of Health has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to rebuild and rehabilitate 34 health facilities. (Mar-18, IFRC)   UNICEF says some 5 to 10 percent of child survivors remain traumatized. (Mar-7, DPA)   WHO is the lead agency in facilitating health sector coordination issues through the Ministry of Health and Nutrition (MOH)   All hospitals are functioning. Three basic public health laboratories are established in Kalmunai, Batticoloa, and Ampara to diagnose epidemic-prone diseases and to test water quality. In Ampara and Batticaloa districts, 37 different agencies are offering psychosocial support. (Feb-4, WHO)
Shelter	IDP camps in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara were badly affected by rain over the past week. Some IDPs in Trincomalee forced to relocate. (Apr-13, UNJLC)   GoSL says it has taken measures to immediately grant US$2,500 to families whose houses have been completely destroyed while owners of partially damaged houses would receive US$1,000. (Apr-5, GoSL)   Aid agencies say reconstruction in the south and east going slowly. Many people in the south reportedly building their own shelters and defying a 100-meter coastal buffer zone imposed by the government. Officials in the rebel-held North say tens of thousands of people will most likely have to wait around a year before enough homes are finished. (Mar-25, Reuters)   The Urban Development Authority (UDA), in collaboration with donors and NGOs and the corporate sector, will construct some 40,000 permanent houses within six to nine months. (Mar-23, Dailynews) Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) says it has constructed some 12,000 transitional houses out of the total 40,000. (Apr-11, GoSL)   Temporary shelters under the Transitional Accommodation Projects (TAP) being built by the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) is working to complete the construction of 30,000 temporary houses. Each unit will reportedly be built to last some 12 to 18 months. 10,000 to be built before April 10 and the rest by end of May. (Mar-23, Dailynews) The focus will be on the south of Sri Lanka which will face the early monsoon rains first. (Apr-13, Oxfam)   UNHCR Ampara has initiated a pilot project with its key shelter implementing partner, the Rural Development Foundation, to build some 42 shelters. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)   Immediate needs are being met by 315 camps, schools, places of worship, and other public buildings. A total of 155 schools are being used as temporary shelters for displaced families. IDPs continue to leave camps, reportedly because they are concerned that they could lose their land.
Infrastructure	WFP said that it is working with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other agencies to help clear debris in fishing communities and to replace boats and nets. (Mar-30, AFP)   North East provincial Governor Tyronne Fernando says that reconstruction and rehabilitation in Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts in government-controlled areas is going apace, with the key exception in the region being Mullaitivu district, which is under LTTE control. (Mar-23, Dailynews)   WFP says that in May or April it will assist some 277,000 people in rebuilding roads and infrastructure. WFP will also work with IOM, and FAO to help debris-clearing and to rebuild homes. (Mar-9, Dailynews)   Some 260 schools were destroyed and 170 others damaged or being used for IDP camps. (Mar-7, DPA)   Mano Tittawella, senior advisor to President Kumaratunga and head of the reconstruction task force, announced a three-year plan to rebuild the country. Around sixty percent of the US$1.8 billion plan will target LTTE-controlled areas with fisheries and small businesses as the main focus. The plan is separate from another US$1.4 billion aid scheme that will focus on infrastructure needs over the next decade. (Feb-11, AFP)   Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said it is estimated that nearly 100,000 new houses would have to be built due to the tsunami. (Feb-14, Daily News)   ICRC through the Danish Red Cross Society and American Red Cross have a long-term plan to support Sri Lanka in rehabilitation/reconstruction of the public health facilities. (Feb-10, WHO) UNICEF is also supporting the GoSL for the reconstruction and renovation of damaged health facilities.
Security	The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) reported Friday (April 8) that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had violated the ceasefire by attacking a Sri Lankan Navy boat on Tuesday (April 5) near the eastern port of Trincomalee.    Clashes between rival groups of the LTTE reported to be ongoing in the east.   On February 11, GoSL extended by a month a state of emergency in tsunami-hit areas to give wide powers to security forces to carry out relief operations.   UNHCR and UNICEF are doing a rapid protection assessment in the East, North and South to determine the preferences of people regarding their relocation. Assessment will be completed by the end of the month. (Mar-1, UNOCHA)   Sri Lanka marked the third anniversary of its longest ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on February 23.

 

Thailand

 

 

 

Overview. ………………………………………………. page 23

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 24

 

Overview: Thailand is well into recovery and reconstruction. Key issues are environmental, psychosocial and livelihood restoration, ensuring care for vulnerable groups and improving disaster preparedness.

 

Latest death toll on April 8 was at 5,395 and missing was 2,929. (Apr-8, Reuters) At least 1,953 of the victims were foreigners. As of March 23, the identities of some 1,010 people had been confirmed. There are about 2,547 unidentified bodies. NGOs and immigration police said death toll might be under-reported as at least 2,000 Myanmar migrants may have been killed. A senior Thai official said last Thursday (April 7) that it may take up to five years to identify the some 2,547 unidentified victims in Thailand, at least half of which are thought to be foreign tourists. An international forensic team had identified 1,176 bodies since it began work on Jan. 13. “It will take at least another two to five years to finish identifying these bodies,” said police colonel Pornprasert Ganjanarintr of the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification center on Phuket. (Apr-7, Reuters)

 

Land grab by wealthy politicians and developers for lucrative beachfront properties of tsunami victims continuing in Khao Lak. (Apr-8, CSM)

 

Agricultural and Cooperatives Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan says that the number of provinces, including 9 in the south, is suffering from drought has been reduced from 72 to 16 by the GoT’s artificial rain-making operations. (Apr-11, Bangkok Post)

 

The International Disaster Victims Identification Team (DVI) at Wat Yanyao in Takua Pa district in Phang Nga province has closed down on March 25. (Mar-25, Bangkok Post) Royal Thai Police (under Interior Ministry), and Australian Federal Police are heading the DVI in Phuket. 460 international forensic experts from more than 20 countries are assisting in body identification. Three centers for identifying victims are left: Bang Maruan morgue, Mai Khao morgue and the Phuket Disaster Victim Identification Center. (Mar-14, Xinhua) Following the March 28 earthquake, local officials and hoteliers on the Andaman coast were urged to work out effective evacuation plans to prevent tsunami deaths. (Apr-6, Bangkok Post) Meanwhile, academics say little attention in government aid is being paid to life and social recovery while efforts are focused on physical, environmental and tourism aspects. (Apr-6, Bangkok Post)

 

Tourism sector expected to sustain largest impact because it contributes 5-6% to the total GDP. Disaster expected to cost tourist industry some US$780 million (30 billion baht) in 2005. (Mar-24, Reuters) Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi contribute about half of Thailand’s tourism revenues. Over the weekend, at least 2 people were killed in 3 bomb blasts at Hat Yai International Airport, a French retail store and a hotel in Songkhla province. Hat Yai is the major gateway to the southern region. Security has been increased in the southern region since the April 3 bombings at Hat Yai International Airport, a French retail store and a hotel in Songkhla province killed at least 2 people. The attacks were the first major ones outside the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and have raised concerns that insurgents may be extending their reach beyond the region and to new targets. Police in Phuket announced tighter security during the Songkran water festival which starts today (Wednesday, April 13). (Apr-8, TNA)

 

Local officials have reportedly made rapid progress on disaster evacuation plans, and have designated 3 evacuation areas near the resort area of Kamala Beach. (Apr-7, TNA) Disaster warning towers have also been installed at three spots on Patong Beach. (Apr-14, Bangkok Post)

 

The Thai Cabinet on March 1 approved a US$137 million budget for tourism revival projects after slashing the initial amount by some US$107 million. Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula says that the government had so far paid some US$6.25 million in compensation. (Mar-2, The Nation).