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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

May 18, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-4

Indonesia.....................................page 5-10

Sri Lanka.....................................page 11-16

Thailand.......................................page 17-20

Overview

 

·      The overall focus of attention is on long-term 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 approximate 60 percent cut. The change in the number missing reflects the identification of people who were listed as missing but were actually among those displaced after the disaster destroyed their homes. Over 1.7 million are reported to be homeless.

 

·      Tsunami-related deaths were recorded in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. The loss of life is particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Some 166,000 dead and missing are from Indonesia. The dead and missing toll in Sri Lanka climbed to nearly 39,000. In India, at least 10,672 died in Tamil Nadu State and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The death toll on Thailand’s west coast climbed to around 5,400, including some 1,953 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) 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. 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.

 

·      Coordination: The UN announced an agreement with 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: FAO says overall food availability in the region is adequate to cover needs. WFP says it is providing food to more than 1.9 million people. (Apr-26, Indonesia Relief)

 

·      Health/Medical: WHO estimates 500,000 people were injured. There were scattered reports of diarrhea, malaria, dengue, measles, pneumonia, tetanus and skin infections, but no outbreaks.

 

o      The WHO said it and other humanitarian organizations must change the way they respond to natural disasters.  A future agenda would focus more on health and psychological trauma, cut down on duplication of tasks and promote greater civilian-military coordination.  Reuters reports that a controversial recommendation by the WHO was that the UN would create a rapid assessment of what was required and then requisition military support agreed upon in advance.  Officials said that they set a six-month deadline for reform. 

 

·      Security: Reports of continued violence in Sri Lanka’s east

 

o      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.

 

·       Political-Military:

 

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 affected.

 

·      International Assistance: The UN reported that humanitarian assistance to tsunami-affected countries totaled some US$6.28 billion. (Apr-25, UN) 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.

 

·    The US Business Roundtable, an association of some 160 CEOs, says that it has contributed some US$200 million in funding, services and materials to tsunami relief, part of over US$450 million donated for reconstruction. More than 300 business leaders held a one-day “private sector summit on post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction” in Washington. The group also announced a new initiative called Partnership for Disaster Relief that will expand the private sector commitment to global relief efforts by creating a network to expedite aid. (May 14, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

·    At the business leaders conference, Jan Egeland, UN emergency relief coordinator, said that reconstruction has been slow. “I am concerned with people in the displacement camps that it (reconstruction) is going slower than they had expected to get back their homes, their livelihood,” Egeland said. He also urged governments to be transparent in awarding reconstruction contracts to avoid corruption. (AFP, May 13)

 

·       Former US President Bill Clinton is the UN special envoy to head UN operations for recovery and reconstruction. (Apr 13, 14, Indonesia-Relief, UNNS)

 

·    Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said on April 6 that the UN was raising its initial appeal of US$970 million to US$1.08 billion. (Apr-6, Reuters)

 

·    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.

 

o   The FAO reported that soil salinity in affected areas was less severe than thought. 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         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, 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)

 

·       International Development & Relief Organizations:

o      The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on May 9 launched a US$653 million 5-year plan to help 10 countries to rebuild. (May-9, Reuters)

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 6

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 8

Overview: The Associated Press reported on May 3 that according to the National Disaster Relief Coordinating Board, Indonesia’s confirmed death toll rose by 213 to 128,790. (May-3, AP) The number of missing remains at 37,063 according to the national disaster coordinating agency. (Apr-18, AFP) The Indonesian government (GoI) earlier in April 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.

 

Indonesia’s government and parliament have officially agreed to lift the year-old state of civil emergency in Aceh this week.  “After the government’s briefing on the evaluation on the implementation of the state of civil emergency and its analysis on the existing development, the leadership of the parliament and the government agree to end the state of civil emergency in Aceh,” Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a report.  Yudhoyono was quoted by the Kompas newspaper that the province would revert to normal at midnight on Wednesday (May 18).  Last week, chief security minister Widodo Adi Sucipto said that the government planned to lift the state of emergency in Aceh but also added that Jakarta planned to maintain military operations in the province against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.  The government had launched a major military operation in the province and imposed martial law on May 19, 2003 after peace talks with the GAM rebels fell through.  In May 2004, the government lifted martial law and replaced it with a 6-month long state of civil emergency.  In November, the state of civil emergency was extended for another 6 months.  Yudhoyono said that the government was prepared to continue peace talks with the GAM but said that some things were not negotiable.  “There are several things that can be negotiated but there are several principal matters that are not negotiable, such as the matter of the constitution, the structure of the state and the principles of special autonomy,” Yudhoyono said.  After the earthquake and tsunami disaster on December 26, Jakarta and GAM resumed peace talks in Helsinki, Finland.  A fourth round of talks is scheduled for later this month.

 

The Indonesian government on May 11 said that foreign aid workers can extend their visas for another month. Visas for foreign aid workers were set to expire but Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the government’s rebuilding agency for Aceh said they could be extended. He says that the extension would allow his agency to assess the work of the aid organizations. (May-11, AP) The government has required foreign aid groups to give detailed reports of their activities so the government could decide whether the visas will be extended.  Some observers say some nationalist politicians and the military are suspicious of foreign groups and may fear the presence of aid groups might increase international sympathy for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in Aceh. 

 

The Indonesian government said on Monday (May 2) that foreign aid groups that want to continue working in Aceh province will have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that they will not “interfere in the country’s domestic affairs” or support the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist movement. 

 

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed members to an agency which will oversee the reconstruction of Aceh province, called the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR-Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi) for Aceh and Nias.  The BRR will have a full time staff and two oversight boards.  The BRR will be based in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, with a branch office in Nias and a representative office in Jakarta and will operate for a period of four years.  The agency will be headed by former mines and energy minister Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, who will manage the some US$4.84 billion fund for reconstructing Aceh and Nias.  Mangkusubroto served in the administrations of former president Suharto and B.J. Habibie and once headed the state-owned electricity firm. Chief Security Minister, Widodo Adi Sucipto was also appointed to the agency, which has some 40 members.  National Development Planning Minister Sri Mulyani says the agency should work according to a reconstruction blueprint adopted on April 15 as the master plan for reconstruction. Mangkusubroto says that the new agency will be completely transparent to prevent corruption.  (May-9, Reuters, BBC) According to the Jakarta Post, the government would appoint the Supreme Audit Agency, the State Development Comptroller and private accounting firms to audit financial reports from the agency to ensure accountability of the money spent. The body will be directly accountable to the president and financially accountable to the Ministry of Finance.  The BRR has approved some US$1.2 billion in reconstruction projects for Aceh and Nias thus far, including the construction of new houses, and the rebuilding of schools and hospitals. (May 18, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

The GoI has collaborated with NGOs and donor to initiate the construction of e-Aceh, “a unitary information sharing portal on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh and Nias,” in response to the need for transparency and coordination of reconstruction.

 

GOI put the December tsunami/earthquake losses at US$4.5 billion. The Consultative Group on Indonesia, made up of 30 international lenders, pledged US$1.7 billion in tsunami aid for 2005, consisting of US$1.2 billion in grants and US$500 million in soft loans. 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) 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. 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 April 20 said that it plans to lend some US$519 million to Indonesia in 2005. The ADB said it already approved US$64.7 million in loans and US$16.5 million in grants this year to help some 1,500 communities in rural Indonesia that were affected by the disaster. Five more projects amounting to US$454 million are proposed for the rest of the year. The ADB approved a US$300 million emergency assistance grant to Indonesia, reportedly its largest ever. (Apr-20, ADB)

 

The World Bank reported May 10 that at the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Aceh and North Sumatra, some US$250 million in grant financing was approved for projects to provide housing, land rights and community facilities for Aceh and Nias. The Multi-Donor Trust Fund is a pool of some US$500 million in grant resources provided by donor countries to support reconstruction. The fund is managed by the World Bank and guided by a committee consisting of the GoI, donors, and civil society representatives. (May-10, World Bank)

 

Banda Aceh vicinity: City returning to some semblance of normalcy. UNJLC reports that there are somewhere between 150-200 NGOs in Banda Aceh. (Feb-23, UNJLC)

 

West Coast of Aceh Province/Western Islands: 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. The Indonesian military (TNI) reopened the road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh on March 25. (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. (Mar-10, Jakarta Post) 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 12

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 14

 

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) Of the total, approximately 5,000 have been declared missing. (May-3, DPA)

 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that some 518,698 people remain displaced with most living with relatives and friends, some in “collective accommodation centers” or in camps. UNICEF says that according to the GoSL, 800,000 people were initially displaced. The GoSL said on April 28 that around 50,000 people in Sri Lanka made homeless by the tsunami are still in tents and relief centers. The GoSL and aid groups have built temporary housing for some 77,000. Mano Tittawella, chair of the Presidential Task Force for Relief and Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) says the GoSL finished demarcating land for up to 34,000 permanent houses outside of the buffer zone. He says that the bulk of the project will start in May and June and 80 to 90 percent of the housing units are expected to be completed by the last quarter of the year. The Daily News reports that some 194 donors have made pledges to construct around 97,000 permanent houses. GoSL has also decided to continue the family allowance of some Rp5,000 (US$50) up to June 30. (Apr-29, Daily News)

 

After the closing day of a two-day international donors meeting held in Kandy, Sri Lanka, government officials say that donations and debt relief have reached some US$3 billion over a period of three to five years, nearly twice as much as what the government has estimated it will cost to rebuild.  Sri Lankan Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama said that aid commitments from Japan and China had pushed the previous tally of some US$2.2 billion in aid and US$300 million in Paris Club debt relief to nearly US$3 billion.  “With Japan and China’s latest announcements, (pledged aid) has exceeded our expectations.  We have received assurances that up to US$3 billion will be made available for the reconstruction phase,” Amunugama said. 

 

The government has estimated that it will cost up to US$1.6 billion to rebuild infrastructure destroyed or damaged by the December 26 tsunami.  The so-called Paris Club of rich creditor nations in March offered to freeze Sri Lanka’s $300 million in debt payments until the end of 2005.  The government has said it wishes to see that extended for three years.  Sri Lankan Central Bank Governor Sunil Mendis said that the aid, along with the Paris Club debt freeze, could help offset the disaster’s impact on the growth forecast for 2005.  “With the pledged aid coming in, the projected growth rate of 5.3 percent, it can improve to anything between 5.3 percent and 6.0 percent this year,” Mendis said. 

 

Donors at the meeting also pushed the government to continue pursuing the peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as well as the so-called “joint mechanism” deal on the distribution of tsunami aid with the rebels.  “We’re not imposing conditions, but at the same time Sri Lanka cannot take international lenders for granted,” World Bank vice president for South Asia, Praful Patel said.  “For many development partners, the peace process is at the core of their interest in Sri Lanka,” he added.  Yesterday, President Chandrika Kumaratunga told the donor conference that she was willing to risk her government and her own safety to push for the joint mechanism deal.  Kumaratunga faces opposition from some parties within her shaky coalition government, particularly the Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP), which has threatened to pull out of the coalition government if the joint mechanism is formed, saying that the LTTE will use it to achieve their ultimate goal of a separate homeland. The LTTE control Tamil-dominated areas in the north and east, which were some of the hardest-hit areas from the tsunami.  After allegations by the LTTE that the government was discriminating against Tamils in tsunami-affected areas, the international community urged the joint mechanism idea which would allow for the distribution of funds in those areas and would also allow some governments to give funds to LTTE-controlled areas, as most are hesitant to give directly to the group, which is listed as a terrorist organization by some countries.

 

SP Thamilselvan, chief of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said that more than US$1 billion was needed to rebuild Tamil areas ruined in the disaster.  It is the first time that the LTTE has put a number to damage inflicted in LTTE-controlled areas.

 

Sri Lanka has already spent some US$300 million of government money and has received some US$130 million dollars in private donations. (May-11, AFP)

 

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) 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 TAFREN, 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)

 

UNOCHA reports that an FAO salinity expert says that some 10,400 acres of farm land have been destroyed by the tsunami, which includes some 8,000 acres of paddy land. Additionally, a total of 27,000 home gardens were destroyed. The Sri Lankan Minister of Agriculture says that direct damage to the farmers of the tsunami was some US$3.5 million. An FAO Agriculture Advisor says that around 148,000 chickens, 7,600 cattle, 4,900 buffalo, 14,200 goats and 118 pigs were killed in the tsunami. He adds that some 273 tons of paddy seed with just over 1,000 tons of fertilizer and funds for vegetable production and other field crops are needed in the four districts of Amapara, Hambantota, Matara, and Galle for the Yala season. Forty percent of the damaged land should be ready for cultivation this Yala season and 70 percent for the Maha season.

 

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 Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on April 14 that it has approved a US$197 million assistance package for two projects that will rebuild areas in Sri Lanka. The package includes a US$150 million grant and a US$7 million loan for the Tsunami-affected Areas Rebuilding Project (TAARP) to restore basic social infrastructure, community and public services, and livelihood, the ADB said in a statement. A US$14 million grant and a US$26 million loan will be for the North East Community Restoration and Development Project II (NECORD II) to continue the government’s rehabilitation program in conflict-affected areas in the north and east of the country. (Apr-14, AFP)

 

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.  The Paris Club has agreed to allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years, with a one-year grace period.  Sri Lanka owes the Paris Club some US$4.6 billion. The US on May 13 said that it is offering the GoSL a one-year debt relief amounting to some US$40 million dollars and rescheduling that repayment over a four-year period. US is also moving to rebuild fishing harbors, schools and playgrounds in affected areas. (May 13, AFP)

 

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) 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)   According to statistics published by the Tamil daily Virakesari, out of the total killed, some 12,562 were Muslims. Amparai district in the southeast accounted for 7,258 (58 percent) of the total number of Muslims who were killed in the disaster. Out of the overall figure of missing, some 1,980 (34 percent) were Muslims. 7,285 of the injured (48.5 percent) were Muslims. (May 16, Hindustan Times)
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 Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES). Responsibilities connected to IDPs, Transit Camps, and liaison with the District Secretaries will be the task of the CGES. (Feb-9, UNJLC)   For further information, check the TAFREn website at http://www.tafren.gov.lk/ or the CNO website at http://www.cnosrilanka.org/ The Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation’s website, www.mrrr.lk contains additional information.
Logistics	According to the UNJLC, on April 26, relief consignments of UN agencies at the Colombo port and airport will no longer be exempt from taxes and duties when new clearance procedures are to be introduced. NGOs can only acquire tax and duty concessions by handling the consignments through the Department of Social Services for distribution or having the department supervise the distribution. (Apr-19, OCHA)   Train operations on the coastal railway line were reportedly fully restored on April 11. Reportedly over 70,000 people travel on the coastal railway line. (Apr-11, DailyNews)   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 feeding some 910,000 people and will continue to do so until the end of June. WFP initially began feeding some 750,000 people and had expected to be targeting only the most vulnerable by April. Some 40 trucks with some 400 tons of food leave Colombo every day. WFP has delivered some 50,000 tons of food thus far. (May 18, Reuters)   FAO has initiated the delivery of some US$1.74 million worth of seeds and fertilizer to farmers in southern Sri Lanka. (Apr-29, FAO)   FAO’s Senior Advisor for Fisheries, with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, says that the total number of traditional craft (canoes) destroyed by the tsunamis is 9,975. Some 741 boats have been provided to recipients thus far, and a total of 11,217 are to be constructed. The east coast was the hardest hit, with total losses of some 4,340 canoes. (Apr-19, OCHA)   WFP says it is providing food aid to some 709,000 people. (Mar-30, AFP)   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)
Water and Sanitation	South Korea is funding a Greater Galle water supply project expected to cost some US$48.2 million and will benefit some 160,000 people in the greater Galle area. (May 12, Daily News)   Americares has launched a US$1,000,000 water purification program to improve water quality and provide permanent sources of clean water for more than 46,000 survivors. (Apr-18, Americares)
Public Health and Medical	According to Save the Children, some 29 cases of Dengue fever have been reported in March in Matara. (Apr-19, UNOCHA)   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)   WHO is the lead agency in facilitating health sector coordination issues through the Ministry of Health and Nutrition (MOH)
Shelter	Officials say that the construction of temporary houses for tsunami-affected people in Galle district has been mostly completed. Out of the total 5,403 houses, 2,737 houses have been constructed by April 30 and 1,818 houses are under construction. (May 12, GoSL)   The GoSL says that some 90 percent of the permanent housing for tsunami-affected families will be completed by the fourth quarter of this year. TAFREN chair Mano Tittawella says that the bulk of the project should get off the ground by May or June. (May 16, DailyNews)   IOM has completed some 529 transitional accommodations for 529 tsunami-affected families. 685 transitional accommodations are under construction. (May 15, IOM)   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)   Temporary shelters under the Transitional Accommodation Projects (TAP) being built by the 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. (Mar-23, Dailynews) The focus will be on the south of Sri Lanka which will face the early monsoon rains first. (Apr-13, Oxfam) The TAP says that so far some 15,468 temporary houses in 8 districts have been built since April 15. Work on some 7,856 units are in progress and expected to be completed soon. Breakdown by district is: Colombo (798), Kalutara (628), Galle (1968), Matara (1076), Hambantota (1229), Ampara (54442), Batticaloa (2892), and Trincomalee (1436).   Immediate needs were being met by 315 camps, schools, places of worship, and other public buildings.
Infrastructure	A total of 77,561 houses have been damaged or destroyed by the tsunami, including 41,393 houses that were completely washed away, according to the latest figures by the Census and Statistics Department. (Apr-29, Daily News)   Some 260 schools were destroyed and 170 others damaged or being used for IDP camps. (Mar-7, DPA)   Mano Tittawella, 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)   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 health facilities.
Security	Sporadic violence continues between rival Tamil Tiger factions, mostly in the east.   Sri Lanka marked the third anniversary of its longest ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on February 23.

 

Thailand

 

 

 

Overview. ………………………………………………. page 18

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 18

 

Overview: Latest death toll issued by the Thai Ministry of Interior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation remains at 5,395 but as bodies are identified, the number of Thai deceased (1,975) has risen by 14 since mid-April and foreign nationals by 292 (now 2,245). (May 13, UN) Number of missing is at 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 2,450 unidentified bodies (Apr-17, TNA). A senior Thai official said on 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. (Apr-7, Reuters)

 

The government has sent some 2,000 DNA samples of unidentified foreigners who died in the tsunami disaster to the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) in Sarajevo, Bosnia. 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)

 

Tourism Council of Thailand President Vichit Na Ranong says that Phuket lost at least 20 billion baht (US$502 million) between January and March (the high season). (May 18, Phuket Gazette)

 

The tsunami reportedly destroyed 40 percent of the hotel rooms in 6 provinces. In Khao Lak, almost no hotels have reopened, Reuters reported. International arrivals in Phuket were down 77 percent in January-March compared with the first three months of last year. (May-6, Reuters) 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.

 

The Thai navy’s Third Fleet on Tuesday (May 17) launched a two-day sea rescue drill to promote better coordination during search and rescue operations. (May 18, Bangkok Post)