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

 

June 8, 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 17-21

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.

 

·      The world’s largest reinsurer, Munich Re, initially estimated the total cost of the disaster will exceed US$13.6 billion. In February, 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.

 

·      Researchers in a conference sponsored by US-based academic institutions (including the East-West Center) on June 3-4 in Bangkok, Thailand, have found that significant human rights problems still persist in tsunami-affected areas. Researchers found that vulnerable groups, including women, children and migrants are suffering from violence in conflict-affected areas, exploitation and corruption that has blocked aid in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. (June-6, East West Center)

 

·      Coordination: The UN announced an agreement with Price Waterhouse Coopers for 8,000 hours of pro bono work to monitor disbursement of the US$977 million tsunami relief fund. (Mar-14, UN)

 

• The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, announced a website to track funds pledged, while also urging that more attention should be given to the world’s neglected humanitarian emergencies. The website will be accessible through www.reliefweb.int and will have information on pledges received and disbursed. (May-24, UNNS)

 

• Recent audits of relief organizations in the US and Australia reveal that during the first 90 days following the tsunami, 17-18 percent of the funds have been actually spent, indicating a somewhat slow pace of expenditure. (Jun-1, Reuters)

 

·       Logistics: 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) FAO reports that as of February 9, funds approved for FAO total US$31.1 million. Germany, Norway and the UK have made commitments to FAO’s newly established Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA). FAO will be focused on the agriculture and fisheries sectors in tsunami-affected areas of the region. (June-6, FAO)

 

·      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; 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.

 

o      IFRC reports reconstruction of homes across the affected regions have generally moved from initial issues, including land rights, design and location, to choosing contractors and working with authorities. (June-3, IFRC)

 

·       Political-Military: No new inforamtion

 

·      International Assistance: At least US$9 billion has been raised for affected countries thus far. (May-20, Reuters).

 

·    New World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz on Friday (June 3) urged international community to redouble its efforts to deliver reconstruction aid to hundreds of thousands tsunami victims in need. (JUN-3, Reuters)

 

·    UN agencies, at a meeting organized by the UN Development Program (UNDP), said Monday (May 25) that countries hit by the disaster will take at least 5 to 10 years to recover with the help of international aid. Experts said that efforts are needed to tackle problems with conflict, poverty, and land disputes that existed before the disaster. (May-23, AFP)

 

·    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. (May 14, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

·       Former US President Bill Clinton, the UN special envoy to head UN operations for recovery and reconstruction, will make his second visit to Asia to ensure that the world’s attention is focused on tsunami recovery efforts. Clinton will visit India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. (May-24, AP)

 

·    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)

 

·       The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that estimates from India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand put the combined costs of the fisheries sector alone at some US$520 million. FAO reports that it continues to provide direct assistance to farmers and fishermen. (May-19, FAO)

 

·       The head of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission says that an interim tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean should be in place by October, mainly through the upgrading of the existing network of tide gauges. (May-19, Reuters)

 

·       A study by Reuters AlertNet says that aid allocation figures show just 58 percent of the US$5.3 billion promised by the top 10 donor governments and multilateral organizations has been disbursed, committed or budgeted. That figure leaves some US$2.2 billion in pledges not earmarked and which donors will struggle to include in planning as reconstruction begins, the study says. (May-18, Reuters)

 

·    According to Visa International, travel and tourism spending is experiencing a new slump despite an initial recovery in March. The study shows that spending by cardholders fell in April and May in Phuket, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives compared to last year. Travel experts at a recent World Tourism Organization (WTO) conference in Bali also concluded that the recent spending slump corresponded with a drop in media coverage and interest in tsunami-affected areas. “We found that US$3 billion is likely to be lost from the tourism industry in the region—but that is turning out to be a conservative estimate,” James Murray, Visa’s executive vice-president for Southeast Asia told the conference. (May-25, CNN)

 

·       Interpol head Ronald Noble said that waning government support and resources could delay the identification of thousands of victims indefinitely. Diminishing funds and a shortage of Disaster Victim Identification experts were contributing to the delay. (May-21, Reuters)

 

·       International Development & Relief Organizations:

§       The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on May 9 launched a US$1.2 billion million 5-year plan to help 10 countries to rebuild. (May-24, Reuters)

 

 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 6

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 8

Overview: According to the National Disaster Relief Coordinating Board, the confirmed death toll rose by 213 to 128,790. (May-3, AP) The number of missing remains at 37,063. (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. 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. According to the ADB, 44% of people in Aceh lost their livelihoods, while number of homeless is estimated at 800,000. The Indonesian government estimates reconstruction will cost US$4.5 billion over the next 3 years. Donors are reported to have pledged US$1.7 billion for this year. (June-7, Muslim Aid)

 

Indonesian government has rejected a key demand of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels for participation in future local elections in the restive province.  Indonesian Security Minister Widodo Adisucipto said yesterday (Tuesday, June 7) that Indonesian laws prohibited the government from “accommodating” GAM’s request for participation in the local elections and their recognition as a political party.  He said, “There are rules and regulations that will not allow for those [rebel] demands to be accommodated.”  Indonesian government’s rejection of the rebel demand could derail fifth round of peace talks between the government and the rebels scheduled for next month (July).  Separately, Indonesian military has ruled out a ceasefire with the Aceh rebels saying that rebels in the past had used ceasefires to consolidate themselves.  Indonesian armed forces Chief General Endriartono Sutarto said today (June 8) that despite of the ongoing peace talks government offensive against the rebels would continue. He said military has killed more than 3,000 insurgents since it launched its offensive against the rebels in May 2003.  Meanwhile, GAM is accusing Indonesian military for sabotaging ongoing peace talks with the government aimed at ending three decades long insurgency.  According to a GAM statement, Indonesian military had economic, political and psychological reasons for holding on to resource-rich Aceh.  Indonesian military has denied the allegations. 

 

The Indonesian government on May 11 said that foreign aid workers can extend their visas for another month. Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the government’s rebuilding agency for Aceh 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 GAM rebels in Aceh.  The Indonesian government also said on 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 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 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.  (May-9, Reuters, BBC)

 

BRR head Kuntoro says that after meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, around US$1.2 billion in foreign aid is ready to be spent on reconstruction projects in Aceh. Yudhoyono’s spokesperson, Andi Mallarangeng, says that the GoI has yet to disburse its own aid for rebuilding because it was awaiting approval from parliament. Reuters reported that the GoI has set aside some US$635 million for rebuilding. Kuntoro says that he does not expect those funds to be made available until September. (May-19, Reuters) However, Indonesia’s planning minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, says that the parliament should approve the allocation of the 2005 budget money for reconstruction by the end of June. She says that the GoI expects to spend some 3-4 trillion rupiah (US$317 million-US$423 million) from the 2005 proposed revised budget, which will rise to 9 trillion rupiah (US$949 million) in 2006. (May-23, Reuters)

 

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. 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)

 

Indonesia to receive US$400 million of a total of US$857 million aid package pledged by the United States for tsunami-affected countries. (May-26, Reuters)

 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on April 20 said that it plans to lend some US$519 million to Indonesia in 2005. (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 Aceh and Nias. (May-10, World Bank)

 

Indonesia to unveil a national tsunami warning system in August as part of a regional network aimed at preventing a repeat of the destruction caused by the tsunami on December 26, 2004. (Jun-1, JP)

 

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. (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 13

 

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.

 

After the closing day (May 16) of a two-day international donors meeting held in Kandy, 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.  (May-20, Reuters)

 

World Bank Vice President Praful Patel said that money given to Sri Lanka is getting held up. “The frustrations come form the fact that the pledges that were made and the money that was made available are not moving fast enough on the ground,” said Patel. (May-24, Reuters)

 

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.  (May-11, AFP) The Paris Club has agreed to allow the deferred payments to be repaid over five years, with a one-year grace period.  Sri Lanka owes the Paris Club some US$4.6 billion.

 

In a sign of a deepening political crisis in Sri Lanka over the government’s plan to sign an aid-sharing deal with separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, a key minister in President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s cabinet, Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Media, resigned yesterday (Tuesday, June 7). Mangala, who was instrumental in forging an alliance between Kumaratunga’s party and the Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP), cited personal reasons. According to some analysts, Samaraweera’s role as a spokesman was crucial for Kumaratunga’s plans to announce a deal to share tsunami aid with LTTE. Separately, the country’s influential Buddhist National Monk’s Front announced plans to launch a campaign against Kumaratunga’s plans for a joint mechanism with LTTE rebels to distribute tsunami aid in the country’s restive northeast. The group threatened that if the president signs the deal, it would be the end of her political career. The Monk’s Front is closely linked with the JVP, which controls 39 seats on the 225-member parliament. Yesterday (June 6), the JVP threatened to quit the government if the government agreed to a plan to share tsunami aid with LTTE rebels. Kumaratunga’s government enjoys only a five-seat majority in the 225-member parliament, and the defection of JVP could force second snap polls in just over a year. Meanwhile, international donors, including Japan, United States, European Union, IMF, World Bank and other lending agencies, have called for joint mechanisms for the equitable distribution of some US$3 billion in international aid on both sides of Sri Lanka’s ethnic divide. The aid deal, if signed, would bring the government and rebels in close cooperation on rebuilding, after more than over two decades of civil unrest that has claimed as many as 60,000 lives. Meanwhile, LTTE rebels are warning that the government’s delay in signing the aid sharing deal “joint mechanism” is threatening the ceasefire.

 

Australia has announced that tsunami relief from Australia to Sri Lanka is to be almost doubled from US$10 million to US$18 million, which will be targeted at six province in the northeastern region. (June-3, BBC) The World Bank doubled its commitment 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 approved some US$157.5 million. (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). 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)

 

On Friday (June 3), a group of nearly 100 aid agencies working in Sri Lanka called for an end to violence in the country, saying that recent killings and ethnic tensions along the restive east coast are hindering tsunami relief efforts. In a statement, the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies said, “We, the humanitarian community of Sri Lanka, have noted…the steady escalation of violence in the east...[which] is detrimental to the speed and effectiveness of the relief operation, hinders access to affected communities and hampers reconstruction efforts.” Relief officials have indicated that the abundance of shootings and grenade attacks in recent months, combined with the series of strikes and violent protests in the east coast districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, have raised worries about the safety of agency staff. CARE and the nearly 100 other relief organizations are in the country to help rebuild Sri Lanka’s coastline.

Tourism earning reportedly declined in January and February, but bounced back in March, resulting in a first quarter figure of US$91 million versus US$94 million for the same period in 2004. (May-20, BBC)

 

Prices of building materials are reportedly rising sharply in Sri Lanka that could potentially translate into fewer houses being built. (Jun-1, Reuters)

 

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, with some figures saying up to 1 million (may-20, Reuters); 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)   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’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. (Apr-19, OCHA)   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. (May 12, Daily News)   Oxfam has spent some US$9.8 million on water and sanitation, benefiting 430,000 people. (May-31, Oxfam)   Red Cross and Red Crescent water purification teams are producing and distributing over 3 million liters of clean water every week, benefiting over 30,000 people weekly. (June-3, IFRC)   Americares launched a US$1,000,000 water purification program to improve water quality and provide sources of clean water for 46,000 survivors. (Apr-18, Americares)
Public Health and Medical	Sri Lanka Ministry of Health has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the 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	World Bank in Sri Lanka found about 90,000 homes fully or partially destroyed. The Bank has allocated initial US$40 million for permanent housing cash grants. (June-2, World Bank)   IOM has finished constructing nearly 850 transitional shelters to house nearly 4,000 people in the east and south for four years. More than 1,100 people moved into their new homes earlier this week. IOM plans to build transitional homes for nearly 21,000 people in seven districts. (June-03, IOM)   World Vision and Lanka Environmental Recyclers Institute rebuilding homes using rubble from the disaster in Ampara. (June-03, World Vision)   GoSl announced the ceremonial launch of the North East Housing Reconstruction Program (NEHRP) held at the Mahaweli Centre. NEHRP is designed to facilitate the reconstruction of over 31,200 houses in the North and East over a period of four years (2005-2009).   Mano Tittawella, chair of 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)   GoSL says it will give US$2,500 to families whose houses have been destroyed while owners of partially damaged houses would receive US$1,000. (Apr-5, GoSL)   As of May 25, temporary shelters constructed under the Transitional Accommodation Projects (TAP) for tsunami victims in all affected districts have totaled 29,796 units. An additional 9,273 units currently under construction are due to be completed end of May would bring the total number of units to nearly 40,000. Breakdown by district is: Colombo (798), Kalutara (628), Galle (1968), Matara (1076), Hambantota (1229), Ampara (54442), Batticaloa (2892), and Trincomalee (1436).   UN-Habitat program has recently commenced reconstruction of tsunami damaged houses in Galle and Kattandkudy. Under the program, funded by Japan, a total of 540 houses would be build in Galle during the first phase and some 200 houses would be built in Kattandkudy. (May-31, DN)
Infrastructure	On May 19, GoSL announced details of a US$700 million plan to upgrade ports, build a new southern harbor at Hambantota and add a second runway at its international airport. The government will provide US$100 million of the funds, with the rest provided by donors. (May 20, BBC)   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   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)   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)   The Minister of Agriculture says that direct damage to the farmers of the tsunami was some US$3.5 million.
Security	Reports of continued violence in Sri Lanka’s east   Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday (May 23) that ongoing abductions and killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka has “created a climate of fear” and has called for the creation of an independent commission of inquiry into the violence.  (May-23, HRW)   UNICEF says LTTE have recruited some 137 children since the disaster. (May-20, UNICEF)

 

Thailand

 

 

 

Overview. ………………………………………………. page 18

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 18

 

Overview: Latest death toll issued by the Thai Ministry of Interior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) rose to 5,396 (ie., one more foreign national since last report), while 1,175 bodies remain identified. 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) and 1,175 people of unknown nationality. (May 13, UN) Number of missing is at 2,822. Of those, 1,924 are Thais. (May 19, The Nation, AP) 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 Thai Cabinet yesterday (May 24) approved in principle a Justice Ministry proposal to declare dead some 1,924 people of Thai nationality missing in the tsunami disaster so their families could claim inheritance and other benefits. (May-24, Bangkok Post, The Nation) The Disaster Victim Identification Centre (DVI) is seeking a total budget of some 260 million baht (US$6.5 million) in order to set up an automatic fingerprint and DNA checking system and database in line with international standards. (May-24, Bangkok Post) The government has decided to send 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: Bang Maruan morgue, Mai Khao morgue and the Phuket Disaster Victim Identification Center. (Mar-14, Xinhua)

 

According to Office of the Attorney-General, land disputes between villagers and land speculators after the disaster involve more than 5,000 rai of land. According to the NGO, Save Andaman Network, more than 30 villages are struggling to reclaim their land rights amid intimidation. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reportedly supported a construction firm in its disputes. (May-26, Bangkok Post) A Thai journalist was shot and wounded in an apparent reprisal for his reporting on lucrative land-grabs by criminal gangs in tsunami-affected coastal areas in Phang Nga province, according to the international watchdog, Reporters Without Borders. Thai Justice Minister Suwat Liptapanlop has ordered an investigation. (June-8, AP)

 

Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center, the first among tsunami-affected countries, formally opened on May 30 by Thaksin. In the first phase, it will focus on earthquakes and tsunamis before extending to other disasters. (May-31, Bangkok Post) DDPM currently working with UNDP and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center on comprehensive national risk management framework. (May-27, UN)

 

Tourist numbers visiting Phuket and other provinces in the area steadily rising as a result of government programs to revive tourism. (June-5, TNA) 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.