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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

July 21, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2-3

Indonesia.....................................page 4-7

Sri Lanka.....................................page 8-11

Thailand.......................................page 12-15

Overview

 

·      The overall focus of attention is on long-term recovery and rehabilitation for the December 26, 2004 earthquake and tsunami disaster. The dead and missing toll from tsunamis triggered by the undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island was 232,010 (Jun-22, Reuters) people along the coastal areas of 11 countries in the Indian Ocean. 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 was particularly severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Nearly 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 in Thailand is around 5,400, including about 1,953 foreigners from at least 36 countries. More than 400 combined deaths have been reported in the other countries.

 

·       At a review of the disaster at UN headquarters in New York, attended by UN special envoy overseeing tsunami recovery efforts, Bill Clinton, the UN, and government envoys, the UN said that the tsunami eroded some 97 percent of the GDP in Aceh, with the Maldives coming in second with some US$470 million in damages or 62 percent of its GDP. Sri Lanka came in as the third most devastated, with around 70,000 buildings completely destroyed. An estimated 1.1 million people have been displaced and have received temporary shelters. 1.7 million people in the region still receive food aid. (July-15, DPA)

 

·      Coordination:

 

·    Indian Ocean Earthquake-Tsunami Flash Appeal Expenditure Tracking: http://ocha.unog.ch/ets/Default.aspx

 

·      International Assistance:

 

·    UN Special Envoy overseeing tsunami recovery efforts and former US President Bill Clinton, has urged the UN and its partners to maintain momentum for what may be the most difficult phase. Clinton had recently come back from a visit to tsunami-affected countries, and told the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at UN headquarters in New York that “there is impatience already, and there is exhaustion,” and that the most challenging days lay ahead. Clinton said that UN agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), donors and affected governments and the corporate sector all needed to coordinate on who was going to do what, when and where. (July-14, UNNC)

 

·    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$977 million to US$1.086 billion. (Apr-6, Reuters) Egeland says that in an unprecedented response, about US$11 billion in total had been pledged by some 90 donor nations. (Jun-24, Reuters) At a recent review of the situation at UN headquarters in New York, the UN said that some US$333 million of pledges received has been spent. The UN says that pledges from banking institutions and governments amounted to around US$5.2 billion, in addition to the UN appeal, and private donations amounted to some US$4 billion. (July-15, DPA)

 

·      Food: WFP expects to feed about 800,000 people in Indonesia for at least another year; in Sri Lanka, about 915,000 people are being fed—distributions will discontinue in August and will give way to targeted and recovery-oriented approaches; in Thailand, WFP providing food assistance to some 26,000 people.

 

·      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.

 

·      Security: In Indonesia, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and Indonesian government came up with a draft peace agreement at a fifth round of peace talks in Helsinki, Finland. Indonesian President Yudhoyono ordered halt of military operations, following violent clashes despite the truce; Violence continues in Sri Lanka’s east as Tamil Tiger rebels warn of possible return to war.

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 5

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 6

Overview: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the Indonesian military (TNI) to end its offensive in Aceh in an effort to help along the peace process, following news of several recent clashes in the province that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people. The violence comes on the heels of a landmark draft peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Sunday (July 17), at the end of a fifth round of peace talks in Helsinki, Finland, mediated by the Helsinki-based Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) and headed by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. Both sides had concluded talks with a draft deal that many are hoping will end the decades-long conflict in the tsunami-ravaged province.  At the end of talks, the two sides initialed a memorandum of understanding and plan to sign a formal peace agreement on August 15.  “The President has asked TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto not to launch any more offensives against the separatists for the sake of the peace deal…The President made it very clear in the meeting that the TNI must take a defensive posture in case of attacks by GAM fighters.  There is a possibility that they (soldiers) will remain in their barracks in the meantime,” Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi said after the Cabinet met yesterday (Wednesday, July 21).  The GAM yesterday claimed that at least 10 people were killed in three separate clashes in the province on Monday (July 18).  However, the TNI said that there were only two clashes in which 5 people were killed and 2 others wounded.  On Sunday, Military chief General Endriartono Sutarto said that he had ordered troops to “restrain themselves and not launch offensive activities.”  However, Agence France-Presse reported that GAM spokesperson Sofyan Dawood said that: ”GAM is not seeing any changes in the field.” Indonesian Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said that military chief Sutarto had left for Aceh today (Thursday, July 21) to make sure the president’s order was being upheld. 

 

Jakarta announced yesterday (Wednesday, July 20) that it would begin withdrawing troops from Aceh in September, following the unveiling of the peace deal.  Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin said that the government would scale back troops between mid-September and December 31.  He said that the non-local units would be withdrawn in coordination with the collection and destruction of GAM weapons. 

 

The European Union (EU) earlier this week said that it is planning its first ever peace monitoring mission in Asia following the peace deal between the GAM and the Indonesian government.  The council of EU foreign ministers said that the EU was prepared to send monitors, following the request from the GAM and the government.  The monitors will come from the EU’s European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).  The ESDP was formed to help boost the EU’s global standing.  Solana said Aceh would need about 200 monitors and added that he would make a two-day visit to Jakarta early next week.  EU external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said that the EU was considering offering extra funding, and wanted to help monitor any elections, train police and reintegrate GAM fighters. Peace monitors from five countries—Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand--of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will also help monitor the peace in the country.

Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 9

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 10

 

Overview: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have rejected Norway’s call for direct talks between the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka to end the current standoff over the issue of the recent killing of political cadres and the security of cadres in transit from one area to another.  The rejection was conveyed to Norwegian Deputy Ambassador, Oddvar Laegried, and the chief of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Hagrup Haukland, who had met with LTTE political-wing leader SP Thamilselvan on Wednesday (July 20). According to the Hindustan Times, Thamilselvan made it clear that it was not possible to hold direct talks with Colombo when the government had been refusing to implement a clause in the truce, which said that the government should disarm and remove all Tamil paramilitary cadres in the northeast.  The Hindustan Times reports that according to media reports, the government is "not too keen" on direct talks with the LTTE as well.  The Norwegian envoy reportedly tried to convince the LTTE that direct talks would help the situation. 

 

The rejection by the LTTE follows a rebel warning that a 2002 Norwegian-brokered truce was in danger of collapsing and that the government was responsible for putting the truce at risk.  The LTTE last month (June 30th) had said that if the government failed to provide security for its cadres within 14 days, it would be compelled to make its own security arrangements.  The LTTE has threatened to use armed escorts to protect against attack, a move that would violate the ceasefire.  The rebel ultimatum came after a bus carrying LTTE cadres narrowly escaped a landmine explosion on June 30th.  The Sri Lankan government agreed to put army troops and foreign truce monitors aboard buses used by the LTTE rebels for travel in an effort to salvage the ceasefire, however, the LTTE has not agreed to the offer. 

 

Meanwhile, a grenade attack near a tsunami relief camp in eastern Sri Lanka Thursday (July 21) injured five people, including three policemen.  The attack, believed to have been launched by the LTTE, took place close to the police station in the coastal town of Akkaraipattu, about 310 kilometers (about 192 miles) east of the capital Colombo.  It was the second attack in the last week against a tsunami relief center along the troubled east coast.  The LTTE has accused the Sri Lankan military of helping a breakaway faction, led by renegade commander Colonel Karuna, to launch attacks against them.  The Sri Lankan military blames the violence on clashes between the rival rebel groups and has increased troop numbers in response to the recent violence.

 

International donors on Tuesday (July 19) warned the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to stop all killings because this was threatening the ceasefire agreement.  Despite the ceasefire that has largely held, dozens of rebels, security troops and civilians have been killed in recent months, particularly in the east.  In a joint statement issued by the US Embassy in the capital, Colombo, the US, Japan, Norway, and the European Union, called upon the LTTE to halt killing rival politicians and for the government to disarm paramilitary groups.  The countries also urged both sides to “demonstrate seriousness” by meeting to resolve the crisis and renew cooperation, and warned that international support would be “deeply eroded” if the ceasefire fails.  The group has pledged the bulk of US$4.5 billion in aid to rebuild war-ravaged areas at an international donors’ conference in 2003.   The aid is separate from US$3 billion pledged by foreign donors to help rebuild areas affected by December’s tsunami disaster.  The group did not say whether that amount was in danger. 

 

In another setback to the shaky peace process, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday (July 15) that it was suspending the government’s tsunami aid-sharing deal with the LTTE. The Supreme Court ruled that the tsunami deal in principle is legitimate, but objected to specific clauses and issued a temporary suspension.  International donors had been pressuring the government to push through the plan so that aid could get to tsunami-affected areas.  The LTTE accused the government of denying assistance to tsunami victims and asked international donors to send funds directly to them.  Foreign donors had pushed for a joint aid-sharing deal as many cannot give money directly to the LTTE because it is blacklisted by many countries as a terrorist organization.  Many had hoped that the joint mechanism deal, known as the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) would help lead to a resumption of peace talks that stalled in April 2003.

 

Sector Status
Affected Population	Sri Lanka has combined the figures for its dead and missing into one figure for dead and presumed dead and missing. The combined total stands at 38,940. (Jun-22, 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.
Coordination	A South Asian conference on gender concerns in post-tsunami reconstruction was held on July 14 in Batticaloa, where women from tsunami-affected countries came up with strategies and recommendations for better participation in decision-making and planning of reconstruction. (July-21, UNOCHA)   The Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) has established a Helpline to provide information and provide queries of tsunami-affected in the country. (July-7, UNOCHA)   Joint mechanism deal, officially known as the Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS) to allow committees from the LTTE, the government and Muslims to discuss and monitor tsunami aid projects.   The Task Force for Relief (TAFOR) will collate and analyze data, coordinate and facilitate relief measures connected to healthcare, education, foreign donor assistance and food relief. 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.   Information on many NGO activities can be obtained from the following link: http://www.humanitarian-srilanka.org/ (under Tsunami 2004 Information Center)
Logistics	For logistical information see: http://www.unjlc.org.
Food	WFP says it is feeding some 915,000 people. Food distributions will discontinue in August and will give way to targeted and recovery-oriented approaches. (Jun-27, WFP) WFP says targeted feeding currently reaches 260,000 mothers and children through Maternal Child Health projects and 144,000 children through school feeding programs. (Jun-27, WFP)
Water and Sanitation
Public Health and Medical	Oxfam, its partner organizations, and the Ministry of Health have conducted public health awareness campaigns in Matara and Kilinochchi to educate affected families on the prevention of epidemics. (July-18, Oxfam)
Shelter	IOM has recently completed some 278 transitional accommodations in various sites across the country. To date, IOM has finished accommodations for 2,111 affected families and 7,494 individuals. Another 964 accommodations are currently under construction. (July 21, UNOCHA)   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)   TAFREN chair Mano Tittawela said that 7,000 permanent houses have been completed and said that 80 percent of the required permanent housing for the displaced will be completed before the end of this year. (July-7, GoSL)   IOM says it has finished about 2,000 transitional homes as of this week. IOM reports that the GoSL has said more than 40,000 transitional houses island-wide have been completed, but 20 percent do not meet minimum standards. (Jul-12, IOM)
Infrastructure	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   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 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	Violence continues in the east
International Financial Assistance	Officials say that international 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)   The government has estimated that it will cost up to US$1.6 billion to rebuild infrastructure destroyed or damaged.  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.

Thailand

 

 

 

Overview. ………………………………………………. page 13

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 13

 

Overview: The Thai government has declared emergency rule across virtually all areas of its Muslim southern region in an effort to control violence that has continued unabated since last year. The rule has been implemented in all areas of the Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala province, plus four districts in neighboring Songkhla. Previously, the government was expected to implement the rule only in ‘emergency zones’ within the provinces.

 

According to the Bangkok Post, tsunami victims involved in land disputes with business groups have asked the GoT to transfer some local police and officials out of Phangnga, for alleged intimidation. Land disputes have been one of the more serious problems facing tsunami victims as many could not rebuild their homes because of business groups claiming land ownership. Nattawut Kanthing, leader of small entrepreneurs on Phi Phi Island (Krabi province) said that lands disputes were likely to get worse as the Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) agency was expanding its business to Andaman provinces and was not consulting with locals. (July16, Bangkok Post)

 

The Ministry of Labor said that of more than 40 million baht (US$968,000) set aside to compensate employees who lost their jobs because of the tsunami, only some 4 million (US$96,800) baht has been disbursed. The ministry says that only 523 people have received compensation, probably because they were unaware they could be compensated. (July-20, Phuket Gazette)

 

The first two disaster warning towers in a network of 50 planned towers along the Andaman coast will be completed in Phuket by the end of July. (July-15, TNA)

 

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has stressed Washington’s commitment to long-term recovery in Thailand and other tsunami-affected areas. Rice had visited Thailand as the second nation on a four-nation trip through Asia last week. (July-12, US Dept. Of State)