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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

August 11, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

Overview......................................page 2

Indonesia.....................................page 4-8

Sri Lanka.....................................page 9-13

Thailand.......................................page 14-17

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.

 

·      Coordination:

 

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

 

·      International Assistance:

 

·    UN raised its initial appeal of US$977 million to US$1.086 billion. (Apr-6, Reuters) Reuters reports that government and multilateral agencies have pledged around US$9 billion in aid for nations affected by the disaster, while global private donations amounted to almost US$5 billion. (Aug-11, Reuters)

 

·    At last week’s meeting in Perth, Australia, delegates of 27 Indian Ocean countries decided to set up a network of seabed sensors and buoys as part of a tsunami warning system. Sensors will reportedly transmit information to sea-level buoys. The system may be in place by summer 2006, but some buoys may be in place by December, the BBC reports. The three-day forum, which ended Friday, August 5, decided that seven warning centers instead of one would be created. The centers will be based in Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, Iran and Pakistan. (Aug-11, BBC) UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) says that a basic tsunami alert system is in place, but is still “insufficient.” At the meeting, it was also decided that India would be the warning system’s first head, a position that will rotate every two years. Indonesia and Mauritius were elected vice-chairs. (Aug-3,4 Reuters, AFP)

 

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

 

·      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: Police superintendent and civilian killed in violence in northern Sri Lanka late last week

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 4

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 5

Overview:

 

Indonesian lawmakers on Tuesday (August 9) unanimously supported the government’s peace deal with the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels, House Speaker Agung Laksono told reporters.  “We conclude that the leadership of the parliament, including all 10 factions…support efforts by the government to solve conflicts in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam in a peaceful, comprehensive and dignified manner,” he said.  On July 17, a draft peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the GAM was agreed upon 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.  The GAM has been fighting for independence in resource-rich Aceh province since 1976, and it is hoped that the formal agreement, scheduled to be signed on August 15, will end the conflict that has seen over 12,000 people killed.  The European Union (EU) is expected to lead a peace monitoring mission in Aceh, following the formal signing of the peace deal. About 200 unarmed military and civilian officials from the EU and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to monitor, among other things, the disarmament of GAM fighters and a military (TNI) troop withdrawal from the province, which are key points of the peace agreement.  On Monday (August 8), the TNI began withdrawing troops, starting with a battalion of 654 marines.  Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had briefed lawmakers about the peace deal with the GAM and said that the government and lawmakers were “positive” about the deal.  He said the GAM would no longer exist once the accord is signed.  “The GAM side, after August 15, will no longer be a formal organization,” Yudhoyono said. Agence France-Presse reports that despite the unanimous vote, some factions in the parliament, particularly former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, had criticized the government for having failed to consult the parliament during the peace process. 

 

 

Sector Status

Affected Population

The death toll stands at 131,029, with some 37,000 others reported to be missing.

 

The Aceh Central Bureau of Statistics says that 7,000 surveyors will launch a population census in Aceh to more accurately gauge how many died from the disaster. Aceh had a population of 4.2 million people, according to the 2003 national census. (July-5, AFP)

 

The Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR - Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi) says that there are over 500,000 IDPs in Aceh and over 22,000 in Nias. In Aceh, about 250,000 are staying in tents, while about 150,000 are in temporary government shelters. The remaining 100,000 are either staying with host families or are rebuilding their homes. (Jun-19, GoI)

Coordination

The BRR will oversee reconstruction.  The agency will be headed by former mines and energy minister Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, who will manage the US$4.84 billion fund.  (May-9, Reuters, BBC)

 

The GoI has collaborated with NGOs and donors to initiate the construction of the website, e-Aceh, in response to the need for transparency and coordination of reconstruction. (www.e-aceh.org)

Logistics

UNJLC reports road network within Banda Aceh is good, however, conditions of some sections of coastal roads are prone to deteriorate. (July-20, UNJLC)

 

For more logistical information see: http://www.unjlc.org.

Food

World Vision says it has distributed some 2,000 MT of food to over 130,000 recipients in Aceh over the past month. Rations are supplied by the WFP. IOM says numbers have gradually increased over the past few months. Monthly distributions are taking place in and near the cities of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. (Aug-4, WVI)

 

IFRC says total number of beneficiaries currently registered and possessing ration cards for food and non-food relief aid is 437,445 and the number is increasing. (July-28, IFRC)

 

WFP expects to feed up to 800,000 people for another year. (June 22, Reuters)

Water and Sanitation

IFRC says overall water distribution figure for Aceh and North Sumatra stands at more than 1 million liters per day. IFRC says water and sanitation activities continue to benefit some 113,000 beneficiaries. (Aug-11, IFRC)

Public Health/Medical

WHO says that access to health services, mental illness and the potential threat of disease remain daily challenges to Aceh residents. (Aug-11, Reuters)

 

IOM building more than 50 satellite health clinics to help those living in temporary living facilities. (July-19, IOM)

 

West coast lost some 50-70 percent of its health services. (Jan-24, The Age) Tsunami destroyed 30 health clinics out of 240, seriously damaged 77, and caused minor damage to 40 others. (Jan-18, UNJLC)

Shelter

The IFRC has committed to build, as of August 1, more than 27,000 permanent new homes and to repair more than 7,000 other houses. IFRC estimates that more than 65,000 people are living in government-built barracks and says that many of these will need repair in the upcoming months. IFRC will help build extensions to existing homes to alleviate overcrowding for an estimated 16,500 families living with host families. The UN estimates the displaced could be living with host families for one to two years. IFRC will also replace some 33,000 tents which have reached the end of their life-span. (Aug-11, IFRC)

 

Over 300 of around 500 IOM-built homes under construction in more than 30 locations throughout Aceh have been completed. (Aug-1, IOM)

Infrastructure

The BRR reports that a further 90 concept notes for reconstruction and rehabilitation project proposals were reviewed by the BRR last week and some 87 projects were approved, totaling about US$1.064 billion. (Aug-1, GoI)

 

The World Bank-managed Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) last week approved 2 projects worth US$82 million. Projects include the Urban Community Recovery (UPP) program for restoring infrastructure in 352 urban villages (US$18 million) and the Rural Community Recovery (KDP) program for assisting some 3,000 villages to develop community based infrastructure (US$64 million), the BRR reported. (Aug-2, Indonesia-relief.org)

 

The UN said that the tsunami eroded some 97 percent of the GDP in Aceh, amounting to an estimated US$4.5 billion in damage. (July-15, The Jakarta Post)

 

The IFRC, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and ICRC have submitted a list of 105 projects to the BRR, worth a total value of US$345 million and part of an overall US$600 million commitment. (July-19, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

IOM and UNICEF will construct some 200 temporary schools during the coming months. (July-19, IOM)

 

116,880 houses were destroyed or damaged in 2,496 villages throughout 17 affected regencies (kabupaten) from a total of 21 in Aceh. Of these, 57% were destroyed and 12% sustained major damage. The total amount of settlement areas affected by the tsunami amounted to 173,673 hectares (429,200 acres), of which 35% of the villages were completely destroyed. (Jun-19, GoI, IOM)

Security

UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) reports a reduction in the number of clashes in Aceh after July 2005. However, UNJLC reports that UN staff are still being cautioned to retain a low profile. (Aug-11, UNJLC)

 

GoI and GAM agree on draft peace agreement. Indonesian President Yudhoyono orders military to halt offensive, however some clashes have been reported.

International Financial Assistance

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) reports it has raised US$1.3 billion to help victims in Indonesia. (July-1, Indonesia-Relief.org)

 

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. 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 World Bank says that about US$500 million has been raised from foreign donors for reconstruction thus far. The Steering Committee of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Aceh and North Sumatra will manage the funds. (Jun-26, AFP)

 

BRR head Kuntoro says that around US$2.8 billion is ready to be spent on reconstruction projects in Aceh, out of which about US$1.9 billion had come from international and private sector donors. (Jun-25, Reuters) Indonesian House of Representatives on June 4 approved 8.2 trillion rupiah (US$863 million) for fiscal year 2005 for Aceh and Nias (Jun-12, GOI)


Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 10

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 11

 

Overview:

 

Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels today (Thursday, August 11) said that the government’s recent refusal to capture and disarm renegade rebels is further threatening a Norwegian-brokered February 2002 ceasefire.  The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been accusing the Sri Lankan military of exploiting a rift between rival Tiger rebel groups by using renegade rebels from a breakaway eastern faction to attack and kill cadres from the main northern faction of the LTTE.  The LTTE has been demanding that the government disarm these so-called paramilitary groups, warning that a spate of attacks on its cadres could see the country return to war.  However, the government has denied any involvement and blames the violence on clashes between the two rival groups.  Most of the violence has occurred in eastern Sri Lanka where dozens have died since the ceasefire came into effect.  The 2002 ceasefire between the government and rebels has largely held, however, the continuing violence in the east has led many, including major foreign donors, to worry that the ceasefire may collapse.  On Tuesday (August 11) Jayantha Dhanapala, head of the government’s Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process, said that the military would not attempt to disarm renegade rebels and referred to the issue as an internal rebel problem.  A former top eastern rebel commander, known as Colonel Karuna, made an unprecedented break with the main northern faction in 2004.  The rebellion was short-lived, and the northern group quickly overcame the breakaway group, which dispersed its ranks.  Renegade commander Karuna has reportedly since been in hiding.  Since then, sporadic violence has continued in the east, and has risen since February of this year.  

 

Earlier this week, Hagrup Haukland, the chief of the Nordic-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), said that Sri Lanka’s truce with the rebel Tamil Tigers will hold despite an upswing in violence, but they must rebuild trust to avoid an escalation in clashes.  “The ceasefire is going to hold, I am quite confident of that.  We don’t think war is imminent at all…But there’s a bad need to first of all re-establish dialogue between the parties…regarding the implementation and the adherence to the ceasefire agreement.  It worries me that there is no dialog between the parties,” Haukland said.  He added that he is convinced that neither side wants to see a return to the civil war. 

 

Last Thursday (August 5) in northern Jaffna, a barber was reportedly accidentally killed by soldiers and a Superintendent of Police, who went to the scene to investigate the killing, was killed by an angry mob.  The military has blamed the LTTE for inciting the mob violence.  The violence occurred as Norwegian peace envoy Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen visited Sri Lanka last week to hold talks with both sides in an effort to encourage both sides to talk after Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court last month (July 15) blocked a tsunami aid-sharing deal.   International donors had been pressuring the government to push through the plan so that the approximately US$3 billion in aid could get to tsunami-affected areas.  The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on September 12. Many had hoped that the aid-sharing deal would help kick-start the stalled peace talks which have been on hold since rebels dropped out of talks in April 2003.  Kumaratunga’s office has called for a review of the ceasefire agreement (CFA), however, Helgesen earlier warned against amending the truce, saying that both sides must find better ways to implement the existing one.  The LTTE has so far refused to discuss any proposed changes to the CFA.  The Tigers have also closed their political offices in the east in July and pulled back their cadres, saying that the environment was not safe for them.  The LTTE on 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 rebel ultimatum came after a bus carrying LTTE cadres recently narrowly escaped a landmine explosion.  After the deadline, the LTTE threatened to use its own armed escorts to protect against attack, a move that would violate the ceasefire. The government has reportedly proposed new measures to ensure the safety of cadres, while the rebels have yet to follow through on their threat to use armed escorts.  The rebel pull back has so far resulted in a recent marked decrease in violence in the east, however tensions reportedly remain high. 

 

 

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

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)

 

UNDP in Colombo says that relief work is being conducted in the country with little or no consultation with affected people. To remedy this problem, UNDP says that it will hold consultations in 1,100 villages in 11 tsunami-hit districts. The program will be assisted by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and Colombo University, who will present the findings to TAFREN and the Ministry of Finance and Planning. (Aug-8, Hindustan Times)

 

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

IFRC says it is producing and distributing over 3 million litres of water a week, which benefits up to 50,000 people.

 

Public Health

and Medical

 

 

Shelter

IFRC says it has pledged to build up to 15,000 houses. IFRC currently has sites confirmed for over 2,800 houses. (Aug-11, IFRC)

 

IOM has built more than 2,100 transitional homes and expects to build 3,000 before the onset of the eastern monsoon. (July-22, IOM)

 

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

The Ministry of Tourism and the Sri Lanka Tourist Board have reportedly developed short- to long-term recovery plans for 15 coastal towns in Galle district. The resort towns will reportedly be master-planned. UNOCHA reports the return of local and foreign tourists in Galle town and nearby popular local beaches. (Aug-11, UNOCHA)

 

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

On Friday (August 5) a curfew was imposed in the northern district of Jaffna after a mob attacked and killed a Superintendent of Police following the reported accidental shooting of a barber. 

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 15

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 15

 

Overview:

 

The United Nations Country Team in Thailand (UNCTT) reports land title disputes continues to slow recovery in Phang Nga and other affected provinces, with reports of intimidation. The World Bank is working with officials to ensure access to legal assistance by vulnerable groups. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

 

The UNCTT says that the GoT has continued to pay out compensation and relief assistance, however, the Thai Ministry of Interior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reports that as of August 1, further assistance totaling 1.43 billion baht (US$35 million) is still needed in the affected provinces. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

 

The Ministry for Tourism and Sports announced on August 1 that the Cabinet has approved 900 million baht (US$22 million) for the additional promotion of tourism. The Thai Hotels Association recently estimated that occupancy will fall by up to 20% overall in 2005. Tourism Authority of Thailand figures suggest that Andaman regional arrivals are down by 30% compared with the same period last year. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

 

 


Sector Status

Affected Population

Latest death toll issued by the Thai Ministry of Interior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) is at 5,395, while 1,175 bodies remain unidentified. The number of Thai deceased is at 1,972 and foreign nationals at 2,248, with another 1,175 of unknown nationality. Number of missing is at 2,817. Of those, 1,924 are Thais. (May 13, UN) According to the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Centre (TTVI) the current database reports some 785 persons missing (516 Thais and 269 foreigners) but there are some 1,976 bodies in the two TTVI sites. Officials say that migrant workers could account for this discrepancy and they are checking databases of registered migrants. However, many migrant workers are unregistered. (Jun-27, The Nation)

 

Experts from 16 international countries have identified 1,710 bodies in the world’s largest forensic operation. (Jun-20, Reuters) The Disaster Victim Identification Centre (DVI) has some 2,076 bodies awaiting identification, while another 3,319 have been identified. (UN, June-13) The government has decided to send some 2,000 DNA samples of unidentified foreigners to the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) in Sarajevo, Bosnia

 

The Tsunami Action Group (TAG), a migrant advocate group, and the Law Society of Thailand have estimated that between 700 and 2,500 Myanmar migrant workers went missing. Many of them were not officially registered, and do not appear to be included in the official list of the killed. (June-8, Amnesty International) Other estimates have the number at 1,000 to 7,000. (Jun-27, Irrawaddy) TAG puts the number of dead at upwards of 6,000 to 7,000. (Jun-27, Irrawaddy)

 

There appears to be no efforts to track down missing migrants, although there are reportedly 2,000 unidentified bodies of foreign workers. (June-8, Amnesty International)

 

World Vision International (WVI) says that it has assisted sea gypsies along Rawai beach, Phuket with clothing donations. WVI says it is the only NGO working in the area. Most of the affected are from the Moken tribe. The Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI) estimates some 1,000 sea gypsy households have been affected by the disaster. (Aug-4, WVI)

 

In Phang Nga and Krabi provinces, UNDP and UN Habitat are working with indigenous communities and the Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI) to ensure the tenure of community land. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Coordination

Due to Cabinet member changes, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has ordered the following changes to government coordination of tsunami relief: (May-7, TNA)

 

o         Rebuild homes, infrastructure and revive tourism - Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop will stay in his current position.

o         Pol. Gen. Chidchai Vanasatidya, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, will oversee the assistance program

o         Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam will be responsible for donations

o         Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Newin Chidchob will be responsible for helping owners of fishing trawlers

o         Justice Minister Suwat Liptapanlop will oversee repair of damage caused by the tsunami (May-7, TNA)

 

The government has provided assistance to tsunami victims totaling nearly US$9 million (355, 727,050 baht).

 

According to a former chief of the Meteorology Department, Smith Tumsaroch, Thailand will complete the establishment of its disaster early warning system in all parts of the country integrally over the next two years and will cost nearly 140 million baht (US$3.4 million). (Jun-29, TNA)

 

Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center, the first among tsunami-affected countries, formally opened on May 30. In the first phase, it will focus on earthquakes and tsunamis before extending to other disasters. (May-31, Bangkok Post)

 

The Donor Assistance Database (DAD) is being updated to include UN tsunami program tracking, and is expected to be completed by the end of the month. The DAD was installed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the help of UNDP to aid tracking of assistance to the country. Information will be updated on a monthly basis, according top UNCTT. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Logistics

For logistical information see: http://www.unjlc.org.

Food

WFP says that it is providing food assistance to some 26,000 people. (Jun-27, WFP)

Water/Sanitation

 

Public Health/Medical

A Disease Control Department official, who asked to remain anonymous, says that budget constraints and violence are the reason for the sharp rise in malaria cases in the country’s three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. The department says 2,534 people in the provinces were infected between January and June, an almost 150% jump from 2004. (Aug-3, Bangkok Post)

Shelter

Ministry of Social Protection estimates number of people still living in shelters in Phang Nga and Krabi provinces have fallen from approximately 7,000 people at the beginning of July to 1,200 people in Phang Nga and 4,000 people in Krabi as of early August. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

 

Government will step up the building of temporary and permanent houses following criticism that housing was being poorly constructed. (Jun-29, TNA)

Infrastructure

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) budget for renovation of Patong and Kamala beaches in Phuket, has been finally settled at 291.4 million baht (US$7.08 million). (Aug-4, Phuket Gazette)

 

Ministry of Interior reports 3,833 non-residential buildings damaged, but 2,430 can be repaired. (May-27, UN)

Security

The US, Britain and Australia have issued travel warnings to its citizens, advising against non-essential travel to the south. Insurgency violence continues in three southernmost provinces (Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani).

International Financial Assistance

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has set aside US$1.7 million for Thailand, to help develop long-term solutions for tsunami-affected areas, especially Krabi, Phuket and Phang Nga. Funds will come from the Asian Tsunami Fund, which was set up by the ADB in February with an initial contribution of US$600 million. (July-12, Phuket Gazette)

 

Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush visited Nam Khem, Thailand, to hand over US$1 million to the American refugee Committee International (ARC) for ARC’s Fishing Boat Project. The project is reportedly the first project to receive funding with private money raised through the Bush-Clinton fund. (Aug-10, ARC)