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 has requested that NGOs engaged in rehabilitation and reconstruction to submit progress reports on their ongoing activities. BRR is currently collating data from implementing NGOs ahead of the Aceh Recovery Forum and the Consultative Group on Indonesia meeting scheduled for October. BRR says that it is requiring NGOs to submit their first report by September 16 and the second report by December 2. BRR says NGOs can access guidelines and monitoring forms from www.e-aceh-nias.org (BRR website) or by requesting forms at projects@brr.go.id (Sep-6, GoI)

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

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

Indonesia air operations information is available at www.unhas.it (Sept-14, UNJLC)

Food

WFP currently operating three general activities: General Food Distribution (GFD), a School Feeding Program (SFP), and a Maternal Child Nutritional (MCN) program. Food-for-Work reportedly has not started due to difficulties in implementation. GFD will only target vulnerable groups over the coming months. However, supplementary feeding activities will increase. SFP expected to reach 340,000 and MCN plans to reach 180,000 beneficiaries by December. For August, planned GFD distribution stood at 739,000 beneficiaries in 18 districts in Aceh and North Sumatra, while SFD for August was planned at 286,300 beneficiaries in 10 districts in Aceh province. (Aug, WFP)

The FAO says that farmers have started replanting in some fallow fields, but it may take up to five years to rehabilitate the worst hit areas. Farmers on the east coast have reportedly defied some expectations, however, on the harder hit west coast, the FAO estimates that some 17,400 hectares (42, 995 acres) of land were severely affected and 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) have been completely lost. The FAO says that salinity of the soil has become less of a concern. (Aug-29, AP)

The British Weekly New Scientist reports that any fear that fertile agricultural land in Aceh has been wrecked by seawater from the tsunami, is unfounded. Waves swept up to 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) inland and covered nearly one-third of Aceh’s agricultural lands. However, despite the optimistic outlook, scientists say that some problems remain, such as changes in drainage patterns and some rice fields remaining inundated with sea sediment. Some of the problems may take a decade to fix, according to the report. (Aug-24, AFP)

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

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established an integrated health emergency unit for disaster response, located at the Ministry of Health in Jakarta. The unit is coordinating inputs and tracking progress of ongoing activities in disaster affected areas. (Aug-15, Reliefweb)

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 Canadian Red Cross (CRC) has committed to rebuild 12,500 homes in Aceh and Nias, with 6,000 homes to be rebuilt in Aceh and 2,500 in Nias by the end of 2005 and an additional 4,000 in Aceh to be completed by 2007. (Aug-14, Indonesia-Relief.org)

Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation will begin construction in August on 3,700 permanent homes to be built in Aceh Besar, Banda Aceh, and Aceh Barat over the next year. (Aug-17, Reliefweb)

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)

Infrastructure

UNJLC reports that according to the Jakarta Post, West Sumatra will be under the threat of landslides during the rainy season which may endanger residents, roads, buildings. (Sept-14, UNJLC)

According to Indonesia-Relief.org, the BRR has approved UNICEF’s US$90 million program which UNICEF reportedly signed in April to build and rehabilitate 500 schools in Aceh. The UNICEF project will reportedly begin this month. (Sept-14, Sept. 12, Indonesia-Relief.org, GoI)

IOM will build 200 transitional schools in Aceh for around 44,000 students. The US$2.3 million project is funded by UNICEF. (Aug-30, IOM)

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)

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

Aid groups say that the disaster has left women in Aceh more vulnerable to rape and harassment and has urged greater protection. Particular risks were found in overcrowded public areas that are not segregated by gender. (Aug-26, Reuters)

International Financial Assistance

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says it has approved three grants totaling US$6 million dollars to help improve livelihoods, rehabilitate natural resources, and provide earthquake-resistant housing in affected areas of Indonesia. (Sept-9, Xinhua)

The European Commission (EC) will open a “Europe House” in Banda Aceh this month, which will facilitate coordination among donors on rehabilitation and reconstruction. The EC delegation in Jakarta will run the house. The European Union (EU) has pledged some €207 million (US$250 million) for Indonesia. (Sept-9, EC)

The World Bank says that reconstruction and monetary aid pouring into Aceh could put livelihoods at risk once the money dries up unless the economy is strengthened. World Bank data shows the province’s annual inflation rate at 17 percent, versus 7 percent in other parts of Indonesia. Reuters reports that Aceh’s unemployment rate is at 27 percent and around 600,000 people will be pushed below the poverty line, with daily earnings below US$1 within the next 6 to 18 months. (Aug-25, Reuters)

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)

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. 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)

The head of the victim identification centre, Police General Noppadol Somboonsub, says that by the end of 2006, investigators should finish identifying all the bodies of the people killed in Thailand by the tsunami. said that the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) Information Management Centre has identified around 2,200 bodies out of about 3,777. Foreign experts helping to identify unknown bodies killed in the disaster will leave Thailand by the end of the year when their Thai colleagues will take over, Somboonsub says. (Aug-25, Reuters)

The TVVI has sent 3,241 DNA samples abroad to the International Commission of Missing Persons in Bosnia, Beijing Genomic Center in China, the National Board of Forensic Medicine in Sweden and 260 to agencies in other countries. Some 120 foreign workers from 20 different countries are still working on the effort, including New Zealand, Canada and Norway. (Aug-6-12, Phuket Gazette)

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)

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)

Land title disputes continue to slow down recovery in Phang Nga and other affected provinces. The World Bank is working with authorities to ensure access to legal assistance by vulnerable groups. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Coordination

As of September 1, the Thai Government has funded some US$1.06 billion in emergency response and recovery which includes funding from the central budget, the Prime Minister’s Office and bank credit. The UN Country Team in Thailand reports that this shows an increase in spending of US$180 million in the last month. Over US$6 million was spent on general assistance to victims, and compensation to fisherfolk and beach vendors. The Relief Fund for Disaster Victims has disbursed about US$15 million as of the end of August 2005. The fund consists of private donations worth US$31.75 million. (Sept-9, UNCTT)

According to the Department of Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation (DDPM), further assistance totaling 1.43 billion baht is still needed in the affected areas. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

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 to UNCTT. (Aug-11, UNCTT)

Logistics

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

Food

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

Anupong Sungauannam, president of the Association of Tourism Operators, about 80 percent of housing will be available this month for residents in Phang Nga province. About 50 percent have received some government assistance. (Aug-14, The Nation)

World Vision is building 800 homes in the five affected provinces of Phuket, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Phang Nga. (Aug-15, World Vision)

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)

Infrastructure

Tsunami-affected areas in worst-hit Phang Nga province are expected to operate only 20 percent of hotel room capacity by the end of this year as there have been a long delay in loans for reconstructions. (Aug-14, The Nation)

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)

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)