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Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Update

 

September 29, 2005

 

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

 

 

Table of Contents:

 

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

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

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

Thailand.......................................page 14-16

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’s Aceh province.  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: 

 

· The UN says that in an unprecedented response, donors have poured more than US$11 billion into relief and reconstruction following the earthquake and tsunami disaster, but are neglecting other emergencies.  “It is the most generous and most immediately funded international emergency relief effort ever.  In terms of volume and speed it was phenomenal.  Donors are honoring their promises and the money not yet put up was, by and large, always pledged for longer term reconstruction,” UN emergency coordinator Jan Egeland said.  Egeland says that donors already met around 90 percent of the UN’s own US$1.28 billion appeal for funds for immediate and interim relief.  According to Reuters Alertnet, governments, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have paid or approved US$5.7 billion, or some 80 percent of the US$67.1 billion they had promised.  (Sep-23, Reuters)

 

· A study by the US-based Fritz Institute says that among its key findings, some 40 percent of families interviewed in India and Sri Lanka said that aid received in the first 60 days after the disaster was inappropriate and untimely.  Fifty percent of Sri Lankans said bedding and shelter they were given offended their dignity, while 55 percent of Indians said the same about the clothing they were given, according to the report.  According to the report, Indian families were satisfied with district-level administrators in the relief effort, while most Sri Lankans said officials were not helpful.  The report, “Lessons from the Tsunami: Top Line Findings,” is based on interviews with around 1,500 people in nearly 200 tsunami-hit villages in India and Sri Lanka, and 376 NGOs from the two countries. A follow-up survey is expected to be completed by the end of the year.  (Sep-27, 28, Reuters Alertnet)

 

· Interpol says that it plans to create a worldwide database of missing people to help identify victims faster in disasters like the tsunami.  The organization says that the immediate response of countries to rush in their own teams following the tsunami had created major coordination problems.  Richard Noble, Interpol chief, says that a database could help eliminate duplication as countries respond to disasters.  (Sept-19, Reuters)

 

· The United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) will exit its tsunami mission on Friday, September 30, 2005. The final UNJLC Bulletin on the Indian Ocean Tsunami Operation was issued on September 28.  It will be replaced with the UN Logistics Coordination Support (LCS) bulletin’s first edition on October 4, 2005.  The UNJLC IOT website will reportedly soon be replaced by the LCS website.  (Sep-28, UNJLC) At the request of the Government of Indonesia and the UN Country Team, a UN logistics coordination service, called the UN Logistics Coordination Support (LCS) will be established to provide integrated, multi-modal logistics coordination support to aid groups during reconstruction. UNJLC’s staff in Indonesia will reportedly provide the staffing. (Sept-8, UNJLC)

 

· UN raised its initial appeal of US$977 million to US$1.086 billion.  (Apr-6, Reuters)

 

·   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:  Insurgency violence continues in southern Thailand. 

Indonesia

 

Organization

 

Overview …………………………………………………………page 5

 

Sectors……………………………………………………………page 6

Overview: 

 

On Monday (September 26) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the international community to disburse more of the billions of dollars of aid pledged for hard-hit Aceh province.  Yudhoyono said that only around a third of the US$3.5 billion earmarked for Indonesia has been disbursed.  Yudhoono also called on aid agencies to speed up construction efforts, saying that only 6,000 of the 100,000 homes needed have been built.  On Monday, Yudhoyono also met with Britain’s Princess Anne, president of the NGO, Save the Children, who was visiting Aceh to see several British-funded projects.  (Sep-26, Reuters, Jakarta Post)

 

A statement from the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) on Tuesday (September 27) says that the process of disarming Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels and the withdrawal of Indonesian military (TNI) troops could be accelerated.  According to the statement, following the completion of the first phase of troop withdrawal and disarmament in just two weeks, which was twice as fast as expected, the second phase could begin before the planned date of October 15.  Earlier in the week, AMM head, Peter Feith, said that the AMM expects the GAM to surrender more weapons before the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in early October, the Jakarta Post reports.  “We hope that the second stage (of the disarmament process) could be carried out before Ramadan,” Feith said.  He said that he was hopeful that the whole process could be completed by the end of the year.  The AMM is charged with overseeing the weapons handover of the GAM and Indonesian troop withdrawal, key components of the historic peace deal signed between the GAM and the Indonesian government on August 15 in Helsinki, Finland.  Feith, said that it was important to maintain a positive momentum.  According to the monitoring body, the Indonesian government has withdrawn 6,671 soldiers and 1,300 police from Aceh, while GAM rebels have surrendered 243 weapons.  Under the peace pact, the rebels are expected to hand over 840 firearms in four stages until the end of the year.  The government will proportionally withdraw all non-local military and police troops.  Only some 14,700 local troops and 9,100 local police will remain in the province.  Meanwhile, the deputy chief of the AMM, Lt. General Nipat Thonglek, said that weapons would be surrendered in Sabang town and in the districts of North Aceh, East Aceh and Aceh Tamiang for the second round of disarmament. 

 

About 200 Indonesian military (TNI) troops left the town of Lhokseumawe, in Aceh province on Sunday (September 26) as the last of the first group of a planned withdrawal of security troops from the province.  The withdrawal of the group of 200 left another approximately 20,000 troops to be withdrawn by the end of the year.  The New York Times reports that Indonesian Defense Minister, Juwono Sudarsono, says that the schedule for the disarmament and withdrawal, as well as the reintegration of rebels into normal life in Aceh was proceeding smoothly.  “We were expecting tension, but so far so good…Based on reports, the surprising thing is that the reintegration is being very well received by the people,” Sudarsono said. 

 

Sector Status

Affected Population

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

 

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.

Food

WFP currently operating three general activities: General Food Distribution (GFD), a School Feeding Program (SFP), and a Maternal Child Nutritional (MCN) program.  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. 

 

WFP currently supplying daily rations to some 650,000 people

 

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)

 

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 International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said it was working with other agencies to import and distribute 27,000 large tents to replace smaller tents initially donated after the disaster.  Another 15,000 pre-fabricated temporary housing units, enough for some 60,000 people, are expected in November.  (Sep-23, AFP)

 

The BRR head says that so far, the agency has built about 6,300 houses, including 870 in Banda Aceh.  He says that by the end of December, the agency hopes to have completed 30,000 permanent houses. 

 

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)

 

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

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

WFP has been appointed as the UN Agency Focal Point for Security in Medan.  (WFP)

 

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)


Sri Lanka

 

 

Overview…………………………………………………..page 11

 

Sectors…………………………………………………….page 11

 

Overview: 

 

President Chandrika Kumaratunga last Thursday (September 22) urged the UN and international community to keep focused on the reconstruction effort and ensure that pledges are fulfilled, the GoSL reported.  Kumaratunga made the remarks at the World Bank in Washington DC, at the meeting of the Global Consortium on Tsunami Recovery, which is chaired by the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, former US President Bill Clinton.  While expressing appreciation for the international support following the tsunami disaster, Kumaratunga expressed regret that procurement procedures in place for some donor agencies and NGOs were delaying the reconstruction process.  (Sep-24,GoSL) 

 

Sri Lanka’s auditor general said Monday (September 26) that government officials misappropriated or misspent hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tsunami aid after failing to follow instructions.  The auditor, General S.C. Mayadunne says that officials gave tsunami assistance to thousands who were not directly affected by the tsunami while many who were displaced by the disaster did not get the rations they were entitled to.  Mayadunne says the misappropriation was from confusion from multiple instructions issued by different government departments.  “As far as we see it, it is a misinterpretation of the…instructions…therefore, when you misinterpret…it is a misappropriation.  I should not say it is corruption,” Maydunne said.  However, the report also details instances of apparent corruption, according to Reuters.  The report is posted on the website: www.auditorgeneral.lk.

 

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have asked the European Union (EU) to withdraw a travel ban on them, following an announcement Tuesday (September 27) by the EU to impose the ban on the rebel group.  The European Union (EU) said that it would not meet with visiting LTTE delegates because of continued “violence and terrorism” by the rebel group.  The LTTE’s political wing leader, SP Thamilselvan, said that the EU’s decision was a setback for the peace process.  “The EU’s travel ban on the LTTE is unfair and unreasonable.  It will greatly hinder the peace effort and make it stagnate.  The EU decision has created a situation where the Tamils and the LTTE have lost all hope in the peace process…this has brought about a dangerous situation,” Thamilselvan said.  He added that the decision by the EU was an “appeasement” of anti-Tamil Sinhala extremists in the country and would only serve to encourage the extremists. The EU also said that it is considering listing the LTTE as a terrorist organization.  The US, India, and Britain, which currently holds the presidency of the 25-member EU, have already listed the LTTE as a terrorist organization.  A Norwegian-brokered February 2002 ceasefire between the government and LTTE has been on shaky ground following rising violence, particularly in the country’s east and following the assassination of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August.  The government has blamed the LTTE for the killing, but the rebels have denied any involvement.  In its statement released yesterday, the EU also strongly condemned the killing of Kadirgamar.  The LTTE have made several trips to Europe following the signing of the ceasefire in an effort to build up international support for their cause.

 

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.

 

As of August, 2005, some 800,000 people remain displaced in Sri Lanka by both the island’s long-running civil war and the tsunami disaster, the Global IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council reports.  Around 457,500 people displaced by the tsunami are still living in temporary shelters or with friends and family. Another 347,500 people remain displaced by the conflict.  The tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004, had initially added one million displaced to the country. 

 

 

Coordination

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) signed an agreement with the GoSL to support the creation of computerized database centers to register people affected by the tsunami. Centers will be established at the Presidential and District Secretaries to collect information on the displaced and track the delivery of assistance to affected areas.  According to IOM, the database will identify needs of tsunami-affected individuals on a case-by-case basis to ensure that people receive the assistance they need and avoid duplication.  (Sept-9, IOM)

 

The UN Development Program (UNDP) announced the launching of the web portal, known as the Development Assistance Database (DAD), which will help to better coordinate and monitor post tsunami recovery aid.  TAFREN is spearheading the online database with support from UNDP.  The website can be found at: http://dad.tafren.gov.lk. (Sept-2, UNDP)

 

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.  Sri Lankan Supreme Court temporarily blocked the deal. 

 

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

 

Food

UNOCHA reports WFP Food-for-Work rehabilitation activities/projects will be implemented from July to December and will benefit some 138,000 people.  (Aug-26, UNOCHA)

 

WFP says it is feeding some 915,000 people. 

Water and

     Sanitation

Xinhua reports that The Daily News said that a large-scale Red Cross assisted program on construction, rehabilitation and improvement of water supply and sanitation facilities in affected areas would be launched soon.  The project will be implemented in Hambantota, Galle, Matara, Ampara and Jaffna districts at a cost of some US$100 million.  (Aug-24, Xinhua)

 

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

 

Public Health

     and Medical

IOM has given medication to some 30,000 children in Mannar district, which will protect them up to a year from worms.  The de-worming campaign is supported by AUSAID and will be complemented with other projects to promote better hygiene and health. (Sept-14, IOM)   

 

Shelter

IOM says it has constructed over 3,000 transitional houses, which are designed to last between two to four years.  An additional 512 are currently under construction.  Land has been allocated for 3,910 homes in 7 districts.  (Aug-19, UNOCHA)

 

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)

 

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 80 percent of the required permanent housing for the displaced will be completed before the end of this year.  (July-7, GoSL)
Infrastructure

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved US$310 million in donor funding to reconstruct 1,137 kilometers (706 miles) of road and 25 bridges.  The Cabinet has also approved the purchase of 100 new passenger train carriages for the Sri Lanka Railway Department.  Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority estimates that some 2,425 kilometers (1,507 miles) of coastline out of a total of 2,825 kilometers (1,755 mile) was directly affected by the disaster.  (Sept-22, UNOCHA)

 

SP Thamilselvan, chief of the political wing of the 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

The Sri Lankan government said September 16 that the state of emergency in the country would be extended for another month.

International Financial Assistance

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on September 12 delayed a hearing on a controversial government deal to share about US$3.2 billion in tsunami aid with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.  The court is expected to hold the hearing for the aid-sharing deal, formally known as the Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS), on November 22.  That date falls after the November 21 deadline for the country’s presidential election. 

 

The database of Sri Lanka’s Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) shows that international donors had spent US$459 million dollars on tsunami relief projects as of July 31.  In addition, actual pledges recorded on the database total US$1.04 billion dollars, short of the US$3.2 billion the government said it had received from international donors in May. However, TAFREN chief Mano Tittawella, said that the donor pledges would go up as figures are entered into the database.   (Sept-2, AFP)

 

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said on August 25th that tsunami aid has helped Sri Lanka’s balance of payments, a record of receipts from and payments to the rest of the world, swing to a surplus in the first half of the year.  The Central Bank said that the balance of payments rose from a deficit of US$233 million dollars in the same period last year to a surplus of US$174 million dollars.  Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Sri Lankan officials say that Sri Lanka saved some US$300 million to US$500 million in debt repayment after international lenders cancelled or rescheduled loans.  (Aug-25, AFP)

 

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 17

 

Sectors……………………………………………………page 17

 

Overview: 

 

Officials from Thailand and the United Nations on Monday (September 26) signed an agreement to create a regional trust fund to manage tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.  Thailand launched the trust fund with a US$10 million contribution and also called upon other nations to match its commitment.  The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) launched the fund on Monday.  UNESCAP will manage the fund.  The GoT says the fund will support development of a regional early warning system that would take the form of national and regional centers.  Thailand is working to establish a regional center in cooperation with the Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC).  (Sep-26, 27, Bangkok Post, TNA, GoT)

  
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. (Aug-6-12, Phuket Gazette)

 

The Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma reported that 44 bodies of Burmese victims were identified in September.  (Sep-26, Irrawaddy) 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)

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 UN Country Team in Thailand, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, announced towards the end of August that he was assigning three of his deputy prime ministers with specific responsibilities: Ministers Jarusombat and Liptapanplop are responsible for victim assistance in Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket, and Minister Krea-ngam will oversee disbursement of compensation funds. Minister Vejjajiva, from the Prime Minister’s Office, has been assigned overall responsibility for the country’s disaster alert system. (Sept-9, UNNCTT)

 

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

 

Shelter

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

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)