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Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand: Earthquake and Tsunami OCHA Situation Report No. 29

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0047
OCHA Situation Report No. 29
Earthquake and Tsunami
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, & Thailand

Main Highlights

In Indonesia, concerns about water and sanitation facilities in the temporary relocation centres remain.

In Sri Lanka, sexual and gender-based violence is a concern in temporary camps.

In the Maldives, a UNICEF field assessment highlighted that the living conditions in internally displaced persons' temporary housing units do not meet basic standards.

In Thailand, the Executive Director of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre publicly expressed concern that regional differences could delay the establishment of an Indian Ocean Early Warning System beyond the mid-2006 date envisioned by the UN.

Financial Highlights

Out of US$863 million pledged to the Flash Appeal by official donors on or after 11 January, US$500 million has been contributed ("paid," "disbursed"). A further US$221 million has been committed. (500 + 221 = 721, meaning that 84% of official FA pledges have been converted into commitments or contributions.) Private donors have contributed an additional US$63 million, and UN agencies have allocated US$6 million from their own resources. The rest remain uncommitted official pledges.

INDONESIA

Situation

The latest figures (24 Feb.) from BAKORNAS on the human toll of the earthquake and tsunami for Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) indicate that 123,598 bodies have been buried, 113,937 people are missing and 400,901 people are displaced. For North Sumatra Province, BAKORNAS reported that 19,620 people are displaced, whereas the number of people buried and missing remains at 130 and 24, respectively.

Concerns have been raised about the water and sanitation facilities at the Temporary Living Centres (TLCs) and spontaneous sites, both in terms of quality and quantity in Banda Aceh and along the west coast.

Reports indicate that thousands of people from the west coast who were evacuated immediately after the disaster are currently stranded in Banda Aceh and Medan.

Overview of Activities

International agencies and government officials in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar are assessing the water and sanitation facilities at the Temporary Living Centres. An initial review on 23 February in Banda Aceh indicated that minimum standards were not in place. Problems included insufficient provisions for drainage and waste disposal areas, open defecation, and poor construction due to sandy soil.

Main Challenges

Concerns about water and sanitation need to be further discussed among relevant parties, including UN agencies and local authorities. Water and sanitation engineers need to be identified and deployed to the affected areas (primarily Meulaboh, Calang and Banda Aceh) as soon as possible.

According to UNICEF, the ratio of people to latrines, poor refuse collection, and septic tank overflows are among the problems in the IDP settlements. A challenge to the provision of services is the number of IDPs settlements, which fluctuates with the movement of displaced people from one area to another.

The presence of people who were evacuated and are now stranded in Banda Aceh and Medan is being investigated as a matter of urgency and requires immediate action.

Link Between Emergency Activities and Livelihood Recovery

Dr. Hafiz Pasha, Assistant Secretary General and Head of UNDP's Asia Pacific Bureau, will visit UNDP projects and meet with senior government officials during his tour of Banda Aceh. As discussed in previous situation reports, Dr. Pasha is on a tour of the region to discuss the transformation of the emergency relief effort into a longer-term reconstruction process.

Useful Websites

Government:

www.bakornaspbp.go.id (National Coordination Board for Natural Disaster Management)

www.depsos.go.id (Department of Social Affairs)

www.depkes.go.id (Department of Health)

www.lin.go.id (National Information Board-Ministry of Information and Communication)

www.info-ri.com (Information-Republic Indonesia)

Other:

www. coe-dmha.org/tsunami.htm (daily chronology of key events)

www.apan-info.net - tsunami page (Pacific Command)

www.humanitarianinfo.org - Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC)

SRI LANKA

Situation

The Sri Lankan Department of Census and Statistics is still in the process of compiling a district-by-district census of tsunami-affected people and structures. As stated in the last situation report, the latest casualty figures released on 1 February indicated that 248,866 families were affected by the tsunami. A total of 553,287 people were displaced, with 411,302 of those staying with relatives and friends and 141,985 residing in welfare centres or camps (of which there are 315). In sum, 30,974 people were reported dead, 23,176 injured and 4,698 still missing.

The latest statistics on unaccompanied and separated children show a total of 45 unaccompanied children, 1,074 separated children and 3,721 children who lost one parent. The identification of unaccompanied and separated children in communities is ongoing.

Overview of Activities

Some 250 Sri Lankan Red Cross volunteers in Batticaloa District are being trained in health education by the ICRC for deployment in welfare centres and transit camps. In Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu, over 50 Red Cross community health workers, paid by the ICRC, are providing first aid and health-education services for displaced families.

UNICEF has drafted a strategic framework for psycho-social activities in Sri Lanka in the post-tsunami context. Activities cover four main areas: community support services; specialized services for vulnerable groups; direct support for mental health services; and district and national coordination for psycho-social services.

In Jaffna, ACF (Action contre la Faim), the Danish Red Cross, WHO and UNICEF are developing a coordinated and participatory hygiene promotion strategy in IDP camps prior to distributing hygiene kits. UNICEF is also working with a group of NGOs (Merlin, Oxfam, Terre des Hommes, Oxfam UK, ACD and Solidarité) in Ampara District to coordinate hygiene promotion. In addition, a joint UNICEF/ACF training session on chlorination procedures is being held for 32 government and military personnel and NGO staff.

Main Challenges

According to the Human Rights Commission and various NGOs, sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence and child abuse, remains a serious concern in temporary camps. Police officials in Batticaloa report an increase in the occurrence of domestic violence, alcoholism and related violence in the camps. UNICEF also reports similar concerns from camps in Ampara. UNICEF and its protection partners are monitoring cases of physical and sexual abuse against children in all districts. In Trincomalee, the development of public awareness raising materials on child abuse is ongoing.

In response to the great need for transport in relief and rehabilitation activities, IOM is providing free transport assistance to UN agencies, NGOs, government agencies and donors. IOM has a fleet of lorries, passenger buses, trailers and vans.

The government banned new rice importation due to an imminent domestic rice harvest. Consequently, some WFP shipments already scheduled for delivery will be diverted to other destinations. However, WFP and the Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation (MRRR), its key implementing partner, have reached a new agreement related to food aid purchases. WFP has agreed to make some rice purchases from the local market, thus providing economic support to local farmers.

WFP is also concerned about an apparently excessive number of food coupons being distributed without clear criteria to determine if the recipients actually need food assistance. The MRRR is now closely monitoring the distribution to ensure that coupons only go to those in need.

Accurate figures are not yet available on overall school attendance in tsunami stricken areas. Nevertheless, estimates provided by UNICEF suggest that school attendance is improving although in some districts, such as Galle and Trincomalee, attendance is reportedly low. UNICEF has been providing basic school supplies in most affected districts.

Useful Websites

Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies: http://www.humanitarian-srilanka.org/Pages/tsunami.htm

Humanitarian Information Centre: www.humanitarianinfo.org/srilanka.

Any organisation that would like to submit information to the HIC website should contact Soenke Ziesche, HIC Liaison Officer, at Soenke.Ziesche@gmail.com.

MALDIVES

Situation

A UNICEF field assessment highlighted that the living conditions in internally displaced persons' temporary housing units do not meet basic standards. Discussions with displaced women and visits to their temporary homes revealed that the space provided was inadequate. They reported that 16 people, not of the same family, were cramped in small, three room housing units. Access to water and sanitation in these locations was also poor, thus creating hazardous conditions for children's health. In addition, discussions with IDPs on the issue of resettlement revealed that the consultation process needs to be more inclusive. Decisions currently seem to be made by community leaders, without consulting the IDPs themselves.

Despite the reconstruction work taking place at a national level, statistics show that occupancy rates in the tourism sector are still well below fifty per cent, which continues to affect the economy. This is despite the fact that 70% of the resorts are fully functioning.

The government stated that the islands currently under consideration for the "Safe Islands Programme" are relatively large, will provide ample opportunity for income generation, and are environmentally sustainable. Over the next five years, the programme will seek to convince thousands of residents to move from low-lying islands.

Overview of Activities

UNICEF reported the arrival in Male' of 20 reverse osmosis units on 23 February to address water shortages on affected islands.

WHO reports that the laboratory results of epidemiological investigation of an unusually high number of dying crows in some islands indicate the presence of retroviruses. The virus is not a usual pathogen of human beings. WHO does not plan to take further action unless it is requested to provide technical assistance to a public health veterinarian in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Under its "Restoration of Critical Infrastructure" project, UNDP established a steering committee comprised of senior representatives from the Government, private sector, NGOs and the IFRC to ensure proper planning, prioritization and oversight of the project. On 24 February the committee identified 27 priority sites for rehabilitation. Detailed technical assessments of the sites will begin immediately.

The Internal Displacement Division (IDD) team will arrive in the Maldives on 28 February for a one-week mission. (For more details, please refer to situation report #29.)

Main Challenges

UNICEF has communicated the current conditions in the IDP settlements to the government and will collaborate with OCHA and the IDD to initiate interventions including thorough assessments, an improvement in living conditions, and capacity-building/training for the newly created IDP unit within the government.

WHO reports that the Department of Public Health is closely monitoring the outbreak of mumps reported in an IDP settlement mentioned in the previous situation report.

Useful Websites

United Nations Maldives Disaster Relief Taskforce: http://202.1.199.67

Maldives National Disaster Management Centre: http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv

Other Information

Field office contact: Aishath Jeelaan, Communications Officer, United Nations Resident Coordinator System, Tel: (960) 324501 ext. 227, mob: (960) 787 987.

THAILAND

Situation

The latest figures from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, of the Ministry of Interior, as of 21 February 2005 are as follows: 5,395 dead (1,915 Thai, 1,953 foreigners and 1,527 unidentified) and 2,992 missing (2,032 Thai and 959 foreigners). A total of 58,550 persons from 12,480 households have been affected. A total of 6,824 houses have been damaged, of which 3,615 have been completely destroyed. 4,615 of these damaged houses are in Phang-Nga Province.

Overview of Activities

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) gave a presentation to UN and government representatives on their current and planned activities to establish a multi-hazard regional early warning system. Early this week a Bangkok newspaper reported that Mr. Suvit Yodmani, the Executive Director of the ADPC was "very worried" that regional differences could delay the establishment of an Indian Ocean Early Warning System beyond the mid-2006 date envisioned by the UN.

The UN Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator and Heads of ILO and IOM met with representatives of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 25 February to present the UN Country Team's "Strategy on Assistance to Migrant Workers in Tsunami-Affected Areas." The Ministry agreed to review the paper and respond to the UN in the near future.

The Royal Thai Supreme Command, US Pacific Command (PACOM) and the armed forces of Japan and Singapore gathered in Bangkok this week to plan Cobra Gold 2005, a staff-exercise on lessons learned from the tsunami response to be held in Chiang-Mai in May. The UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO representatives will be invited to participate in this joint exercise, which will focus on how to improve coordination and response efficiency.

The Thai National Security Council (NSC) has proposed the creation of a National Operation Centre to manage national crises of all kinds with "a new dimension of security." This initiative reportedly developed from Prime Minister Thaksin's trip to the South to oversee the tsunami relief operations.

An OCHA mission conducted an assessment of the existing structure and future needs for information management. The mission interviewed representatives of ADPC, ESCAP, IFRC, ILO, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIS, WFP and several NGOs. A report outlining recommendations is expected in the near future.

Main Challenges

Lack of coordination between the international forensic teams identifying victims of the disaster is reportedly delaying the repatriation of bodies. The delay is due to non-uniform methods of DNA processing, overlapping identification efforts by governments, and inadequate laboratory facilities. Meanwhile, the Thai Government has reportedly signed a US$ 1.6 million contract with Gene Code, a forensic DNA matching software company, to facilitate identification of tsunami victims. Reports indicate that Interpol and at least 20 national police forces have participated in the forensic operation. A total of 338 bodies have been identified between 13 January and 21 February 2005.

PLEDGES - CONTRIBUTIONS

Regarding overall funding in response to the tsunami, according to the information available to the United Nations:

The total amount pledged, committed or contributed to all recipients is US$ 6.3 billion. Of this:

90 governments and inter-governmental organisations have pledged, committed or contributed US $5.8 billion. Private persons and institutions have contributed at least US$ 572 million.*

The total amount pledged, committed or contributed to the UN-NGO Flash Appeal is US$ 931 million. Of this:

  • 55 governments have specifically pledged, committed or contributed US$ 684 million to 16 UN agencies, and another $49 million to NGOs and other international organisations.

  • 10 governments have channeled $28 million through OCHA for onward distribution to implementing agencies.

  • Private persons and institutions have contributed US$ 63 million to 7 UN agencies.**

  • The balance ($130 million) consists of general pledges for the Flash Appeal but not yet assigned or committed to any agency or NGO.

*UN agencies are informing FTS of the private contributions they receive, but not all NGOs are; therefore this figure is known to be understated.

** More than $200 million in additional private contributions has been reported by UN agencies, but the agencies are re-allocating an as-yet-undetermined part of those funds from Flash Appeal projects to medium-term reconstruction activities.

Updates on contributions to this disaster may be found on the Financial Tracking Service (http://www.reliefweb.int/fts; or, click "Financial Tracking" at the top of the ReliefWeb page for this disaster). Donors are requested to verify this table and inform OCHA Geneva of corrections/additions/values. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardized Contributions Recording Format, available electronically on the above-mentioned FTS website.

Together with further information on other ongoing emergencies, this situation report is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.

Aid agencies are encouraged to use the Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) at http://www.reliefweb.int to share information on assistance and coordinate activities.

Tel. +41-22-917 1234
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23/06 28
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
Ms. Marie Spaak/Ms. Hannah Entwisle
Direct Tel. 41-22-917 1728/6786

Press contact:
(GVA) Ms. Elisabeth Byrs, direct Tel. ++41-22-917 26 53
(N.Y.) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917 367 51 26
(N.Y.) Mr. Brian Grogan, direct Tel. +1-212-963 11 43

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.