The Red Cross/Red Crescent: one billion US dollar tsunami operation in Indonesia
Impressive record – massive impact
Four years into the tsunami recovery programme, the Red Cross/Red Crescent construction programmes are nearing completion. Around 85% of the nearly 20,000 planned permanent homes in Indonesia have been completed; another 7% are under construction and the remainder under review. Additionally, the Federation and its partners built some 20,000 high-quality transitional shelters while various problems related to the permanent housing were solved.
Red Cross/Red Crescent programmes continue to support communities to rebuild their own lives and develop so they can cope with future threats: disasters, the effects of climate change, outbreaks of disease, conflict or the rapid rise in the cost of food and fuel.
As PMI and its partners hand projects over, the emphasis is shifting from recovery to long-term development backed by number of participating national RC/RC societies.
The International Federation and its partners are the largest single organization working in the tsunami-affected area, having spent one billion US dollars in support of the reconstruction of Aceh, out of the estimated total of seven billion US dollars.
As of 1 January 2009, this is the preliminary impact of the Movement's work:
- An estimated 733,000 people have received recovery assistance from the Red Cross/Red Crescent;
- 16,735 permanent family houses built and a further 1,397 under construction out of a total of 19,989;
- All 19,923 planned transitional shelters have been built;
- 190 hospitals and clinics have been built or rehabilitated, with a further 59 under construction out of a total of 253;
- 78 schools have been built with a further 11 under construction out of a total of 89;
- Nearly 300,000 people will have access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities by the end of this year;
- 103,600 people reached by community-based health services;
- Eight PMI branch offices have been completed and another 15 are under construction in addition to the PMI's Chapter building in Banda Aceh;
- Two large regional warehouses have been built, a third is under construction and the fourth is in the planning stages;
- Nearly 3,000 PMI staff and volunteers have gained valuable experience and skills from working in the operation;
- Thousands of local Acehnese have in a similar way gained skills and experiences in the Federation's operation
– skills that will be applicable in Aceh's future civil society;
- Local and national businesses have grown and expanded with increased capacity, skills and technical expertise.
