OCHA Situation Report No. 37
Earthquake and Tsunami
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives
21 April 2005


Main Highlights

In Indonesia, land ownership and land use must be clarified quickly in 
order to allow people to rebuild their homes.

In Sri Lanka, the number of temporary housing units constructed to 
relocate tsunami-affected families has risen to over 15,468.

In the Maldives, a Lessons Learned Workshop will review the national and 
international response to the tsunami.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Out of USD892 million pledged to the FA by official donors on or after 
Jan. 11,USD584 million has been contributed ("paid," "disbursed").  A 
further USD229 million has been committed.  (584 + 229 = 813, meaning 
that 91% of official FA pledges have been converted into commitments or 
contributions.) Private donors have contributed an additional USD362 
million,* and UN agencies have allocated USD1 million from their own 
resources.  The rest (USD69 million) remain uncommitted official 
pledges.

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 
USD6.7 billion.  Of this, 95 Governments and inter-governmental 
organisations have pledged, committed or contributed USD5.8 billion. 
Private persons and institutions have contributed at least USD 882 
million. *

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

INDONESIA

I. SITUATION

BAKORNAS, the national coordination body for natural disasters, stopped 
issuing daily reports on the number of dead, missing and displaced as a 
result of the tsunami on 26 March 2005. As of 20 April 2005, the total 
reported dead as a result of the 26 December 2004 tsunami stands at 
128,515 in NAD and 130 in North Sumatra. The number of IDPs stands at 
513,278 in NAD and 19,620 in North Sumatra.

Seismic activity has continued in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) and 
North Sumatra provinces. Between 28 March and 16 April the United States 
Geological Survey recorded 278 further aftershocks with magnitudes 
ranging from 4.7 to 6.7.  Seismologists predict continued activity along 
the fault line that runs along the west coast of Sumatra and south of 
Java. Many displaced people in NAD, North Sumatra and West Sumatra 
provinces are reluctant to return to their homes as they are afraid of 
future earthquakes or tsunamis.

The last week has also seen increased volcanic activity on Sumatra and 
Java islands. In light of the continuing seismic activity in the area 
and the propensity for natural disasters in other parts of Indonesia, UN 
agencies are in the process of drafting an emergency response document, 
including details of stockpiling.

II. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

The UNICEF measles campaign is nearing completion in NAD, with a total 
of 994,274 children immunized from a target of a total 1,196,229. The 
overall campaign coverage for 6 months -15years now stands at 83.1%.

The WFP school feeding programme, which commenced in early April, is now 
reaching approximately 47,100 primary school children in Banda Aceh, 
Aceh Besar and Aceh Barat districts. The programme will gradually be 
expanded in the coming months with the beneficiary number expected to 
reach 340,000 children by August 2005.

The UNDP Tsunami Waste Recycling Project has now begun, with a team of 
18 cash for work employees using six dump trucks and three bobcats to 
clear areas around Banda Aceh town. Paddy fields in Peukan Bada, Aceh 
Besar are also being cleared to enable local villagers to begin farming. 
The waste is taken to the municipal dump where an additional team of 70 
cash for work employees separates recyclable and non-recyclable 
material. Recyclable materials, such as wood, metal and rubble, are 
being stockpiled for donation or sale. Similar activities have recently 
been expanded to Meulaboh, and are planned for other cities and to 
develop larger scale waste management activities.

III. MAIN CHALLENGES AND RESPONSE

UNICEF published the results of the Baseline Nutrition Assessment 
conducted in 13 tsunami-affected districts. The survey included 3,735 
households, 4,024 women aged 18 - 45 years and 4,030 children aged 6 - 
59 months. Of the households, 10% were IDPs living in camps, 9% were 
households hosting IDPs and 80% were residents in households without 
displaced people.

Key findings from the survey include the following:

    In the 13 districts, 11.6% of displaced children, and 11.4% of the
    remaining children suffer from wasting or acute malnutrition.

    There are high rates of diarrhea, fever and respiratory cough amongst
    under-five year old children for both tsunami-affected and
    non-affected populations.

    Longer-term nutritional issues need to be addressed through poverty
    relief, education, as well as improved sanitation and security.


IDPs are returning to their place of origin in increasing numbers and 
erecting temporary structures on the sites of their former homes, as 
they are afraid to lose their right of ownership or use of the land. 
UNDP hosted a Land Advisor who has been investigating the possibility of 
developing a community based land-mapping project that would be 
implemented in areas where no land ownership documents survived the 
tsunami. The project would help ascertain who owns the land, and 
therefore who may rebuild in which areas.

It is essential that land ownership and land use issues are clarified 
quickly to allow people to rebuild permanent dwellings, and to prevent 
temporary structures from becoming semi-permanent, creating slum-type 
settlements that lack proper access to water and sanitation and 
community infrastructure.

IV. LINK BETWEEN EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES AND LIVELIHOOD RECOVERY

UNDP's cash for work programme, implemented by NGO partners, is now 
providing temporary employment for approximately 10,000 workers, in a 
variety of projects across the province. Projects include amongst others 
small-scale fisheries activities (fishing boats and nets), 
rehabilitation of paddy fields, and livelihood revitalisation projects 
for disaster-affected women and children in NAD. Further contracts are 
in the pipeline and will lead to increased employment of workers.

V. 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)

www.unjlc.org


SRI LANKA

I. SITUATION

According to statistics gathered by the Office of the Transitional 
Accommodation Project, the number of temporary housing units constructed 
to relocate tsunami-affected families has risen to over 15,468 (as at 15 
April). Work is now in progress to build additional 7,856 units, which 
are expected to be completed within the next few days. UNHCR reports 
that as of 21 April, a total of 12,000 transitional shelters have been 
constructed in tsunami-affected areas of the country, with an additional 
7,000 shelters in the pipeline. Overall commitments have been made by 
various organizations to build a total of 65,000 shelters. UNHCR and the 
government are planning to meet to reconcile the differing figures 
regarding transitional shelters.

II. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

Fifty families have returned this week to Navalady, Batticaloa District. 
Navalady is the narrow sand stretch between the ocean and the Batticaloa 
Lagoon that was severely impacted by the tsunami. The displaced families 
have returned on their own initiative. They will initially reside in two 
transit centres while they work in cooperation with agencies on the 
reconstruction of their homes. By the end of this week, a total of 76 
families will be accommodated in the transit centres. Critical road 
repairs and electrical works have yet to begin.

On Tuesday 12 April, World Vision inaugurated 84 completed transitional 
shelters in Anungulla, Balapitiya Division, Galle District in the 
presence of the Special Representative of the President and the Deputy 
Minister for Infrastructure.

III. MAIN CHALLENGES AND RESPONSE

On Sunday 17 April, a large group of displaced persons spontaneously 
occupied private land, erecting tents on the Fedroo Estate, Aluthuuala 
(at the border between the divisions of Ambalangoda and Baddegama) Galle 
District. Local government officials and NGOs are concerned by the 
presence of these IDPs who could number up to 1,500 persons. It is still 
unclear whether they are tsunami-affected people. The IDPs are 
reportedly from Hikkaduwa Division. Both the district and divisional 
government are aware of the problem. OCHA is assessing the situation.

IV. LINK BETWEEN EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES AND LIVELIHOOD RECOVERY

The Livelihood Task Force in Batticaloa, which includes government 
representatives, UN agencies and NGOs, has stressed that attention must 
be paid to the agriculture sector and agricultural-related businesses, 
given that the focus to date has been on providing assistance to the 
fishing communities.

FAO recently reported the need for additional inputs of seeds and 
fertilizer in agricultural areas, and for the replacement of livestock, 
particularly poultry.

With the planting season in Yala just beginning, FAO is sending 67 
tonnes of paddy seed worth USD 22,000 to areas in the south. This will 
cover 1,668 acres of land, sufficient for tsunami affected farmers in 
the areas of Hambantota, Matara and Galle districts. At the same time, 
the farmers will be supplied with 83 tonnes of BASAL fertilizer and 
another 167 tonnes of urea fertilizer.

V. USEFUL WEBSITES

Humanitarian Information Centre:  www.humanitarianinfo.org/srilanka

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): 
www.ochaonline.org

Sri Lankan Department of Census and Statistics: 
www.statistics.gov.lk/Tsunami/index.htm

Government of Sri Lanka: www.priu.gov.lk

Recoverlanka: www.recoverlanka.net

Geolanka: www.geolanka.net

Sir Lankan Taskforce for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN): 
www.tafren.gov.lk

For access to additional informative web links: 
http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/srilanka/infocentre/links/links.asp


MALDIVES

I. SITUATION

Pursuant to an OCHA recommendation, a national Lessons Learned Workshop 
is scheduled to take place in Male. Participants include government 
authorities at the central and atoll level, UN agencies, bilateral 
donors, the IFRC and national/international NGOs. The purpose of the 
workshop is to review all aspects of national and international response 
to the tsunami from an in-country perspective to enable national 
authorities to improve response coordination in disaster situations.

Findings and recommendations will feed into an OCHA regional workshop 
that is scheduled to take place in Indonesia in June 2005 and will 
assist in the formulation of a UN Recovery Strategy and the preparation 
of a contingency planning exercise later in the year.

II. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

The Vulnerable Group Feeding Programme has identified 40,296 
beneficiaries for the next distribution cycle scheduled to begin on 24 
April. Beneficiaries include IDPs, host communities and 'livelihood 
groups' on affected islands. The food distribution will include rice, 
pulses, oil and sugar.

UNICEF and UNOPS have reached an agreement on reconstruction in the 
education and health sectors in the Maldives. The Minister of Education 
has submitted the UNOPS school reconstruction project to the National 
Disaster Management Centre for approval.

On 12 and 13 April, the Educational Centre, with technical and financial 
support from UNICEF, conducted a two-day workshop for 13 headmasters. 
The objective of the workshop was to brief the participants on the Child 
Friendly Schools concept and to assess "child friendliness" in their 
respective schools. Based on the assessment, an action plan was devised 
for each school highlighting the key areas that would help the schools 
move towards the child friendly model.

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, UN Resident Coordinator System,
Tel: (960) 324501, mob: (960) 787 987; email: aishath.jeelaan@undp.org

Thierry Delbreuve, Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer, UN Resident
Coordinator System, Tel: (960) 324501, mob: (960) 778 971; email:
delbreuve@un.org

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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.

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
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. Rebecca Richards
     Direct Tel. 41-22-917 1728/1155

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


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