OCHA Situation Report No. 5
Indonesian Earthquake
Occured on 28 March 2005
22 April 2005


SITUATION

The 28 March earthquake caused extensive damage to the infrastructure on 
Nias Island, rendering the main ring road and numerous secondary roads 
impassable to all traffic, except motorcycles. IOM, in collaboration 
with the Indonesian NGO, Wanadri, completed a rapid assessment of 
earthquake damage to all main roads and health facilities on Nias 
Island. Teams equipped with Global Positioning System units fanned out 
across the island by motorcycle to assess the conditions of the 
principal highways and to identify viable truck routes into the main 
town from 14 sub-districts. Based on the assessment results, most 
sub-districts are still accessible despite road gaps. However, two 
sub-districts in the northern part of Nias, namely Lahewa and Afulu, are 
impassable to any vehicles due to severe bridge damage. IOM, UNJLC and 
the Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) collaborated to create a 
comprehensive map and tracking system. The assessment is available here.

IOM, WFP, WHO and IMC completed an inter-agency assessment in Singkil 
District, on 11 April. The assessment team found that the majority of 
wooden houses had collapsed and a significant number of internally 
displaced persons (IDPs) were living in tents, school buildings and 
mosques, or with host families. The camp conditions are poor and do not 
serve basic needs. The team recommended further shelter, food and 
non-food items assistance.

UPDATES

In the last week WFP undertook a food needs assessments in Nias, Sibolga 
and Singkil. In Simeulue, a joint WFP/CARE assessment will commence 
shortly.

    Jointly, the Ministry of Health and WFP found that on Nias Island,
    market prices have returned to pre-earthquake levels in Gunung Sitoli
    for rice and other goods and that traders are bringing in stocks from
    Sibolga, commercial activity is not yet back to normal. However, most
    items appear to be available again. Other important markets in
    Lolofita Moi and Hidanagao are functioning almost normally. More
    rural areas however still face elevated prices. The final report is
    expected to be released by 23 April.


    A WFP-led inter-agency assessment mission examined the extent of
    damage and the subsequent assistance required in Singkil. The
    beneficiary group is estimated at 19,161 persons. Shelter was in
    urgent need, while the district authorities were distributing food
    (primarily rice and noodles). It was concluded that particular focus
    should be put on the protein and oil components of the food basket.

    In Sibolga, an assessment concluded that of the 2,000 IDPs
    identified, only 352 would qualify for food aid assistance.
    Sufficient rice is being made available by the local authorities. An
    assessment at the port of Sibolga confirmed its suitability for
    loading landing craft, which will alleviate the space constraints on
    the commercial ferry and allow for the transport of food and other
    humanitarian cargo to Nias.


IOM will conduct a comprehensive 10-day needs and damage assessment in 
Simeulue Island.

Food and Nutrition

With the recent arrival of WFP's landing craft carrying 250 MT of food 
to Nias and 333 MT to Simeulue, approximately 1,600 MT of food has been 
delivered so far to these islands. Further deliveries of 630 MT of food 
to Nias are expected in the next few days, which will complete the 
distribution for April. Earlier blanket distributions are now being 
adjusted to target the most vulnerable.

In Nias a total of 700 MT of food has been dispatched to NGO partners by 
14 April. Food has been delivered by helicopter to isolated villages 
that could not be reached by road or sea. Three or four food deliveries 
each day are now possible by helicopter, as medical evacuations have 
decreased significantly. In Simeulue, WFP food is being distributed 
through its cooperating partner, CARE. Though looting and theft of food 
and non-food items has been reported as a problem by humanitarian 
agencies, WFP's implementing partners have not reported any problems 
with the distributions of food commodities.

Health

UNICEF reports that on Simeulue Island, eleven health centres were 
destroyed or are non-functional and health staff members are slow to 
return to work, as they are afraid. 90% of health services are reported 
active, primarily conducted in tents provided by international NGOs. 
Data collected from the Simeulue hospital from 29 March to 8 April 
reported 24 cases of malaria, 101 cases of diarrhoea, 162 cases of ARI 
and 124 cases of skin infection.

WHO, the Provincial Health Office and IOM are tracking the progress of 
more than 350 patients and family members evacuated by air and sea to 
hospitals on mainland Sumatra following the 28 March earthquake. IOM is 
assisting with their voluntary return to Nias and reunification with 
their families. Since 6 April the IOM medical team, consisting of 1 
doctor and 3 nurses, has facilitated the return of 57 patients and 49 
members of their families to Gunung Sitoli, as well as to their home 
villages within Nias, and is facilitating the transport of an additional 
30 people from Medan to Nias. The agency also provides hotel 
accommodation and allowances to people awaiting transport home from 
Medan.

Water and Sanitation

Clean water supply, sanitation and waste management are major problems 
in the IDPs camps. On Simeulue, one hundred and forty thousand litres of 
safe water are being produced daily by THW in three water treatment 
plants - two from THW and one from UNICEF. The water is being 
distributed daily by CONCERN, IRD and Save the Children in water tankers 
equipped with 5,000 lt bladders, to water distribution points and the 
hospital. There has been a lack of coordination in terms of the water 
distribution mechanism and UNICEF will urgently send a Water and 
Sanitation officer with a Department of Public Works Provincial Officer 
to try and make improvements. Additional UNICEF water bladders, 2000 
jerry cans and hygiene kits were sent to Simeulue this week by sea 
cargo.

Shelter

To date, some 3,870 UNHCR tents have been distributed on Nias. Owing to 
the extent of damage and the ever-increasing numbers of homeless people 
it is estimated that up to 20,000 additional tents, may be needed in the 
North Sumatra Province. UNHCR in Medan is undertaking a needs assessment 
before supplying additional tents, as well as other non-food items such 
as stoves, plastic sheets, kitchen sets, hurricane lanterns and 
blankets. UNHCR has received the formal go-ahead from the Government of 
Indonesia to be fully involved in the delivery of emergency supplies to 
the affected areas of North Sumatra Province and is now in the process 
of putting together a core team to help run the 'Nias operations' from 
Medan with delivery and distribution to be carried out by implementing 
partners.

Coordination

UNICEF deployed a small operational team with vehicle, communications 
and supplies to Simeulue Island this week to strengthen coordination of 
NFI distribution and begin assessments for a temporary school 
construction programme. The team will maintain an initial 90-day 
emergency response presence and will assess longer-term rehabilitation 
priorities and suitable partnerships.

WFP hosts food coordination meetings twice a week to update on ongoing 
and planned distributions as well as trace issues with its NGO partners.

Logistical Bottlenecks

UNJLC has been working to resolve three bottlenecks that remain in the 
supply chains from MEDAN - NIAS and MEDAN - BANDA ACEH.

Port of Sibolga: The waiting time for trucks to enter ferries was 
reduced to one day by 14 April and the backlog cleared by 18 April. The 
bottleneck was resolved through the use of commercial boats and the 
efforts of POSKO, IOM, TNI (Indonesian Army) and the port authorities to 
improve coordination.

Gunung Sitoli on Nias Island: On Nias the backlog of trucks waiting to 
return to Sibolga has been reduced. Previously, IDPs wanting to leave 
the island had been using the available space so that trucks had to 
wait. In addition a UNJLC fuel expert has arrived on Nias and is 
addressing fuel requirements so that UNHAS can position helicopters on 
the island and therefore provide cargo and transport people to isolated 
areas and better facilitate the distribution of food and commodities 
from Gunung Sitoli to the rest of the island.

Belawan Port (MEDAN): The Vice President, Yusuf Kalla has expressed 
concern and frustration about the build-up of 645 containers containing 
humanitarian goods destined for Banda Aceh and Nias in Belawan Port and 
has ordered the local authorities to immediately begin clearing the 
containers and said that if necessary, the Government would pay for the 
clearance. There are 99 different humanitarian consignees who have been 
identified for these containers, who have not applied to clear their 
goods through customs. After consultation with TNI and IOM, the local 
authorities in Medan ordered a clearance of twenty 40 ft containers per 
day starting 18 April. Although the initial plan calls for 20 containers 
per day, it remains to be determined if this amount can be absorbed by 
the supply chain without causing onward bottlenecks. WFP will contract a 
private company to clear cargo on WFP's behalf and thereby expedite 
customs clearance at Belawan.

UNHAS continued its operations on Nias with 2 Sibolga-based Mi8 
helicopters, and 1 Medan-based Fokker 27. An initial one-week contract 
of the Fokker has been extended for another week to transport 
time-sensitive materials to Nias. Scheduled flights by Twin Otters to 
Nias and Simeulue are carried out 3 times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays & 
Saturdays for Nias and Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays for Simeulue).

For the latest comprehensive report regarding logistics please see 
UNJLC's latest situation report at www.unjlc.org

For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA-Geneva 
Desk Officers, as indicated below, of bilateral relief 
missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding value by item.

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 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. Hannah Entwisle/Ms. Marie Spaak
     Direct Tel. 41-22-917 1155/1728

Press contact:
   GVA - Ms. Elisabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
   NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917 367 51 26

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