Sri Lanka Tsunami Aid

Joint Mechanism: Four Months and Counting! What’s Next?

2005-04-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

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Joint Mechanism: Four Months and Counting! What’s Next?
Source: TamilCanadian - April 26, 2005

The tsunami disaster of December 26th 2004 caused an enormous loss of lives and livelihoods and massive destruction of properties in South and South East Asia. The countries most affected by this tsunami were Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Parts of these countries have also been impacted by the long running armed conflict. The Banda Aceh province of Indonesia and the North and East of Sri Lanka held by the Tamil minority have been ravaged by a decades of civil war. Sri Lanka in particular has come under the glare of foreign media.

Along with the disaster of this magnitude, came an unprecedented outpouring of sympathy and support from international governments and their people. The international community has insisted on an equitable distribution of aid between the areas held by the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil held areas.

It has been almost four months since the tsunami disaster hit the shores of Sri Lanka. The joint mechanism as urged by the international community is proving to be elusive. Even as Norwegian facilitators express optimism in reaching an agreement with statements that ninety-nine percent of the mechanism has been finalized, the message coming from Southern political parties has been confusing and destructive. Following is a survey on what was said by and about the Southern polity on the media.

Kadirgamar however said the government could sign a deal brokered by Norway with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to provide a formula for distributing tsunami relief as long as it was not seen giving the rebels de facto recognition as a government. – March 26th, AFP

The 'Joint Mechanism' proposed for relief distribution in the North and East province, between the government and LTTE was condemned by the Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Thursday calling the move was another guise to grant the Eelam demanded by the LTTE. – April 1st, Daily Mirror

“We should spit on NGOs and stop them from walking on our streets. Donor countries and their NGO agents are holding this country to ransom, telling the government to set up a joint Tsunami relief mechanism with the LTTE. It is something that can be done through the Sri Lankan state machinery. There is no need for a joint mechanism”, said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the powerful propaganda secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), speaking to a packed audience in Maharagama, an outer suburb of Colombo, at a meeting Wednesday to ‘expose the NGO Mafia that is against the land and the country’.- April 6th, TamilNet

In a hard-hitting speech PNM Co-President Ven Elle Gunawansa Thera said this country is not the property of Chandrika Kumaratunga or Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Addressing a seminar on 'Threats from NGOs to the sovereignty of the country', the monk said the PNM had promised to build a country where Sri Lankans could live proudly as Sri Lankans and the party would fulfil that promise.

JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa who is also a PNM Co-President accused NGOs of attempting to pose a challenge to the sovereignty of the country by undermining the country's economy, security and cultural values.

He charged that following the tsunami disaster some NGOs had tried to tarnish the government's image internationally by publicising that the government had failed to take adequate relief measures and discriminated against tsunami victims in North and East, thereby forcing the government to set up a joint mechanism with the LTTE to handle tsunami aid.

"It is these western imperialistic countries which are keen to force the government to establish a joint mechanism with the LTTE. Neither India nor China see the so-called joint mechanism as a key element in handling financial aid. Was there a joint mechanism to handle financial or any other aid when India rebuilt the Arugambay Bridge with the Sri Lankan security forces? There are other mechanisms like the Rehabilitation Ministry and other government institutions which can coordinate such matters," he said. - April 8th, Daily Mirror

The crisis in government exacerbated last week with the JVP not only vowing to oppose tooth and nail any move towards establishing a joint mechanism with the LTTE for the north east reconstruction but also a solution based on federalism even as President Chandrika Kumaratunga threatened to call the Marxists' bluff.

Given the political compulsions, both parties have had their say but neither had their way, leading to movement in the peace process as well as the economy getting hopelessly bogged down, much to the consternation of the international community that was helping keep the fragile ceasefire alive. – April 10th The Sunday Leader

But as on this issue as well as many others, she is locking horns with the JVP Propaganda Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa who was reported as having scoffedat this proposal for a joint mechanism for reconstruction of the north and east at Maharagama. He had said that it was tantamount to the division of the country. He had also accused donor countries and NGOs of holding the country to ransom

On May 16 and 17 a conference is to be held between Sri Lanka's donors and the government on the tsunami and the reconstruction process, economic development and recommencement of the peace process. The donors have called for the government's proposals on these subjects by the end of April. Thus, the dilly-dallying cannot go on for long. It is a make or break situation. – April 17th, The Sunday Leader

But the government's Marxist junior coalition partner, the People's Liberation Front - or JVP - is rabidly anti-Tiger and fervently against the idea of an aid mechanism. "The JVP is creating a lot of trouble for the Sri Lankan government," Puleedevan said. "And the President is on holiday now in England. Without the President, nothing will happen."

"If the Sri Lankan government and the south are not agreeing to an aid mechanism, then how can they agree on the peace process or interim self-rule?" Puleedevan said. – April 18th, Reuters

The international community is also a bit dismayed that the Government is not giving the Joint Mechanism its consent. They see the Government being a handmaiden of a Sinhala ultra-nationalist coalition partner, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Recently, Norway, EU and Japan had jointly complained to President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the JVP, which is opposed not only to the Joint Mechanism, but to federalism also.

They [Sinhala nationalists] also wonder why the Sinhala side or the Sri Lankan government is made to yield to the LTTE's whims and fancies all the time, without reciprocal concessions from it. Hence, Acting Defense Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake's proposal to start an international campaign to tell the world about the LTTE's "atrocities". – April 18th, Hindustan Times

While Norwegian facilitators indicated that the deal for a joint mechanism between the government and the LTTE was wrapped up, the JVP warned yesterday that such a deal would mean the end of the road for the UPFA government. – April 20th, Daily Mirror

"The Ceasefire Agreement was a gross violation of the territorial integrity of the country by demarcating part of land as the LTTE territory. The joint mechanism will go a step further as it will see the government sharing its supreme power to handle finances with the Tigers," Mr. Weerawansa told the Daily Mirror.

He said the JVP believed the joint mechanism was being pushed to achieve the sinister agendas of certain Western players, NGOs and their agents in the government.

"As long as the JVP is there nobody will be able to make this betrayal a reality" Mr. Weerawanasa vowed.

Meanwhile, JHU Secretary Champika Ranawaka said yesterday that as long as the nationalist forces were alert, the joint mechanism would be only a dream for the LTTE and their international agents who were trying to give legitimacy to terrorism. – April 20th, Daily Mirror

He is due to leave here on Thursday and Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga who is on a private tour overseas is not due before his departure, the officials added.

Solheim held talks with the Head of the government's peace secretariat Jayantha Dhanapala on Monday. It was revealed that no decisions could be taken until Kumaratunga's return to the country. – April 20th, People’s Daily Online

The JVP politburo has decided its ministers will immediately quit their cabinet portfolios if the government goes ahead with the joint mechanism, party sources said last night.

They said the resignation of the JVP ministers would be followed by tougher action, including withdrawal from the UPFA government, to prevent the implementation of the joint mechanism deal. – April 20th, Daily Mirror

JVP rejected the pressure imposed on it by the United States on Joint Mechanism. It submitted a three-page letter to US Deputy Secretary of State Christina Rocca, citing reasons for their opposition to the mechanism. JVP said the Tigers were attempting to get international recognition through this mechanism and in the process it would lead to the separation of the country – April 21st, Sudaroli

The Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, Wimal Weerawansa, told a local newspaper that the deal to establish the joint mechanism would mean "the end of the road for the UPFA government". – April 21st, Gulf News

The JVP has decided to quit the government within an hour after signing the joint mechanism if it is done regardless of its protests, government sources said yesterday.JVP internal sources said this decision was taken at the emergency meeting of the JVP political bureau on Wednesday, presided over by party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. - April 22nd, Daily Mirror

The Patriotic National Movement claimed that Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim has no right whatsoever to declare the establishment of a joint mechanism. In a communiqué the PNM said, “Norway and its allied forces, which favour separatism, are in an unquenchable thirst to topple the Alliance government. It is no secret that these pro western forces and certain fraudulent elements cannot rest in peace with the collapse of the pro western Ranil Wickremasinghe’s puppet government. These local and international forces are trying their best to make use of this proposed joint mechanism to split the governing United People’s Freedom Alliance. This is amply manifested from the behaviour of the Norwegian, Erik Solheim.”

Anyone with an ounce of brain should be able to understand this local and international conspiracy. Those who have made the dollars pumped by the NGO’s their sleeping bed are not worried by such international conspiracies. – April 22nd, Lanka Page

The current issue of the Joint Mechanism indicates perfectly why Sri Lanka feels isolated. The Norwegians and the Americans are obscenely in the middle of the Joint Mechanism merry go round. They operate the levers, and it’s their writ that’s basically being slotted into motion after a few commas and semi colons are altered at the President’s office. – April 22nd, Lanka Page

JVP Propaganda Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa was reported to have said that the joint mechanism would cause more damage to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity than the ceasefire agreement.

However, there is one hitch. The JVP like all other members of the UPFA is not aware of the contents of the joint mechanism proposals. – April 24th, The Sunday Leader

Despite all the certainty in the diplomatic community, a wide gulf still remains. That is the grim reality - whether President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga would give the final nod. If she does, aid will flow but her Government faces a break in the middle. If she does not, the aid will not come and the Government may be forced into international isolation. Either way, the choices are bad.

The Norwegians who had put a gigantic effort to make the Joint Mechanism a reality will have to get over this task first. It is only then can they get on with their next priority, work towards getting the two sides to sit down to talk peace. In other words, this mechanism has become the foundation stone on which the peace building efforts are going to be mounted. – April 24th, The Sunday Times

Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera (Patriotic National Front) said that they did not see any positive signs in the joint mechanism and it would only be a foundation stone for a separate state in the mother land. The Ven. Thera suggested setting up an executive board representing those provincial level politicians, religious leaders and intellectuals of the area. – April 24th,The Sunday Observer

While this mechanism is expected to pave the way for broader power sharing, opinion is certainly divided within the government on the matter. So much so that it prompted Rocca to request the government to speak in one coherent voice with no conflicting signals when speaking of the peace process.

There are sections within the SLFP camp that fear the erosion of Sri Lanka's territorial integrity if such a mechanism is provided for. Also, they feel the SLFP's political future would be significantly destroyed if it were done.

Weerawansa was of the view the ceasefire agreement signed between the UNF government and the LTTE was a gross violation of the state's territorial integrity, but the joint mechanism was "hell" compared to the truce. His opinion was that the joint mechanism could do much more harm than what the Norwegian sponsored truce ever did. – April 24th The Sunday Leader

The message from the previous week's donor meeting at the Finance Ministry was all too clear. The international donors see a firm link between aid (whether for post-tsunami reconstruction or national development) and the peace process. And because the government is unwilling to engage with the LTTE in the distribution and utilisation of aid for the north and east, we stand to lose it all. – April 24th The Sunday Leader

"The establishment of a joint mechanism with the LTTE would lead the country to disaster", said Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera, JHU parliamentary group leader addressing a press conference Monday in Colombo.

"The joint mechanism would allow the LTTE to obtain more foreign funds directly to the northeast and also it would allow LTTE leaders to go abroad frequently to muster international support for their cause," said Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera. – April 25th, TamilNet

Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva, a senior Minister in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, said that the proposed joint mechanism would not confer any administrative powers to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). – April 25th TamilNet

A political party led by several of Sri Lanka's powerful Buddhist monks has opposed a government move to give partial control of foreign tsunami aid to the Tamil Tiger rebels, a news report said Tuesday.

The party's opposition could complicate government efforts to share tsunami aid with the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, which controls areas of the island's northeast that were hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami, which killed at least 31,000 in Sri Lanka. – April 25th, AP

Even though we are divided in to parties and ideologies nobody can agree with the idea of dividing Sri Lanka in to parts, Patriotic National Movement in a letter addressed to Ministers and Members of Parliament says. It is the responsibility of all Sri Lankans to protect the Motherland for the future generations PNM in the letter insisted. Those who describe join mechanism as “LTTE accepting the authority of the SL Government” are the ones who support separatist tigers and certain international elements are behind them say the statement. – April 26th, Lanka Truth

The JHU yesterday invited the JVP and other Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim patriots to join hands to defeat the government's attempt to establish a Joint Mechanism with the LTTE for tsunami rehabilitation in the North and East.

JHU Parliamentary group leader Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera said this was the time for all patriots to join hands irrespective of political affiliations. – April 26th, Daily Mirror

'We can't expect foreigners to come here to cry for us'

2005-04-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

H-NET AND TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS

2005-04-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

H-NET AND TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS: URGENT APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE

from: Peter Knupfer, peter@mail.h-net.msu.edu

H-NET is spearheading an effort to assist in relief efforts in the Indian Ocean basin by joining with relief agencies, the nonprofit sector, and the media in providing accurate background information about the peoples and cultures of the regions affected by the tsunami disaster. Our collaboration includes the Institute of Rural Health at Idaho State University, which does research for, and provides support to, health professionals and relief workers around the world. For more information about the issues that relief workers face, you can visit the Tsunami Aid Worker Support page at the Idaho State University Institute of Rural Health (www.isu.edu/irh) or Psychosocial.org (www.psychosocial.org) which is part of Actions Without Borders Idealist.org. For more information about how the media can be involved, please visit the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma (www.dartcenter.org). You may also wish to visit the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies at www.istss.org.

The central purpose of this initiative is to recruit well-qualified field experts in selected topics related to the language, history, culture, mores, religions, and political practices of areas where relief operations are active. These experts will create fact sheets, provide press interviews, and otherwise offer background information for reporters, journalists, relief workers, and other individuals entering the disaster area. This material will help make the relief effort more sensitive to local cultural conditions and thereby improve the efficiency of these operations. It may also help to reduce the potential for secondary trauma among relief workers exposed to an extremely stressful and culturally unfamiliar environment of death, suffering, and destruction. The briefing and background material will be available from a website offered by H-NET.

If you are interested in assisting, please read further:

SAMPLE SCOPE OF COVERAGE
We do not assume that this list is all-inclusive; if there are groups or regions in which you are an expert and believe them/it to be a part of the disaster, we welcome your input: Buddhist tradition; Indonesia; East and West Timor and surrounding areas and tribal groups, Aceh Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India (Southern), Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Maldives, Somalia, Malaysia, Lakshadweep Islands, Child Sex trade in Southeast Asia.

TYPES OF INFORMATION NEEDED
Examples of the types of information that will be collected:

Brief History of people or area: 1-2 short paragraphs. Make sure to include information on previous wounds to their culture and/or generational trauma such as wars/civil conflict, colonialism, other disasters. These kinds of earlier events shape a group's ability to recover and so the information is pertinent to all relief workers and media.

Cultural heritage information, such as summary of core beliefs; role of family; gender roles; typical view on cause of an event like a tsunami (how does the group explain life events: fate? can humans control events, etc.?); typical ways of processing trauma and grief (public or private rituals? is there a language or vocabulary of grief or suffering?); typical views and practices on death and dying (are high mortality rates typical, what are the family or cultural protocols in death; what are the mourning rituals and how are outsiders viewed in regard to the mourning?); sense of place (how does the group view its sense of place? relationship between land, culture, identity—how is environmental destruction interpreted and understood?); indigenous knowledge systems: are there folktales, wisdom of elders, traditional ways of knowledge, power of healing derived from tradition, literature, etc. that would be relevant for the aide worker or media to know? Dominant religion and spirituality: Theological or informal belief systems that shape responses to natural disaster.

WHO IS NEEDED?
This initiative will recruit volunteer field experts who can provide demonstrable proof of qualifications to serve as consultants and advisors on the regions, cultures, and types of information described above. THIS BEGINNING PHASE IS A VOLUNTEER EFFORT. Should more extensive involvement or coordination be needed, arrangements for compensation or funding support may be considered.

HOW TO RESPOND
If you believe you qualify by training and experience and can contribute to this effort, please send a CV or other electronic record of credentials or qualifications that includes accurate contact information to tsunami@mail.h-net.msu.edu. THE MESSAGE SHOULD CLEARLY INDICATE YOUR CAPACITY TO SERVE AS A FIELD EXPERT AND ADVISOR IN THE TOPICS OR FIELDS INDICATED IN THIS APPEAL. List editors will make an initial sort of reply and forward those from applicants meeting minimum qualifications to Amy Hudnall, of Appalachian State University and the Institute of Rural Health at Idaho State University. She will provide instructions and more information and work directly with applicants.

RESULTS
Fact sheets, briefing papers, and eventually a database of field experts will be available online as they are collected. We will send updates to this list as the project evolves.

Thank you for your generous assistance to this important endeavor.

Sincerely,

Peter

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Prof. Peter Knupfer
Executive Director
H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online
310 Auditorium Bldg
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
FAX: +517 355 8363
Voice: +517 355 9300
Email: peter@mail.h-net.msu.edu
http://www.h-net.org

Tsunami Event Database

2005-03-31T06:18:00.000-08:00

This database contains details of 2,413 events covering more than 4,000 years of tsunami records. It has been supplied by the US National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC).

http://www.psigate.ac.uk/newsite/reference/tsunami.html

Massive earthquake causes panic in Asia

2005-03-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

Massive earthquake causes panic in Asia

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=624493

Thousands flee but fears of another tsunami prove false. Death toll may hit 1,000 on tiny island at epicentre of shock

By Justin Huggler, Asia Correspondent

29 March 2005

A huge earthquake shook the coast of Indonesia last night, killing hundreds and triggering fears of a new tsunami. Around the Indian Ocean, people fled their homes as governments from Malaysia to Sri Lanka ordered mass evacuations of their coastlines.

One thing was on everybody's mind: the terrible wave of 26 December 2004 which came after a quake like this, left 300,000 dead and 1.5 million homeless, and laid waste to entire provinces. Everyone feared it was happening again.

In the US, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii issued an emergency warning that the quake had "the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami" and warned that all coastal areas within 600 miles of the epicentre should be evacuated without delay.

As the hours passed, fears of another catastrophe eased, however. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said if no tsunami was seen within three hours of the quake, which occurred at 11.09pm local time (5.09pm BST), authorities could assume the danger had passed.

Late last night, officials in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and India withdrew their tsunami alerts and thousands began to return tentatively to their coastal homes.

But fears remained that a small-scale tsunami could be heading south of the epicentre towards Mauritius and Madagascar, following reports of a small tidal wave in the remote Cocos Islands. Officials in Australia also warned that there was a possibility of a tsunami hitting its western shores.

The fact that there is no tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean is believed to have contributed to the huge death toll in December's tsunami. In the wake of that disaster, Indian Ocean countries agreed to set up an early warning system, but as it is not yet in place, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centrestepped in to issue alerts.

The Indonesian island of Nias, located off the west coast of Sumatra and the closest land to the epicentre, was the worst hit. In the town of Gunungsitoli, about 70 per cent of buildings had collapsed in the market district. An official in the town said that "at least 1,000" people had been killed. Agus Mendrofa, the town's deputy mayor, said: "The situation here is extreme panic."

Indonesia's Metro TV quoted one Nias resident as saying: "There is much damage. Many people are also trapped."

The quake, which was felt as far away as Malaysia and India, had its epicentre in the sea about 200 miles off the south coast of Indonesia, and had a magnitude of 8.7 on the Richter scale. This made it the seventh biggest recorded earthquake by magnitude in the past 100 years. The earthquake which triggered the Boxing Day tsunami had a magnitude of 9.0.

In Banda Aceh, the Indonesian city worst affected by the 26 December tsunami, the quake cut electricity supplies and thousands of people stumbled into the streets in the darkness. An NGO official based in Banda Aceh sent out a telephone message saying people were fleeing after "a very damn big earthquake".

The earthquake lasted for two minutes, much longer than any of the aftershocks that have hit Banda Aceh daily since the Boxing Day disaster. In Trincomalee, on Sri Lanka's east coast, sirens wailed as an evacuation was ordered. State television announced that people should move at least 2kminland and to higher ground.

The quake was so powerful that people ran into the streets in fear in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, some 300 miles away. The Malaysian authorities ordered an evacuation of tall buildings.

In low-lying coastal areas of Malaysia, police went from door to door ordering residents to flee into the hills. In India, also badly hit in December, the government issued an alert but said it had no information that a tsunami was on its way.

Surfing paradise suffers second disaster

2005-03-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

Surfing paradise suffers second disaster
March 29, 2005 - 9:32AM

A centre of ancient and remote communities surrounded by magnificent surfing beaches, Indonesia's Nias island, is ill-equipped to handle the double-disaster of another huge earthquake on top of last year's devastating tsunami.

The Bali-sized land mass, roughly 125 kilometres (77 miles) west of Sumatra, is believed to be the location hardest hit by an earthquake late Monday that measured between 8.2 and 8.7 on the Richter scale.

Initial reports from the island say that hundreds of houses have collapsed killing about 300 people and prompting many more to flee for higher ground. Police said power cuts were hampering rescue work.

The island of 500,000 people was already struggling to recover from the December 26 tsunami disaster, which claimed relatively few casualties on Nias but caused major damage and left many without homes and food.

With most of the relief operation in the wake of the December 26 disaster focused on the heavily-populated shorelines of Sumatra's western Aceh province, Nias was awarded less attention, with some aid delayed due to its remoteness.

Poor communications between the island's 650 villages are likely to prove a further hindrance to relief work in the wake of the latest catastrophe.

Prior to December 26, Nias had been developing a modest tourist industry, with a reputation as a premium destination for adventurous surfers and scuba divers.

The island's southern Lagundi bay is a regular feature of the world professional surfing circuit.

Tourists have also flocked to see Nias' ancient traditions based on animistic beliefs which, despite the introduction of Islam and Christianity, are still reflected in huge stone monuments and tribal dances across the island.

- AFP

Indian Ocean quake causes panic

2005-03-28T16:33:00.001-08:00

Indian Ocean quake causes panic

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4388579.stm

A major earthquake in the Indian Ocean has hit the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, just over three months after last year's tsunami.

It struck just before midnight local time, with an estimated magnitude of 8.2, and caused widespread panic.

But three hours after the tremor, officials across the region said fears of another major tsunami were receding.

There were unconfirmed reports of dozens killed by the tremor on the Indonesian island of Nias.

The quake struck between the Sumatran cities of Padang and Medan at around 2315 local time (1615 GMT) and lasted up to three minutes, according to Indonesia's Meteorological and Geophysics Office.

I thought I was hallucinating at first, but then I heard my neighbours screaming and running out

Jessie Chong

Kuala Lumpur resident

Its epicentre was located at about 200km (125 miles) off the Sumatran mainland.

Most people were in bed at the time and there were no immediate reports of damage, says the BBC's Tim Johnstone in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

Reports from Banda Aceh say thousands came out into the streets, fearful of collapsing houses, while an official quoted by Reuters news agency spoke of "dozens" killed on the island of Nias.

Communications were swamped, although some mobile phone messages were getting through.

'Neighbours screaming'

The 26 December tsunami caused major damage and killed tens of thousands of people in states across the region.

Russ Evans, a seismologist from the British Geological Survey, told the BBC that Monday's tremor quake was almost certainly an after-shock of the earlier quake, which had a magnitude of 9.

The quake was felt across the region with people in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, some 500km away, evacuating high-rise buildings and running out into the streets.

"I was getting ready for bed, and suddenly, the room started shaking," said Kuala Lumpur resident Jessie Chong.

"I thought I was hallucinating at first, but then I heard my neighbours screaming and running out."

Thailand and India, badly hit by the 26 December disaster, issued tsunami alerts while Sri Lanka evacuated coastal areas.

However, Thai officials later told local television the threat of a tsunami appeared to have passed.

Indonesian and Indian officials echoed the comments, saying there were no reports of a tsunami developing.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4388579.stm

Published: 2005/03/28 19:22:13 GMT

Quake Strikes Island Off Sumatra; 290 People Killed, AP Says

2005-03-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

'We can't expect foreigners to come here to cry for us'

By Amelia Gentleman International Herald Tribune
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2005



	Quake Strikes Island Off Sumatra; 290 People Killed, AP Says March 29 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck the West coast of Sumatra in Indonesia centered near the island of Nias. More than 290 people were killed on the island, the Associated Press reported. The quake provoked tsunami warnings in Indian Ocean countries trying to recover from the Dec. 26 disaster that killed more than 270,000 people in the region. The temblor, whose intensity was revised from a preliminary reading of 8.2 by the U.S. Geological Survey, was an aftershock of the December undersea quake. It occurred at 11:09 p.m. yesterday Indonesian time, the Survey said on its Web site. ``We have reliable reports from near the epicenter, and no destructive waves were reported,'' said Robert Cessaro, a geophysicist at the U.S. government's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, in a telephone interview. About 70 percent of houses in the town of Gunungsitoli on Nias were destroyed, AP cited local police as saying early today. The island, a popular destination for surfers, was hit by the Dec. 26 disaster with more than 300 people killed and 10,000 left homeless, AP said. ``We still cannot count the number of casualties or the number of collapsed buildings,'' AP cited Police Sergeant Zulkifli Sirait as saying by telephone from Nias early today. ``It is possible that hundreds of people trapped in the collapsed buildings died.'' Dec. 26 Tsunami Indonesia's Aceh and West Sumatra provinces were the worst hit areas in the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster where more than 220,000 killed or missing. The giant waves devastated local economies in Indian Ocean countries, including the fishing industry in Sri Lanka and beach hotels in Thailand. Sri Lanka, Thailand and India issued tsunami alerts early today, which were later canceled, AP said. Indonesia's 18,000 islands are prone to earthquakes because the nation sits along the Pacific's ``ring of fire'' zone of active volcanoes and tectonic faults. The U.S. Geological Survey said yesterday's temblor, which struck about 50 miles (80 kilometers) offshore, was among the 10 most powerful quakes recorded since 1900. India, while posting a tsunami alert, said there was no evidence of destructive waves. S.K. Swami, director of national disaster management in India's Ministry of Home Affairs, said in a telephone interview from New Delhi that ``so far nothing has been noted'' in terms of a higher sea level. Higher Waves In the Maldives, waves 23 centimeters (9.2 inches) higher than average were recorded today, with similar wave anomalies noted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Cessaro said. Smith Thammasaroj, vice minister of the Office of the Prime Minister in Thailand, where he heads the country's recently established tsunami warning system, told Channel 7 there were no signs of a tsunami. Damage from the quake in Medan, one of the largest cities in Sumatra, was limited, the U.S. consul general told the State Department, agency spokesman Adam Ereli said yesterday in Washington. Medan is closer to the east coast of Sumatra, near the Strait of Malacca, than to the Indian Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center urged ``immediate action'' to evacuate Indian Ocean coasts up to 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter after the quake. There is not yet an Indian Ocean tsunami warning network similar to the one operating in the Pacific Ocean. Government authorities could ``assume the danger has passed'' if no tsunami waves are seen within three hours of the quake, the center said. Thousands Fled Residents in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh, fled by the thousands, Indonesia's MetroTV news station reported, citing its reporter on the ground. Mona Laczo, an Oxfam aid coordinator, said in a telephone interview she felt the quake on the 23rd floor of her Bangkok hotel, saying the building swayed ``for a good minute.'' The December magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami raised the risk of another quake of more than magnitude-7 in the region because of increased pressure on the seabed, a group of seismologists said in a study released last month. The magnitude-9 quake caused the Indian tectonic plate to slip under the Burma plate, increasing stress on the Sumatra fault line near Aceh, the study by John McCloskey and colleagues from the University of Ulster said. The research underlines the need for a warning system in the Indian Ocean, McCloskey said. A United Nations-sponsored group called this month for Indian Ocean countries to create tsunami emergency contact centers by April 1. The centers would receive warnings from earthquake and tidal sensors and transmit them to country officials, who in turn would pass them onto the public. To contact the reporters on this story: Todd Zeranski in New York at tzeranski@bloomberg.net; Paul Tighe in Sydney at ptighe@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Tighe at ptighe@bloomberg.net. Last Updated: March 28, 2005 18:30 EST

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Small tsunami reported at Cocos Islands

2005-03-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

Small tsunami reported at Cocos Islands
March 29, 2005 - 7:01AM

A major earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra today caused a small tsunami on the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, the US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

The Cocos lie to the south of the epicentre of the quake, which the Hawaii bsed Tsunami Centre has put at Magnitude 8.5.

"There has been no major tsunami observed near the epicentre," the Tsunami Centre said.

"There was, however, a small tsunami observed on the Cocos tide gauge."

A Tsunami Centre official, Robert Cessaro, of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre told CNN the quake was likely to have directed any tsunami waves to the south in the direction of Mauritius.

He said the massive quake that struck the region on December 26 was now known to have directed most of its energy toward the north and that had relieved the underground stresses in that direction.

The latest quake was believed to have sent its main energy in the opposite direction, toward the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, he said.

"I think it's very likely that it produced a tsunami but we don't have any information about it because we don't have any water level gauges in that area. But something this size is likely to have produced a tsunami," Cessaro said.

"But because we think the event probably ruptured to the south, the beam of energy, rather than propagating towards the central Indian Ocean, may very well have propagated towards the south, towards Mauritius and Rodrigues," he said.

Reuters

It's in the top eight since 1900

2005-03-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

It's in the top eight since 1900

March 29, 2005 - 6:43AM

An earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Sumatra today was measured by the US Geological Survey at magnitude 8.7, making it one of the eight biggest quakes since 1900 by magnitude.
Here is a list of the 12 strongest quakes since 1905:

May 22, 1960 - Chile - An earthquake measuring 9.5 struck the coast of central Chile, triggering tidal waves and volcanic eruptions. Some 5,000 people were killed and two million made homeless.

March 28, 1964 - Alaska - An earthquake and ensuing tsunami claimed 125 lives and caused about $311 million in property loss. The quake, measuring 9.2, was felt over a large area of Alaska and in parts of western Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada.

March 9, 1957 - Alaska - An earthquake measuring 9.1 hit the Andreanof Islands. On Umnak Island, Mount Vsevidof erupted after being dormant for 200 years, generating a 15-metre high tsunami that continued to Hawaii.

Dec 26, 2004 - Indonesia - A quake measuring 9.0 struck the coast of Aceh province on the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that left nearly 300,000 people dead or missing across Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and India.

Nov 4, 1952 - Russia - An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 generated a tsunami that struck the Hawaiian islands. No lives were lost.

Jan 31, 1906 - Ecuador - An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 struck near the coast of Ecuador and Colombia, generating a strong tsunami that killed up to 1,000. It was felt all along the coast of Central America and as far north as San Francisco and west to Japan.

March 28, 2005 - Indonesia - An earthquake of magnitude 8.7 struck off the coast of northern Sumatra, not far from the epicentre of the magnitude 9.0 quake three months earlier.

Feb 4, 1965 - Alaska - Measuring 8.7, the quake generated a tsunami reported to be about 10.7 metres high on Shemya Island.

Aug 15, 1950 - Tibet/India - Two thousand homes, temples and mosques were destroyed in a quake measuring 8.6. Hardest hit was the Brahmaputra Basin in north-east India. At least 1,500 people were killed.

Feb 3, 1923 - Russia - The Kamchatka peninsula was struck by a quake with a magnitude of 8.5.

Feb 1, 1938 - Indonesia - An 8.5 magnitude earthquake in the Banda Sea generated tsunamis that caused great damage on Banda and Kai, volcanic islands in eastern Indonesia.

Oct 13, 1963 - Kurile Islands - A quake measuring 8.5 was recorded in the island chain, which stretches from Russia to Japan.

Reuters

Latest UNJLC update

2005-03-27T04:26:00.000-08:00

Latest UN Joint Logistics Command (UNJLC) update on Sri Lanka, available here.

UNJLC is an inter-agency facility reporting during an emergency to the Humanitarian Coordinator and overall to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Its mandate is to coordinate and optimize the logistics capabilities of humanitarian organizations in large-scale emergencies. UNJLC operates under the custodianship of WFP who is responsible for the administrative and financial management of the Centre. UNJLC is funded from voluntary contributions channeled through WFP. More information on UNJLC in general and on the South Asia operation can be viewed on the UNJLC website (www.unjlc.org).

OXFAM Australia - 3 month update

2005-03-27T04:20:00.000-08:00

"On March 26 it will be three months since the Tsunami struck, killing hundreds of thousands of people, destroying communities, cities and the coastal environment and leaving of legacy of displacement and livelihood destruction across the region. In the time since the impact the world has responded in unprecedented ways. The Australian public has donated around $25 million to Oxfam Community Aid Abroad to support our response in the region. This money has enabled us to allocate $14 million to Sri Lanka, $7.25 million to India and $5.5 million to Indonesia."

Read the full report here.

Sarvodaya status report - 3 months on

2005-03-27T04:18:00.000-08:00

"It is now 3 months since the Tsunami hit the shores of Sri Lanka – taking the lives of 40,000 countrymen, injuring another 6000, and leaving nearly a million people homeless. This was a profoundly human tragedy. No monetary value can be attached to the human loss – the suffering, the pain, the anguish and the trauma of the ones who survived this world calamity."

Read the full report here.

Refugee Babies: The Lasting Effects of Tsunami Aid in Sri Lanka

2005-03-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

The author with two Sri Lankan children.

Refugee Babies: The Lasting Effects of Tsunami Aid in Sri Lanka

UCLA graduate student Nimmi Gowrinathan, just back from serving in the relief effort in Sri Lanka, writes of how political and economic problems there will affect children for years to come.

Nimmi Gowrinathan nimmi@opusa.org

The true idealist and the apolitical pacifists of the world often convince themselves that the corrupt world of politics exists in a vacuum detached from pure humanitarian work. Despite their attempts to stave off impure intrusions, the politics of Sri Lanka pervade every action and interaction, are entrenched in every perception and prejudice, and are inextricably linked to the Tsunami relief efforts now underway in every part of the island. Residual political tensions of the past taint the current aid efforts, government bureaucracy and corruption inhibits the dispersion of funds, and international actors find their arms tied by U.S. imposed directives and stereotypes. While all this seems status quo in Colombo, the impact of this reality will be felt most poignantly by the surviving rural children, who have been left to overcome far greater obstacles than a 30-foot wave.

A child swings from a sari strung in between 2 makeshift tents. Pieces of metal, bark, palm leaves create shelter for thousands of tsunami victims along the North Eastern shores of Sri Lanka. To call these shelters temporary would be misleading. There is no indication that these people will be resettled in the weeks and months to come.

Walking through rows of tents what is striking is not the living conditions which seem to lie on the border of some human rights violation. Rather, it is the similarity between these camps and those that existed last February, and the February before. In the North East of Sri Lanka the post-tsunami issues are not the tsunami orphans, rather the tens of thousands of war orphans now left homeless. It is not the helplessness of refugees crowded into makeshift shelters, it is their disorientation at having their prior camp of 8 years washed away and trying to regroup in a shelter further from the water, and closer to possible land mine areas.

There are some key differences on this island nation after December 26th. Some apply to immediate relief efforts and their impact will subside along with international attention. Others will permanently alter the already volatile political environment in Sri Lanka.

A five-year-old child now knows the term NGO. According to ministry officials, NGOs are the fastest growing industry in the region, with 2-3 new groups registering daily. Disaster relief efforts, while predominantly well-intentioned, tend to overlap, lack cohesive coordination and often times step on culturally sensitive “landmines”. Villagers complain of flashy SUV’s roaring through town with a logo or organization name plastered all over the vehicle and it passengers-leaving behind nothing but refugees wary of survey questions and empty promises.
Large sums of money flow freely into post-tsunami Sri Lanka. These same funds which are the life blood of relief, reconstruction, and rehabilitation efforts are accessed to sustain arms build ups, military development, and continued violence. The Sri Lankan government may have been war weary in early 2002 when it conceded to a bilateral ceasefire, but it was also bankrupt, with a skyrocketing rupee value. It had neither the funds to continue the armed combat, nor to reconstruct damaged areas and serve their constituencies.

In the last month the Sri Lankan Government has secured US $500 million from the World Bank and Asian Development fund, a promise of approximately US $300 million from the U.S. government, US $10 million credit extended by the Pakistani government ,and large offers from donors such as the Government of Japan. Sri Lanka’s foreign debt has been forgiven for three years, providing the government with an additional 550 million US dollars a year. Inflated state bank accounts with minimal regulations have permanently altered the incentive structure for the government to engage in and remain committed to a peaceful solution to three decades of conflict.

In Trincomalee today, relief workers receive an unintended brief respite from the scorching heat of the camps teeming with refugees. The “kharatal” (day of protest/mourning for the killing of an LTTE leader ) reveals to those on the outside that when working in Sri Lanka, humanitarian efforts and expectations of universal compassion will always be marred by the unnecessary bloodshed of political violence.

Working with child trauma therapists in the Eastern camps, it is difficult for anyone to reconcile the innocence of children with the corruption and inefficiency which has left the eyesight of a 7-year-old girl failing from severe vitamin deficiency, or a diminutive 13-year-old boy easily mistaken for a preschooler. How does one assess the trauma of these children? Some fear the sight of a soldier- on either side. Some fear the ocean. Some fear loud sounds. Others call for Amma at night. She occupies their dreams and is missing from their reality because she was swept away. It may have been a towering wave, it may have been the recurring waves of violence crashing indiscriminately down upon a hapless civilian population.

Questions left unanswered hang in the stale air throughout the refugee camps. They seem questions which are critical, but for which nobody is accountable.

The head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Commission recently stood up in Parliament and asked the question on everyone’s mind. If those homes close to the water are required to be 100m from the water, yet the homes 100m away from the water are standing and unaffected -- where are the refugees to go and who will donate the land?

What is to happen to all the widower fathers who have never participated in childcare, and to the children in their care? If significantly more women than men lost their lives as a result of the first wave snatching their saris, leaving them naked and hesitant to run towards town-is there a lesson to be learned about the stringent gender rules of Sri Lankan society? What effect will the massive influx of foreigners and aid workers have on the North Eastern Tamil culture, which has adamantly resisted the infusion of a “western ideals”? Can we criticize a population for never learning to be self-sufficient when their government happily forgoes principles of national sovereignty for the convenience of foreign wire transfers?

These questions will not be answered in the lifetimes of many of the older generation, and their answers will come to determine the lifetimes of all the children now sitting on the floor of one-room schoolhouses.

Though these are complex questions to be grappled with…what is most jarring after spending these past weeks in the North East of Sri Lanka, is that there is a pervading sense of acceptance amongst the refugee population. Behind melancholy faces which have come to characterize a Sri Lankan Tamil lies the belief that their life has been predestined to be as such, that there is no higher standard for their existence, that violence, death, displacement and disease are not anomalies-they are expectations.

A generation of children growing up under passive guardian figures with broken spirits, learning not to question authority, not to resist injustice, not to demand basic rights and dignities - is far more devastating to this society and its future than any tsunami might have been.

***

Nimmi Gowrinathan graduated in 2001 from Johns Hopkins University, and is now pursuing a Phd in Political Science at UCLA. She has spent the past 3 summers working in orphanages in Sri Lanka teaching english and leadership skills through the VISIONS program. She is currently the Sri Lanka Project Manager at Operation USA, and is continuing her graduate work at UCLA, concentrating on ethnic conflict. You can reach her at nimmi@opusa.org.

LTTE Needs Assessment

2005-03-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

LTTE Needs Assessment

High Tidal Wave ‘Tsunami’ originated in Sumathira hit the coastal line of Indian Ocean particularly coastal belt of Northeast including South of Sri Lanka. The Northeast of Sri Lanka took a greatest and direct impact and made a great disaster than South.

The families in the coastal belt of Northeast affected by economic embargo and restriction on fishing imposed by the State of Sri Lanka in the name war and the adoption of imbalanced strategies and approach in development process. This situatuation had made worse by the Tsunami hit on 26.12.2005. Under these circumstances, focussing to accelerate the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of Northeast, Peace Secretariat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam had made arrangements to do a Need Assessment in six districts ( Jaffna,Mullaitivu,Kilinochchi,Trincomalee,Batticaloa and Amparai) by utilising professional from Diaspora and local experts through Planning and Development Secretariat of LTTE. Even though Tsunami hit the south coast of Sri Lanka, Social and Physical infrastructure got damaged very badly by continuous war in the NorthEast.

Keeping in mind the imbalanced approach of Sri Lankan Government, there is a possibility to do the need assessment in different manner in Northeast. Therefore, this need assessment had done by Planning and Development Secretariat.

The post Tsunami reconstruction Needs Assesment for the NorthEast(NENA) can be accessed through the following link.

PDF version

Tsunami Relief Via Laptop

2005-03-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

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Tsunami Relief Via Laptop

BY ALICE DRAGOON

When the first tsunami struck the coast of Sri Lanka at roughly 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2004, Sanjana Hattotuwa was at home in a suburb 12 kilometers south of Colombo, on that country's west coast. He remained blissfully unaware of the tragedy until his phone rang at 10:30 a.m.

Within two hours, Hattotuwa set up the Sri Lanka Tsunami Aid Portal, an information-sharing network that would become vital to the Sri Lankan government and relief workers alike. And he did it from his laptop at home, using a tenuous dial-up connection.

Hattotuwa is strategic manager and CIO of Info-Share, a nongovernmental organization that's using technology to facilitate peace in Sri Lanka, where 20-plus years of ethnic conflict have left more than 65,000 people dead. So the organization had already established relationships with key stakeholders in the peace process, and had long been using collaborative work spaces from Groove Networks (purchased by Microsoft in March, 2005) to allow such stakeholders to exchange information and work together. (Geography, emotions, politics and the country's violent history make it difficult to bring these people together in the physical world; he was therefore able to spring into action by setting up a work space to serve as a clearinghouse for tsunami information.)

In the village of Onthatchimadam on Sri Lanka's eastern coast, Tsunami victims wait in line for aid.

With no broadband available and with callers jamming the phone lines that hadn't been obliterated, it took Hattotuwa 25 to 30 tries to get a dial-up connection. "But once you're connected, it's very easy to disseminate information," he says. "The architecture allowed us to get information to people at a time when most of the telephone [infrastructure] was crumbling."

Hattotuwa initially stored about 50MB of information—including maps, multimedia files, news stories and photographs—on his laptop for the work space. As of February, the work space contained more than 1GB and was hosted on Groove's servers. While Hattotuwa isn't certain how his endeavors have directly affected relief efforts, he's hopeful that the Sri Lanka Tsunami Aid Portal has helped the government assess the impact of the disaster and determine how to address needs.

And he strongly believes in technology's role in both aid relief and peace-making. While the tsunami was a horrific crisis, Hattotuwa says it may hold within it a unique opportunity that can, in ways previously unimaginable, bring communities together and create processes for a nation to re-shape its collective destiny. See his column on CIO.com, Technology in the Wake of Tragedy.

PHOTO CREDIT: PHOTO OF VILLIAGE IN SRI LANKA BY AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

2005-03-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

Comprehensive set of links to various tsunami related resources:

http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Programs/AsianStudiesDept/tsunami.html

Latest report on ICRC activities in the field

2005-03-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Date: 02 Mar 2005

Source: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Sri Lanka Bulletin No. 5 – 2nd of March 2005

Latest report on ICRC activities in the field

The tsunami caused by the undersea earthquake that struck near Sumatraon 26 December 2004devastated coastal areas in the north, east, south and south-west of Sri Lanka. More than 30,000 Sri Lankanslost their lives in the disaster, over 15,000 in the north and east. A further 500,000 people are currently displaced; over 150,000 of them are housed in welfare centres (mostly temples and schools) or tented transit camps, while the rest are staying with relatives or friends.

The ICRC, which has been present in northern and eastern Sri Lankafor 15 years, is coordinating the humanitarian response by components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including the German, French, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Swiss Red Cross Societies. It is also in charge of coordinating Movement efforts to restore family links in all countries affected by the disaster.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is responsible for establishing strategy and laying down general operational guidelines for the whole region, in addition to coordinating specific operations in the south and south-west of Sri Lanka. Both the ICRC and the International Federation are working closely with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and the national and local authorities. (For more information on operations in Sri Lanka, please visit the Federation website, at http://www.ifrc.org.)

The response to the disaster has gone beyond the initial emergency phase and efforts are now focusing on ensuring adequate mid-term shelter, health care, water and sanitation for the homeless. Work has also begun on planning and coordinating reconstruction and rehabilitation in the region. To that end, representatives of 28 National Red Cross Societies met on 18 and 19 February in Colombowith ICRC, International Federation and Sri Lanka Red Cross Society officials to coordinate the Movement’s approach and activities in the long term.

ICRC HIGHLIGHTS

The ICRC is bringing aid to the survivors of the tsunami along the east coast of Sri Lanka, from the Jaffnaregion in the north to the Amparadistrict in the south. It is providing health care and supplies in existing medical facilities, temporary accommodation for the displaced, and support for water and sanitation facilities. It is also distributing household essentials, including hygiene items. In the early stages of the disaster response, ICRC teams and volunteers from the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society also helped survivors to restore contact with their families in the country and overseas.

Economic security

Working with the local authorities, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and the ICRC have delivered nearly 29,000 family kits to welfare centres and transit camps in the north and east of the country. Such kits typically contain mats, sheets, soap, towels, buckets, jerrycansand plastic dishes. In addition, over 50 welfare centres in the same areas have received cooking pots and utensils for communal cooking.

The ICRC has provided nearly 10,000 pieces of clothing to displaced families so far. It plans to provide 30,000 displaced families with monthly hygiene kits over a six-month period. The kits contain items such as soap, toothpaste, sanitary towels, bath towels and mosquito coils.

Water and habitat

The ICRC is supplying 5,000 tents to displaced families, enabling them to move from emergency welfare centres to transit camps in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloaand Ampara. Over 3,800 tents have been set up so far.

In addition, the ICRC has distributed over 6,700 tarpaulins. It has also provided temporary communal kitchens in some camps, as requested by the local authorities.

The ICRC has provided latrines and water distribution systems and washing facilities in transit camps, cleaned and chlorinated wells and installed water tanks at several welfare centres, and built latrines and upgraded existing sanitation facilities in cooperation with the local authorities in Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Trincomaleeand Batticaloa. The Swedish Red Cross is carrying out a well-cleaning program in Pottuvil, in the southern part of AmparaDistrict, while four ICRC well-cleaning teams are operating in the Batticaloaarea. The German Red Cross is operating a water treatment system in Komari, distributing up to 120,000 litres of clean water per day to communities and displaced people in the area. The Italian Red Cross has installed a water purification plant with a capacity of 3,400 litres per hour for camps in the Batticaloaarea. The ICRC has also agreed to furnish the National Water Supply and Drainage Board with 480 tonnes of aluminium sulphate to purify drinking water.

An ICRC water and sanitation team has carried out emergency repairs to the existing wards of Mullaittivuhospital and supplied tents to increase the hospital’s capacity. It is also providing temporary on-site accommodation for nurses and other staff who lost their homes in the disaster.

Health services

The ICRC has dispatched a 21-member medical team to Puthukkudiyiruppuhospital. The team, some of whose members have been secondedby the German Red Cross, includes surgeons, anaesthetists, a general practitioner, a paediatrician, a gynaecologist, a physiotherapist, lab and X-ray technicians, midwives, nurses and administrators. The hospital has been given100 tonnes of supplies as well. The ICRC has also deployed a three-person medical team comprising a ward nurse, a midwife and a doctorto PallaiDivisionalHospital.

The Finnish Red Cross has treated over 300 patients in the tent clinic it opened on 5 January in an area south of Komari, in Amparadistrict. It has also sent mobile health units to the emergency welfare centres in the area and is now providing assistance to a local government health dispensary. With the end of the first phase of the emergency response, the Finnish Red Cross is now refocusing its efforts on support to local health facilities. Also in Amparadistrict, a French Red Cross health care unit is providing basic treatment, dental services and a dispensary for over 110 patients per day at ArguamBay.

The Norwegian Red Cross has set up a basic health care unit in Eachchilampattaiin Trincomaleedistrict; the unit provides outpatient consultations, maternity care, public health services and minor surgery for the 10,000 residents of the area.

The Italian Red Cross has set up a field hospital in Vakaraifor paediatric, gynaecological, basic health care and emergency services, and deployed five mobile health units to surrounding villages to improve access to health care for the rural population.

The ICRC has also set up a number of large tents in welfare centres and transit camps for use as medical facilities and provided material such as medicines, medical equipment and dressings to hospitals in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivuand Vavuniya.

About 250 Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers in Batticaloadistrict are being trained in health education by the ICRCso that they can be deployed in welfare centres and transit camps. In Kilinochchiand Mullaittivu, over 50 Red Cross community health workers paid by the ICRC are providing first aid and health education services to displaced families. The workers had just received their certification in late December when the tsunami struck; they were often among the first on the scene to provide primary medical care to survivors.

The Danish Red Cross is now holding the second in a series of 10-day training sessions to help Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers provide psychological support services in areas affected by the tsunami.

Restoring family links

Immediately following the disaster, the ICRC set up 12 mobile teams to help restore family links between survivors and their relatives. The teams, which were established in cooperation with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and with the participation of tracing experts from the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Israel, have visited over 300 welfare centres in the districts of Colombo, Galle, Matara, Tangalle, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kilinochchiand Mullaittivu. They have enabled displaced people to make over 1,700 satellite telephone calls – the majority to relatives overseas – and collected 417 “I Am Alive” messages that have been posted on a special ICRC web site and published in the Sri Lankan media. More than 50 particularly vulnerable people have been actively tracedand contact with their families restored through Red Cross messages. With the speedy restoration of normal communication channels in Sri Lanka, tsunami-related tracing activities have been scaledback.

In the last two weeks, the ICRC has started distributing mail kits containing stamps, envelopes, paper and pens to families in certain areas, allowing them to stay in touch with relatives and at the same time write about the events and thus give vent to their emotions.

ICRC staff and offices

At present, the ICRC has 95 expatriate and 380 national employees in Sri Lanka. It has offices in Colombo, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Muthur, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Puthukkudiyiruppuand Jaffna.

Since 26 December, the ICRC in Sri Lankahas:

dispatched a 21-member medical team (many on loan from the German Red Cross) to Puthukkudiyiruppuhospital;
set up over 3,800 tents for displaced families (another 1,200 tents will be set up in the coming weeks);
distributed over 6,000 tarpaulins;
delivered nearly 29,000 family kits containing mats, sheets, soap, towels, buckets, jerrycansand plastic dishes;
distributed over 10,000 articles of clothing to displaced people;
taken steps to provide monthly hygiene kits to 30,000 families over a six-month period;
provided drinking water and sanitation facilities in 13 transit camps;
enableddisplaced people to make over 1,700 satellite telephone calls to their families, and collected 417 “I Am Alive” messages.

For further information, please contact:
Bernard Barrett, ICRC Colombo, tel.: ++9411 250 33 46/7 or ++94 773 15 74 92
Vincent Lusser, ICRC Geneva, tel. + 41 22 730 24 26 / + 41 79 217 32 64
orvisit our web site: www.icrc.org

With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source.

Help Provincial Journalists get back to work

2005-02-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

Journalists Affected by Tsunami

Help Provincial Journalists get back to work

As we are all well aware, the tsunami that hit the island in December has
greatly impacted many peoples and sectors within the country, including
journalists and media workers. Many of them suffered great loss, the least
of which is their equipment. But without their journalism tools many of
these journalists, most of whom work freelance for low wages, are unable to
return to work and with that try to piece their lives together and regain
some of the dignity that was swept away.

To help these journalists return to work, the Free Media Movement (FMM)
makes this appeal for support on their behalf. We intend to provide them
with the necessary equipment and are working closely with the provincial
journalists associations in the affected regions, the Sri Lanka Muslim
Journalists Forum (SLMJF) and Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance (SLTJA)
in this regard.

We are currently focusing on Provincial Journalists as they are freelancers
and do not receive a fixed income from media organizations. Further, they
were the first on the scene, reporting amid the tragedy and havoc caused by
the tsunami.

Following field visits by an FMM team, we have identified 21 provincial
correspondents (as at 22 February 2005) that we intend to support through
this program. Their details are provided below. All details have been
verified by police report and FMM volunteers visiting these areas. We intend
to provide each with a digital camera and a digital voice recorder as an
immediate first step to getting them back to reporting the post tsunami
situation and other issues.

The approximate cost per set of equipment is valued at US $ 450 (digital
camera @ approximate cost of US $ 300- 350; high quality digital voice
recorder @ approximately US $ 120- 150). One journalist has also lost his
Television Camera, valued at approximately US $ 2,500.

If you or your organization are able to support this appeal please c;ontact
me on 0777-312457 or fmm@diamond.lanka.net to discuss arrangements. FMM, together with
the provincial journalists associations, SLMJF and SLTJA will organize a
simple ceremony at which to hand over this equipment to the journalists
whose details are provided below.

We are still working on verifying information received from various sources
on more affected journalists. Therefore, we may update this list in the
near future based on further confirmation of details. In the event of
updates, we will keep you informed.

We thank you for your support to our effort.

Sincerely yours,

Sunanda Deshapriya
Spokes person- Free Media Movement

Report on the Workshop on Post-Tsunami Reconstruction of Sri Lanka

2005-02-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

Report on the Workshop on Post-Tsunami Reconstruction of Sri Lanka

Introduction

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) organised a workshop entitled "Post-Tsunami Reconstruction of Sri Lanka: Structures and Processes" on 20th January 2005. The workshop was organised with the objective of engaging members of government, civil society, and the international multilateral community in a discussion of issues related to the reconstruction of Sri Lanka after the tsunami of 26th December 2004. CPA's Memorandum to the Task Force to Rebuild the Nation (TAFREN) on the formulation of a Comprehensive Development and Infrastructure Rebuilding Action Plan (CDIRAP) and the preparation of draft legislation to set up an Authority for Rebuilding the Nation (ARN) served as the basis for the discussion. The Memorandum seeks to bring to the attention of TAFREN certain policy considerations, international best practices and good governance principles that should inform the deliberations of TAFREN in the formulation of both the CDIRAP and the enabling legislation for the ARN.

This report identifies the themes around which the discussions were based and provides a brief summary of the presentations and the discussions that followed.

In his welcome address, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director of CPA, stressed the importance of the principles of power-sharing in the peaceful resolution of Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict and in promoting transparency, responsiveness, democratic participation and accountability in the post-tsunami recovery process. He also noted that the tsunami disaster and the reconstruction efforts it has necessitated present an opportunity for revisiting some governance reform issues.

Proposed Reconstruction Structures: TAFREN, CDIRAP and the ARN

In his presentation on the structures the Government has proposed for implementing the reconstruction effort, Asanga Welikala, Researcher, Legal and Constitutional Unit, summarised the recommendations contained in CPA's Memorandum which centre around several cross-cutting themes and issues, including:
· accountability and transparency in general, and financial accountability in particular;
· public consultation and participation as animating principles permeating all policy frameworks and mechanisms established as part of the reconstruction process; and
· respect for the existing structures of devolution and recognition of the importance of provincial and local institutions in encouraging diversity and greater responsiveness, and in providing opportunities for broader citizen participation in government reconstruction efforts.

CPA's recommended accountability framework for the ARN would involve the enactment of an accounting, auditing and reporting framework to ensure financial accountability and transparency, accompanied by freedom of information provisions. CPA's proposals to enhance accountability, include:
· the establishment of a special reconstruction fund separate from the President's fund;
· strengthening the Auditor General's department;
· the establishment of a new parliamentary committee on reconstruction oversight which would monitor the ARN's implementation of CDIRAP and conduct comprehensive reviews of the ARN and the CDIRAP; and
· limiting the ARN's term of operation by including a sunset clause in any legislation establishing the ARN.

With respect to CDIRAP, CPA advocates a forward-looking national policy that will achieve not only reconstruction of physical infrastructure, but also sustainable human development. CPA urges the Government to engage in extensive consultation with Provincial Councils, local authorities and the public to ensure the responsiveness of the reconstruction efforts. CPA also recommends that a statement of purpose and principles for CDIRAP be enacted in order to (i) guide the ARN in the development of projects and (ii) guide the ARN and Parliament in the monitoring and evaluation of the CDIRAP. CPA also proposes that a disaster management strategy be adopted as part of CDIRAP.

Panellist J.C. Weliammuna of Transparency International suggested that existing mechanisms were not in a position to be effective in combating corruption. The problems with existing mechanisms include:
· the Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) and the Public Services Commission (PSC) are over-burdened;
· the Auditor General's office lacks capacity and powers;
· the key anti-corruption body is no longer active and is a non-entity;
· the political will to fight corruption is lacking; and
· a parliamentary budget committee does not exist.

In suggesting recommendations, Mr. Weliammuna stated the need for
· full time officers in the new body created by the Government (the ARN);
· a public information officer to make information available to the public and the media;
· a parliamentary committee that would have powers going beyond those of COPE and PSC (potentially a standing order for a parliamentary committee), would issue reports at least once every six months, and would have supervisory powers to visit affected areas;
· strengthening the capacity of the Auditor General's office;
· moving to a value-for-money auditing system as opposed to the current compliance auditing practices;
· increased physical verification of projects;
· integirty pacts, and the involvement of neutral and qualified persons in the monitoring of major contracting processes; and
· public disclosure by all actors, including political parties, religious bodies and NGOs, in accordance with best practices.

Panellist Bradman Weerakon, former Secretary to the Prime Minister and former Commissioner General of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation, recognised the difficulties faced by the Government in formulating an action plan and coordinating the relief efforts, but stressed that inclusive public consultation needed to be part of the Government's strategy. He focussed particularly on the need for public consultation in terms of reconstruction of homes and resettlement, and emphasised that where possible, people be permitted to return to the sites of their original homes. With respect to the need to respect the principle of subsidiarity, Mr. Weerakoon emphasised the need for capacity-building and strengthening of provincial and local authorities. Mr. Weerakoon also endorsed CPA's proposal for a Special Reconstruction Fund subject to Parliamentary oversight. He noted that greater accountability and transparency would be necessary in dealing with the funds flowing into Sri Lanka for reconstruction.
The members of TAFREN were invited to participate in the workshop, and Mr. Lalith Weeratunge had agreed to act as a panellist, but all were unable to attend on the date of the workshop.

Special Concerns and Arrangements for the Reconstruction Process in the North-East

Mr. Welikala summarised CPA's recommendations with respect to the reconstruction process in the North-East which include special arrangements relating to:
· shared rule between the Government of Sri Lanka, the LTTE, and the other stakeholders in the North-East including the Muslim and Sinhalese communities, and
· self-rule proposals that would institutionalise the LTTE's role in the reconstruction efforts in the North-East while providing for pluralism and the participation of other stakeholders.

Mr. Kethesh Loganathan, Director, CPA and Head, Peace and Conflict Unit elaborated upon some of the proposals contained in the Memorandum. In particular, he focused on the fact that any proposed arrangements to coordinate the reconstruction efforts were "interim interim", and should not be confused with the "interim-final equation", which will involve a fundamental restructuring of the State and the Constitution, including processes relating to the restoration of democracy in the North-East.

CPA's proposed interim reconstruction arrangements focus on cooperation between the Government and the LTTE as imperative for the effective delivery of reconstruction programs because significant sections of the affected people live in LTTE controlled areas. Any interim arrangement should be founded on the principles of inclusivity and popular participation.

CPA proposes that an LTTE-led mechanism for reconstruction be effected through an agreement between the Government and LTTE, the modalities of which may be similar to those used to conclude the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). However, any attempts to use the CFA as a model would need to be mindful of some of the problems or "creative ambiguities" inherent in the CFA, including:
· the failure of the CFA to mention the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu; and
· the CFA allowed the LTTE to expand its politico-military and intelligence networks, while turning a blind eye to child recruitment, political killings and other gross human rights violations.

Mr. Loganathan emphasised that any agreement relating to humanitarian efforts should not have clauses of creative ambiguity that would permit either the LTTE or the Government to exploit the vulnerability of the affected people of the North-East in pursuance of their respective politico-military strategies. CPA proposes a stringent monitoring mechanism supervised by a Multinational Force comprising the donor co-chairs and India as a potential solution, but in view of Norway being already overburdened by its dual role as a facilitator and monitor of the CFA, it was felt that Norway, although a constituent member of the donor co-chairs, should not be further burdened in monitoring humanitarian efforts.

Unlike the rest of the country, the North-East is both a war-affected and a Tsunami-ravaged area. As such, the post-tsunami reconstruction of the North-East cannot be sustained if peace talks on the establishment of an interim authority for the North-East, with pride of place to the LTTE, and parallel talks on a final political and constitutional settlement to the ethnic question are not advanced. CPA recommends that the opportunities presented by post-tsunami reconstruction be seized and utilised for the transition from conflict to peace.

Panellist Chandru Pararajasingham, Program Coordinator, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) noted that the TRO's relief efforts were being hindered by the lack of a legitimate and settled structure in terms of Government logistics and coordination, particularly with respect to customs clearance for goods coming into the country. He suggested that there was a need for a new procedure that would accelerate the clearance of relief items. With respect to the previous presentation, Mr. Pararajasingham noted that in an effort to be transparent and accountable, the TRO had already submitted its audited accounts to the Central Bank and voluntarily disclosed the funds it had received from abroad. Mr. Pararajasingham also expressed the hope that all parties could work together and avoid inflammatory comments.

Dr. K. Vikneswaran, Advisor to the Minister of Agricultural Marketing Development, Hindu Affairs and Tamil Language Schools and Vocation Training (North) agreed that it was acceptable for the LTTE to have a role in the reconstruction of the North-East, but emphasised that the LTTE is not the sole representative of people of the North-East. He suggested that in its recommendations regarding the institutionalisation of the role of the LTTE, the CPA Memorandum may have overemphasised the role of the LTTE at the expense of other groups. Dr. Vikneswaran suggested that a first priority in any attempts to institutionalise a role for the LTTE was to encourage it to democratise.

Mr. Rajith Lakshman, Deputy Director, Economic Affairs, Secretariat for the Coordination of the Peace Process (SCOPP) began by reading a quote from Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General, SCOPP expressing the hope that the tsunami might present an opportunity for national solidarity and conflict resolution. Mr. Lakshman indicated that the LTTE needed to be incorporated into any proposed disaster relief mechanism as a partner, but that there was a need for building trust and goodwill between all parties to the conflict.

Plenary Sessions

The CPA presentations were followed by plenary and discussion sessions where respondents raised general issues and specific points with regards to the Memorandum and the presentations particularly around the themes of accountability, centralization, participation and inclusivity. A number of participants and panellists recognized that that tsunami and its aftermath presented an enormous challenge to Sri Lanka and the government. Nevertheless, participants and panellists felt it was necessary to question the manner in which decisions were being made and the content of proposals put forward by the Government and the task forces concerned. The tsunami crisis and the unfolding process of relief and reconstruction as an opportunity to revive the peace process, to push forward development and to engage in a process of reform was voiced by a number participants.

The lack of clarity and transparency was a key theme of the discussion sessions. With regards to the ARN, a participant pointed to the issues of territorial scope, its ability to work with existing structures and service delivery arrangements. Ignoring such issues would result not only in problems of inefficiency and ineffectiveness, but also have a serious impact on governance and the potential for a duality of governance with some areas experiencing an improvement in material conditions and governance while neighbouring areas would see few changes.

Accountability issues were raised by a number of participants both in financial and policy terms. Supporting the proposal in the Memorandum for a parliamentary oversight committee, participants put forward ideas as to how it could be strengthened. In managing the record-level of funds pledged by the international community, a number of participants supported the proposal for a parliamentary role in managing funds rather than a fund controlled solely by the President.

Fears of corruption in the massive relief and reconstruction projects were voiced by many participants at the workshop. Particular emphasis was placed on the amount of funds coming into the country, and the need to account for the manner in which such funds will have been spent.

The trend towards centralisation of the decision-making process and the suggested mechanisms was a key concern raised by participants. Speaking to the link between proposed structures and the Constitution, a participant emphasised that the former should not negatively impact existing constitutional provisions as per the Thirteenth Amendment. He noted the overlap between the nine areas listed in TAFREN's terms of reference and the Concurrent and Provincial Council Lists and urged that this be taken into account in designing the powers and mandate of the ARN.

Devolution and decentralisation were key focus points of the discussion. The need for the involvement of local authorities in the design and implementation of the relief and reconstruction processes at the provincial, district and divisional levels was emphasised by both participants and participants. Participants endorsed the need for a bottom-up approach as suggested in the CPA Memorandum, whereby Provincial Councils, Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils would be directly involved in the reconstruction efforts. Participants stated that promoting a decentralized approach would ensure greater accountability, by enabling local communities to know what they were receiving and verify Government statements. This would also increase understanding and inform local authorities as to how the overall relief and reconstruction process would impact their specific area. Given that the ARN would be involved in physical spatial planning, a participant noted that it was important for the central government structure responsible for planning to link up with local government and local authorities.

A participant voiced concern that devolution should not be restricted merely to delivery issues. They warned that this could lead to another form of centralisation, as authority would be wielded by district level bureaucracies, and stressed the need for the involvement of elected authorities that would encourage greater public participation. The participant reminded the audience of the rehabilitation commission established in 1989 that functioned under the GA and was answerable to the Provincial Councils and Provincial Chief Secretary. While the CPA Memorandum recommended that the tenure of the ARN be limited by a short-term of operation and a sunset clause, a participant noted that if the ARN were a short-term authority, it was unlikely that it would have regional offices, thereby restricting its potential to be decentralised. On the point of devolution, a participant raised the issue that it should not be seen just in terms of state institutions and the North-East, but also with regards to the South itself so as to allow for greater decentralisation and participation in the South.

The need for a participatory and inclusive process was voiced by most of the participants in the discussion sessions. A participant stated that with greater participation and inclusiveness, a reform process could be initiated that would lead to an improvement in the state structure. They stressed that the need to engage in discussions concerning the reform process was urgent because the proposed structures are still being debated. The participant proposed a "supreme council" that would involve all political parties for the management of the entire reconstruction and rehabilitation process.

The vital need for local communities to have a say in the reconstruction process was raised by a number of participants. They stressed that as it was the future of local communities at stake, dealing with issues such as the relocation of people without consultation was highly problematic. A more people-based approach was called for, particularly in light of the feeling of marginalisation expressed by communities in the affected areas. A participant pointed out that with regard to relocating townships, important factors such as the demographics, history and culture of the old townships had not been given suitable emphasis. The principle that relocation should be the last option was also discussed, with a participant noting that relocation in other parts of the world is rarely successful. Rather than policy being designed as a knee-jerk response to the tsunami, a participant suggested that it be done through a multiple risk analysis method. Another participant raised environmental issues related to the sites chosen for relocation and the suitability of modern housing as per the Government's support for modern housing.

The need for the inclusion of community based organisations (CBOs) and the private sector at the local level was emphasised, as their role in the implementation stage would be crucial to increasing local capacity and public trust. A corollary point was made by a participant, who stated that local capacity building was essential in order to ensure that CBOs and local authorities had a meaningful role in decision-making and policy formulation rather than becoming mere sub-contractors. A participant suggested that this "sub-contracting" of local NGOs, CBOs and local authorities was likely to increase due to the fact that the number of INGOs had greatly increased post-tsunami (i.e. prior to the 26th of December there were approximately 50 INGOs, whereas there were now approximately 150). They also stated that it was important to develop standards and policies relating to which INGOs are in Sri Lanka and how they work here. This point was reflected in the comments of other participants as well, and some participants raised the point of aid dependency that could have a long-term impact on Sri Lanka.

The need for civil society to be given a voice in the process was also expressed by several participants. Some of the participants also noted that civil society needed to maintain an active role in monitoring the relief and rehabilitation process. A participant spoke of the need for increased advocacy, claiming that Sri Lankan civil society was weak and lacked a rights-based approach.

With regard to issues related to the North-East, the participants in both sessions raised a variety of issues. A principal issue was how the post-tsunami relief and reconstruction process could facilitate the revival of the peace process. A number of participants and participants referred to the opportunity that the recovery process posed. There was concern among some that relief and reconstruction would be pushed forward without any linkage to the peace process or the post-conflict reconstruction process. A number of respondents therefore welcomed the CPA Memorandum's call for the post-tsunami and civil war recovery processes to be linked.

A key point raised by many participants was the inclusion of the LTTE in the relief and recovery process. One participant noted that because two thirds of the North-East is under LTTE control, the LTTE cannot be ignored or sidelined by the Government in the recovery processes. Rather than exacerbate existing tensions and disagreements, the participant said it was important to move towards genuine reconciliation, particularly with regards to structures of governance. A participant suggested that CPA's proposal regarding the creation of an LTTE-inclusive structure sought to bring in the LTTE's Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) through the backdoor. The participant noted that while genuine representation for the LTTE in a structure for relief and reconstruction is necessary, one should not be seen to recognise the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people.

In responding to the presentation made by Mr. Loganathan with regards to the conditions for the LTTE's inclusion in a relief and reconstruction mechanism, one participant felt that it was important to avoid a situation similar to the Tokyo Conference, where there were a number of preconditions for the LTTE's participation, and which led to the LTTE's refusal to participate. The participant felt that the main question was how to create an inclusive arrangement for relief and recovery. Mr. Loganathan responded that a distinction needed to be made between appeasement and engagement when dealing with the LTTE.

There was also a call by participants for all stakeholders in the conflict to be included in the recovery process. This principle of inclusion should involve the inclusion of both the macro-political structures for aid distribution and the district level committees. In responding to the CPA Memorandum, a participant called for the inclusion of the LTTE, but also voiced concern over the term used in the Memorandum with regard to Muslim rights. The participant felt that the term "safeguards" for Muslims and Sinhalese was inadequate, and that there was a need for an autonomous role for Muslims. Given the feeling of marginalisation among Muslims, the participant urged that an autonomous role for Muslims be reflected in a revived peace process.

Other issues were also raised by participants. One participant noted that it was important to address accountability not just in accounting terms but more importantly, as a value. He called for a preamble to the CPA Memorandum that would put it in context with regards to the international norms as laid out in the UN Charter and other UN Conventions. Another participant suggested that the CPA Memorandum and a report of the workshop proceedings be made available to participants in the G7 Summit to be held in early February.

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ARN Authority for Rebuilding the Nation
CBOs Community-based organisations
CDIRAP Comprehensive Development and Infrastructure Rebuilding Action Plan
CFA Ceasefire Agreement
COPE Committee on Public Enterprise
CPA Centre for Policy Alternatives
INGOs International non-governmental organisations
ISGA Interim Self Governing Authority
LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
NGOs Non-governmental organisations
PSC Public Services Commission
SCOPP Secretariat for the Coordination of the Peace Process
TAFREN Task Force to Rebuild the Nation
TRO Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation

Resources for Sri Lanka

2005-02-06T22:58:00.000-08:00

Message from David McAntony Gibson Foundation ( http://www.dmgf.org/ ) below.

Please contact Rahul Singh

I have 3 contianers due to arrive in the next couple of weeks in Colombo. They have nutritional supplements, vitamin supplements, potable water items, medical goods, medicines, and an ambulance.

I have 8 more ambulances to send after ensuring these items get cleared.

Any suggestions for NGOs, local groups, or local government agencies that may benefit from these donations ?

Radios for Sri Lanka

2005-02-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

From "bytesforall" mailing list -

Christian Quick
Internews
"J. Christian Quick"

Currently 5,000 donated radios are en route for Colombo for an Internews-led distribution, with another 10,000 radios to be received by the Ministry of Social Services (both donations courtesy of Commercial Radio Australia).
These will arrive nearly six weeks into the crisis and be distributed in affected areas in coordination with a USAID-funded effort by Internews to create 2 fixed local radio stations and one mobile broadcasting unit in the South, one station in the hardest-hit East Coast district, Ampara, and two mobile production units for the Southern and Eastern coasts. Practical difficulties relating to the LTTE controlled areas of the North and East limit the amount of radio development that can currently be done in those regions.

In short, though, very little has yet been done to increase information access in Sri Lanka's affected areas subsequent to the disaster. Should you like some detail on the current state of information access, I've appended some information gathered for our project.

My colleague, Ivan Sigal, and I arrived in Sri Lanka about ten days after the Tsunami. In our first week we conducted a small survey of 100 respondents near Hikkaduwa, in the area of Telwatta, asking about access to information and relief services. Telwatta is on the main Colombo road and one of the most easily accessible areas of the disaster, and correspondingly likely to be better served by information and aid than more far-flung communities. This should be taken into account when considering the survey data. A summary of the survey and general findings, as follows:

"1) Prior to the disaster, media in the south were not designed to provide local information to local audiences. Both government and nongovernmental media infrastructure in the south is designed primarily to broadcast programming originating in Colombo. Programming for the south is sent via microwave link to three locations along the southern edge of the hills north of the coastal plains, and the feed for regional programming is almost identical to Colombo programming.

"On the entire south coast, there is only one radio production studio, at the regional SLBC broadcaster in Matara. While this station has sufficient access to air time and powerful transmitters, it has extremely thin resources to actually gather and produce programming. The station has 48 employees, but only one reporter, producer, and editor respectively. It has no Internet, cell phones, or car, one recorder, and one studio editing suite. It relies on a stringer network of no more than eight regular contributors along the entire south coast. These stringers also have no resources to fund their reporting, and typically file by fax or public phone. They are paid by the story. The station is also subject to strict editorial control with a strong pro-government political bias.

"No commercial stations have southern bureaus. Instead they rely on the same small stringer network as the regional government stations, and often receive identical reports from those correspondents. There is no diversity or competition in journalistic endeavor, and hence little point of comparison for audiences. Their reporting is also regarded as political.

"On the east coast, the SLBC has no regional broadcaster, and no private broadcaster has regional or local coverage that focuses on the east. No production capacity exists on the east coast at present. A government-owned community station in Uva province does have considerable capacity to broadcast and produce. Its signal reportedly reaches the east coast from a strong transmitter in the hills; however, while it may have a few correspondents on the coast it does not have actual production capacity resident in the affected areas.

"The ongoing conflict has also caused many journalists in the east to depart for Colombo. This pre-existing condition has deepened the problem of weak capacity for regional journalists to collect and disseminate information.

"Colombo based broadcasters, production units, and journalists are traveling to the east to cover the continuing crisis, and are producing stories for national and Colombo-based audiences. This material does not generally support the information needs of the affected population.

"In neither government nor nongovernmental media is there real or adequate local reporting designed for the local population: information that those in need can use to improve their situations. Instead reports are designed for national audiences removed from the actual event.

"The lack of a local media structure was a lost opportunity to provide early warning to those living on the coast. Local media that know each other, and have formal and informal networks of communication can spread word of impending disaster extremely quickly. Unfortunately, this could not happen in the south. The controller of the Matara SLBC station said that if one person from the east coast had known of his station, and called, he would have been able to get the message out minutes before the tsunami struck.

"2) While many humanitarian relief organizations have press and information officers, in the field there is no systematic coordination of public information on the part of the relief effort, or by the government.
While
foreign journalists and some Colombo-based Sri Lankan journalists seek out government agents and relief agencies in the south, most of these organizations hold press conferences only in Colombo, where journalists are more likely to turn up. Hence it is very difficult for local journalists to get systematic access to relief information. There is therefore a disconnect between the needs of those affected by the disaster, and the target audience of public information produced by the aid organizations. This is not necessarily a fault of those running the relief effort: even if more information was available in the field, there would be few journalists to report it, and few outlets to distribute it.

"3) In the absence of trusted media, or of a media system designed to provide local audiences with information, survey respondents said that they turn most often to religious institutions or civil authorities for information. However, they appear to have sporadic and distant access to those authorities. Some survey figures:

94% of respondents stated that they receive information from religious institutions.

85% of respondents stated that they receive information from civil authorities.

However, only 17% said that they had any contact with authorities regarding their needs, and that had occurred overwhelmingly in large group contexts.
These encounters occurred infrequently and did not appear to touch concerns in depth. Only 3% reported speaking to authorities or relief agencies on an individual basis about their needs.

43% of respondents stated that they received trustworthy information from friends and acquaintances.

31% of respondents said they owned or had access to radios. Respondents aged
26-40+ were 40% more likely to have access than those in other age
groups.
Those with access to radios tended to trust them as information sources, but this group could be self-selected for preference.

3% of respondents had access to TV, all between ages 26-40+.

1% of respondents had access to newspapers.

31% of respondents had access to electricity, though generally only when at IDP camps.

"Taken together, the survey and structural conditions of media suggest that, without some kind of media intervention or support, there will continue to be a serious gap in information between the affected population and those directing the relief and reconstruction effort.

"Relief agencies are very concerned that decisions about reconstruction will take place without significant consultation or critical discussion with those actually affected. Given the current status of information access, that concern is very valid. The pre-existing political tensions and violence in the south mean that a reconstruction process that is not inclusive and open for discussion is likely to be a source of continuing conflict. A timely and well-structured media support project has the potential to alleviate these tensions before they become explosive, and at the same time provide vital information and assistance to people currently in great distress. It can also help facilitate aid efforts on distribution, health and sanitary information, trauma, and a range of other serious issues."

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Christian Quick
Internews
"J. Christian Quick"

-----Original Message-----
From: George Lessard [mailto:media(at)web.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 11:05 AM
To: Creative Radio List
Subject: [creative-radio] Research query on "Lifeline Radio" use in the tsunami devastation area
Importance: High

Lifeline radios are the windup radios from http://www.freeplayfoundation.org/

Ed Girardet, just back from Aceh and once again in Kabul.

I am in the process of reporting a piece for the December 2005 edition of National Geographic on Frontline Aid workers: who are they and why do they do it? This will also explore key issues of humanitarian aid in the 21st century plus how aid has changed over the past 25-30 years.

One particular question I am exploring is whether any serious efforts (within the first week or so) were made in Aceh, Sri Lanka etc.
following the Tsunami to help inform affected populations. As far as I can gather, no wind-up radios etc were distributed in Aceh and apart from certain efforts by Internews to train local journalists, there was - and still is - no appropriate lifeline media/public awareness outreach aimed at informing the affected communities.

Does anyone have any information on this? Ed Girardet Contact:
edgirardet@gmail.com

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Via / By / Excerpted / From / Tip from / Thanks to:

"J. Christian Quick"

Creative-Radio http://groups.yahoo.com/group/creative-radio/ is an independent forum for people active in or interested in the use of radio in development, in particular promoting public health, improved education, protection of the environment, improved livelihoods, good governance and conflict mitigation. Since it started in 1996, Creative-Radio has been in the forefront of radios resurgence as a tool for social change and peace-building, and it helps promote best practice in these areas.

Creative-Radio is pleased to be supported by:
Internews. Network <> & Media Support Solutions / Media Support Partnership <>

_______________________________________________
Lk-relief mailing list
Lk-relief@lists.apdip.net
http://lists.apdip.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lk-relief

Draft concept paper on early warning systems for Sri Lanka

2005-02-06T22:54:00.000-08:00

A draft concept paper on early warning systems for Sri Lanka is published on http://www.lirneasia.net/. The paper is based on international and local expertise and the input from an expert consultation organized by LIRNEAsia and Vanguard Foundation held on January 26th, 2005 in Colombo. All comments received prior to February 19th will be taken into account in finalizing the report. It is intended that the final report will be handed over to the appropriate authorities in government on or around the 26th of February, 2005, two months to the day from Sri Lanka’s greatest calamity.

You can send your comments/feedback using the online form at http://asia.lirne.net/index.php?p=278#comments or you may email to Rohan Samarajiva

Land Issues arising from Ethnic Conflict and Tsunami

2005-01-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

More detailed information is available at
http://www.cpalanka.org/research_papers/Memo_Land_Issues.pdf

http://www.cpalanka.org/research_papers/CPA_Summary_Land_Issues.pdf

THE CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES (CPA)

MEMORANDUM ON
LAND ISSUES ARISING FROM THE ETHNIC CONFLICT AND THE TSUNAMI DISASTER

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) prepared the enclosed Memorandum on Land Issues Arising from the Ethnic Conflict and the Tsunami Disaster with a view to providing policy makers and stakeholders with a discussion document to assist them in the formulation of land policies.

CPA has been at the forefront of civil society interventions in the constitutional reform debate in Sri Lanka, consistently advocating democratic values and federal mechanisms as being essential in the building of a united and more democratic Sri Lanka. The tsunami disaster and the reconstruction efforts it has necessitated, present an opportunity for revisiting some governance reform issues. In particular, we stress respect for the principles of power-sharing and regional autonomy which are not only pivotal to the peaceful resolution of Sri Lankas ethnic conflict, but are also essential in promoting transparency, responsiveness, representativeness and accountability.

The Memorandum examines current land or land use issues with reference to existing legislation or policies, and highlights issues that may have arisen as a result of both the ethnic conflict and the tsunami disaster. CPA has formulated recommendations that it hopes will contribute to the process of developing strategies and policies to respond to the challenges raised by these situations with reference to international best practices and good governance principles. It is a basic premise of the Memorandum that while the tsunami disaster necessitates an immediate and urgent response, the issues arising from the ethnic conflict should continue to be a principal focus of Government and civil society. CPA urges the Government to respond to the after effects of both situations with equal urgency and diligence.

The Memorandum is structured in three parts. The first part deals with the overarching framework for coordinating issues of land and land use planning. The second part examines the legal and policy framework for land occupation and ownership, focusing on the development guidelines in respect of the coastal zone of Sri Lanka and issues relating to state and private land. The third part discusses land issues relevant to internally displaced persons (IDPs).

I. The Overarching Framework for Land

The first section of the Memorandum examines the overarching framework for coordinating issues of land and land use planning, including government institutions and national land policies. The underlying themes of this section include good governance principles such as accountability, transparency, participation, capacity building and subsidiarity.

This section examines the constitutional framework and existing modalities of devolution, with a particular focus on the jurisdiction of Provincial Councils over land and related subject areas. The existing structures laid out in statutes establishing local authorities such as Urban Councils, Municipal Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas as well as other statutory authorities such as the Urban Development Authority (UDA) are also canvassed. This section of the Memorandum also examines the existing national land policies and draft policies.

II. The Legal and Policy Framework for Land Occupation and Ownership

The second section of the Memorandum examines the legal and policy framework for land occupation and ownership with reference to existing legislation, including the Land Development Ordinance, the Land Grants Special Provisions Act, the Land Acquisition Act, and the development guidelines in respect of the coastal zone of Sri Lanka, namely the Coast Conservation Act, the National Physical Planning Department Guidelines and the Urban Development Authority Guidelines. The Memorandum highlights provisions in the legislation dealing with land alienation and other issue areas that will need to be addressed in crafting responses to the ethnic conflict and the tsunami.

III. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

The third section of the Memorandum discusses land issues relevant to internally displaced persons (IDPs), and emphasises the fact that the issues raised by conflict-affected and tsunami-affected IDPs should be responded to by the Government with equal urgency and diligence. This section deals with several issues, including transitional shelter and resettlement programmes, restitution of property, sales made under duress, lost or destroyed identity and property documents, boundaries, women IDPs, financial and social assistance, freedom of movement, landmines and unexploded ordnance and High Security Zones. Particular reference is had to international guidelines and the draft Transitional Shelter Strategy currently being prepared by the Government in collaboration with the UNHCR.

Post-Tsunami Reconnect project

2005-01-30T22:44:00.000-08:00

Post-Tsunami Reconnect project

Author and wireless geek Mike Outmesguine announces a disaster relief project aimed at bringing connectivity to tsunami victims cut off from communications services by the disaster.

I am working to organize a disaster relief effort to help those affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami. I'd like to send wireless equipment and expertise to damaged areas to help reconnect the people. I'm still working out the details and will update you as more develops. It will be organized with folks from the Southern California Wireless Users Group, SOCALWUG and other wireless groups that wish to participate. I started calling it the Post-Tsunami Reconnect.
Xeni Jardin mentioned the effort today on Fox News Channel during an interview about bloggers and the tsunami. I will have a video excerpt available soon. Here is a statement I sent to the Center for International Disaster Information about the effort:
"We are a Southern California based user community of experts and advocates of wireless data communications. Wireless community members supplied technical expertise and wireless equipment for the Florida hurricane relief efforts and to military personnel stationed in Iraq. We would like to organize, collect, and deliver wireless data equipment to disaster relief workers and others in the affected region to help maintain a high level of communication and internet access ability. We would also be able to send engineers into the area to help bring connections online."
For more information or to discuss a donation of funds, equipment, or your expertise, contact Mike Outmesguine by email "mo at wifi-toys.com" or voice: +1-818-889-9445 ext. 102

Progressive Organizations that need your support

2005-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

From http://www.lines-magazine.org/tsunami/TsunamiInitiatives.htm

This list was compiled with input from friends who have personal contacts and knowledge of these initiatives. There are more initiatives that we plan to add to this list as more projects focused on long term relief get off the ground. This is not intended as a comprehensive list, these are just projects where we have special links - there are other initiatives that are equally worthy of support

The initiatives described below are the following:

1. Suriya Women's Development Center, Batticaloa

2. Women's Fund for Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction, Sri Lanka

3. Initiative Sunrise Lanka (ISL for Ampara, Eastern Province)

4. Equal Ground, Colombo

5. Shanthiham, Jaffna

6. Jeeva Jothi, Batticaloa

7. Rural Development Foundation (RDF), Trincomalee

8. Sarvodaya, Moratuwa

9. Butterfly Garden Tsunami Relief, Batticaloa

1. Suriya Women's Development Center, Batticaloa

Focus:

Immediate term:

1. Addressing the immediate needs of women and children in the hard hit Batiicaloa region. This work involves meeting both material needs and psychological needs.

2. Preventing gender based violence in refugee camps.

Monitoring and addressing incidents of gender based violence; Measures to prevent/deter such incidents.

Medium and long term

Continuing relief activities and activities in relation to gender based violations.
In addition, taking steps to ensure inclusive participatory decision making so that women’s voices will be heard in shaping policies for temporary and permanent resettlement.

Who is doing it:

Suriya Women’s Development Centre (Suriya) was established in 1991 (See http://suriya.modblog.com/?show=main) to work with the people displaced by the internal conflict in the North-Eastern province, and living in the camps, which were established in Colombo. Suriya focused on working with women and children. After the closure of the camps in Colombo and the inmates were forced to returned to their former places of residence in 1993, Suriya moved to Batticaloa and has been working in the Eastern Province for the last eight years,

Suriya has worked i with women’s groups in all three communities addressing gender awareness, human rights, access to justice, violence against women, economic empowerment and other social development issues. Using theater and other avenues they have also been active in the movement for peace with justice involving women in the Tamil and Muslim communities. The individuals involved with Suriya include Vijayakumari Murugiah and Prof. Sitralega Mounaguru of the Eastern Unviersity.

Financial Logistics:

Account Number :- 0730 07303335 101

Name of the Bank :- Seylan Bank ltd.

Swift Code :- SEYBLKLX

Contact Information:

Contact Suriya at suriyaw@slt.lk.

# 20 Dias Lane, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Telephone- + 94-65-23297, Fax- + 94-65-24657

2. Women's Fund for Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction, Sri Lanka

Focus:

This fund will be used for two major projects, The first project will be done as a collective effort with a broad coalition of women’s groups. The second project will be carried out by the Association of War Affected Women focusing on “Peace through Reconciliation and coexistence, women taking the leadership” The donors can indicate which project they would like the funds to be utilized.

1. Collective project

i. To identify needs and priorities for the delivery of relief and assistance in the immediate future

ii. To ensure the inclusion of women in all processes of decision making in the reconstruction and rehabilitation processes.

iii. To identify medium-term and long-term programs that can strengthen women’s initiatives at the community level, and to ensure the protection and promotion of women’s rights in the processes of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

2. AWAW Project

To rebuild a fishing village where all communities can live together as a model village. In addition to rehabilitation and restoration of homes this project will aim to strengthen the peace process and let the women play a vital role in decision making on rebuilding and reconstruction of their village, giving priorities to women.

The exact necessitates and the plan for reconstruction will be posted in the www.awawsl.org official web site of AWAW by 2^nd week of January 2005.

Who is doing it:

Harini Amerasinghe; Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR)
Nehama Jayewardene: Centre for the Study of Human Rights
Ananda Galappatti: War Trauma and Psycho-Social Support Group
Shermal Wijewardene, University of Colombo
Anberiya Haniffa: Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum
Visakha Dharmadasa: Association of War Affected Women (AWAW)
Sunila Abeysekera: INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre
Jayanthi kuru-utumpala, Viola Perera, Rajeshwary Sureshkumar: Women and Media Collective
Sepali Kottegoda: Women and Media Collective/ Sri Lanka Women’s NGO Forum

Financial logistics:

Donations can be made through any of the participant groups in this collective effort:

i. Women and Media Collective:

· Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank

· Bank Address: Standard Charterd Bank, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka

· Account Name: Forum for Tsunami Affected Women

· Account Number: 01 1237314 01

· Swift Code Number: SCBLKLX

· Bank Branch: Rajagiriya Branch

ii. Association of War Affected Women(AWAW):

· Name of Account: Fund for Tsunami Affected Women

· Bank account No: 0004120-1

· Bank: Bank of Ceylon, Pilimathalawa Branch

· Swift code: BECY- LK- LX, 7010/587

Contact Information:

i. Women and Media Collective

Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala

Junior Programme Officer, Women and Media Collective

Phone: + 94 - 11 - 2805127 / 2805579

Fax: + 94 - 11 – 2805580

ii. Association of War Affected Women (AWAW)

Visakha Dharmadasa

Chair, Association of War Affected Women (AWAW)
No 09’ Riverdale Rd, Aniwatthe, Kandy 20000, Sri Lanka.

E-Mail: venuwan@sltnet.lk

Tel/Fax: 0094 81 2224098

3. Initiative Sunrise Lanka (ISL for Ampara, Eastern Province)

Focus:

This initiative is focused on setting up a people-centred rebuilding initiative in one of the worst-hit districts, Ampara, on Sri Lanka's east coast, looking specifically at villages north of Yala Park, such as Panama (paa-nuh-muh). The aim is to set up a collaborative initiative with a number of affected families in the area in consultation with them and their own assessment of their needs and priorities. This area was also chosen because it includes remote long-impoverished coastal villages made up of all 3 main communities (Tamil, Muslim, Sinhala) living together for centuries. What makes ISL different from other relief efforts (international, government) is the main stress here is on going directly to the people and 1st finding out exactly what they need, and also on people-to-people continuity, so that the village won't be abandoned after the headlines abandon this tragedy in a couple of weeks. The plan is to support affected communities to ensure they maintain as much control as possible in the process of the rebuilding of their own lives.

Organizations, individuals or groups of individuals may give a one-time donation, or also choose to donate at least $1000 over the next months (possible in regular instalments) to sponsor one family. We are operating on the principle that 100% of donated funds should go to the affected people themselves. NOTE: ISL is NOT an NGO or established organization, just a group of individuals committed to doing something direct and effective together with affected people themselves. For more information, you can contact May & Kris at: ravan@eureka.lk

Who is doing it:

· May Yee and Kris Bhaggiyadatta, writers/editors, teachers.

· Tilak Jayaratne, communication consultant & media trainer.

· Sunethra Rajukarunayaka, author.

· Broadcasters and others affiliated with the Uva Community Radio working in the east and southeast.

· Other activists, architects/technical experts, & others; esp. those familiar with or close to the area.

Financial logistics:

i. In the USA:

Donations to Initiative Sunrise Lanka (ISL) are also being accepted by DiasporaFlow. DiasporaFlow, a Sri Lankan-run 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, has started an initiative called ‘The Sri Lanka Relief Fund,’ a coalition of Sri Lankans committed to the long-term rebuilding of the lives of all Sri Lankans (Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim) affected by this devastation. You can pay securely online at www.diasporaflow.org/srilanka-relief.html – and then send an email to srilanka-relief@diasporaflow.org with your full name, with subject heading ‘ISL’ to confirm that your specified donation has been made. If you are sending a check, please state clearly that the money is for the ‘ISL’ project and make checks out to ‘The Sri Lanka Relief Fund.’ Checks can be mailed to ‘ISL’ c/o The Sri Lanka Relief Fund, P.O. Box 14039, Minneapolis, MN 55414. If you would like a receipt of donation for tax purposes, please include a S.A.S.E.

ii. In Canada:

Direct deposits, by cash or cheque, can be made at any TD branch to May Yee’s TD-Canada Trust bank account, Branch 1160, Account no. 103801; PLEASE also email ravan@eureka.lk (& cc: mwhyee@yahoo.com), subject: ‘donation’, giving full details.

iii. In the UK

At the Bank of Ceylon London UK branch, deposits can be made directly into the group’s Bank of Ceylon account in the process of being set up in Colombo.

Contact Information:

Email: ravan@eureka.lk

4. Equal Ground, Colombo

Focus:

EQUAL GROUND is raising funds for much needed food, clothing, medicine and other essential items. It is our hope that rather than utilize your donation to arbitrarily buy essential items and ship of to affected areas, we will pick a village or two and concentrate our efforts on relief and rebuilding there.

Sri Lanka will take years to recover from this disaster. Essential services such as schools, hospitals and so on have been wiped out. Our aim is to try and sustainably assist an area and continue to do so as long as we are able to. We are also looking for a reliable local organisation through which to put the money to work most effectively, if this is a more efficient way to do so.

Who is doing it:

Equal Ground’s webpage is http://www.equal-ground.org. EqualGround is an organization committed to the equitable status for all sexual orientations and gender identities; its executive director is Rosanna Flamer-Caldera.

Financial logistics:

Diverse Communications in Chicago will be the single receiving point in the U.S. on behalf of the EQUAL GROUND Relief and Assistance Program. The Trustees of Equal Ground are looking to increase the effectiveness of any funds donated by personally supervising that it is spent on the needy and not on “administration”. Cheques must be made out to "Diverse Communications" (a 501 (c) (3) approved organisation), marked "Sri Lanka" or "Sri Lanka Fund" and mailed to: Diverse Communications, 1146 S Taylor Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304, Tel: 312-804-1647, Contact Person: Alan Amberg

Contact Information

i. You can reach us by phone/fax at:

Telephone / Fax International Callers: +94 11 2682278
Telephone / Fax Local Callers: 2682278
Mobile International Callers: +94 7722 254348
Mobile Local Callers: 07722 254348

ii. You can also reach us by e-mail at:

General usage: info@equal-ground.org or equalground@gmail.com
Donations: donate@equal-ground.org

5. Shanthiham, Jaffna

Focus:

The Mental Health Task Force in Disaster was set up to co-ordinate mental health interventions in response to the natural disaster caused by the tsaunami on the 26^th December 2004. Shanthiham would provide logistical support, human resources and technical expertise for the publication of manuals and pamphlets. This support in conjunction with other Task Force members enabled an immediate response in the provision of education about normal psychological reactions to trauma thus enabling communities and aid workers to offer appropriate support and identify those with more severe problems. It is hoped that this early intervention will play a preventive role in the development of later psychological problems. In the immediate term the focus is on helping relief workers provide brief psychological first aid and crisis intervention. In the medium to long term, the focus will be on providing more concerted interventions like counselling, group work, relaxation and psychological support to address grief, depression, anxiety and PTSD.

In addition to providing direct psychological relief, there will also be focus on offering training for various categories of relief workers, health staff, governmental and non-governmental workers in basic mental health. Within ten days of the Tsunami, Shanthiham had trained over 130 volunteers, medical / university students/ Training College Teacher trainees and one local NGO’s in Crisis Intervention. They have also been able to respond to the request from a local NGO to train their staff on The Psychological Effects of a Disaster. The training provided is in basic mental health and is being referred to as Psychological First Aid as counseling and other therapeutic interventions are not deemed effective immediately after a disaster and should only be undertaken by trained mental health professionals. It is felt that this is a more appropriate intervention in the short term as for many, the psychological symptoms they’re experiencing will go away.

Finally, the Task Force is producing a number of publications: pamphlets, manuals and posters will be printed and disseminated in Tamil on how to cope with the disaster situation (what to do and not to do) at two levels (general population, welfare camps and relief workers - INGO’s / local NGO’s).

Who is doing it:

a. Shanthiham has worked in the Northern province for many years addressing war trauma and related psychosocial issues.

b. At present Shanthiham has 15 trained volunteers, 17 PST’s and 10 core group members. Shanthiham works with a multidisciplinary team (counselors, social workers, relaxation therapists etc.) counselors and psychosocial workers who have a long record of working with war trauma in the Northern province.

c. It is headed by Prof. D. J. Somasundaram, MD, MRCPsy, Consultant Psychiatrist at the General (Teaching) Hospital, Jaffna, DH, Tellipalai & BH, Point Pedro; He is also head of the Dept. of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna

Financial logistics

Bank Account No: 1060012972, Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd., Hospital Road, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Swift Code: CCEYL KLX

Contact Information

The Association for Health and Counselling, Shanthiham, No. 15, Kachcheri Nallur Road, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
TP& Fax: 021-2223338
Email: psych@sltnet.lk

6. Jeeva Jothi, Batticaloa

Focus:

Immediate relief in refugee camps aimed at orphaned and displaced girls in Batticaloa; in addition however, they have also been deluged by requests for relief supplies and other kidns of assistance from many in need so they are also responding to these requests on an ongoing basis.
They are also exploring the financial and logistical feasibility of expanding their long term capacity to house more orphans in their home.

Who is doing it?

Jeeva Jothi is a girls home. It is a registered NGO with the National NGO Secretariat. It is licensed to work all over the country. The home is registered with the North East Probation and Childcare Department. Its director is Kandiah Ilankovan, who has run the organization for 12 years and started it on his own initiative. The home has 80 girls and is one of the few secular orphanages in the region. All the children attend school and have taken part in many programs such as the Peace Conferences in Singapore in the years 2003, and 2004.

Financial Logistics

· In Sri Lanka:

People’s Bank, Town Branch, Batticaloa; Current account number: 1670040426

· In the US:

Donations to Jeeva Jothy are also being accepted by DiasporaFlow. DiasporaFlow, a Sri Lankan-run 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, has started an initiative called ‘The Sri Lanka Relief Fund,’ a coalition of Sri Lankans committed to the long-term rebuilding of the lives of all Sri Lankans (Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim) affected by this devastation. You can pay securely online at www.diasporaflow.org/srilanka-relief.html – and then send an email to srilanka-relief@diasporaflow.org with your full name, with subject heading ‘Jeeva Jothy’ to confirm that your specified donation has been made. If you are sending a check, please state clearly that the money is for the ‘Jeeva Jothy’ project and make checks out to ‘The Sri Lanka Relief Fund.’ Checks can be mailed to ‘Jeeva Jothy’ c/o The Sri Lanka Relief Fund, P.O. Box 14039, Minneapolis, MN 55414. If you would like a receipt of donation for tax purposes, please include a S.A.S.E.

Contact Information

Email: jeevajothy@vinet.lk

Phone number: 94-65222457.

7. Rural Development Foundation (RDF), Trincomallee Office

Focus

Workign with all three communities in developing a long term resettlement program for three villages on the Trincomalee Coast. Many inhabitants of these villagers are now in refugee camps:

Camp 1 in Adampodai (situated on private land) in Kuchchaiveli DS Division with villagers from the priamrilly Tamil village of Vellore, Nilavelli
Camp 2 in Mohideen Jumma Mosque (land behind the mosque) near Nilavelli Government High School with villagers from the primarilly Muslim village of Kalsunaikal.
Camp 3 in Kuchchaveli Muslim School with villagers from the primarilly Sinhala village of Pulmoddai, Arasamalai.

RDF has consulted with the people concerned and will continue to proceed with the collaboration and participation of all concerned. RDF would like to focus on these three villages and work with all three ethnic groups. As all three villages were thriving and lived comparatively well through fishing, farming, and small businesses they require a great deal of financial assistance to replace all that they lost. There are challenges in that the villagers cannot return to their own lands as previously thought, and the Kalsunaikal villagers (Camp 2) are living in cramped conditions with lack of sanitation and water. It is of primary importance to move them elsewhere immediately.

RDF is proposing two phases of assistance:

Phase 1 – 0 to 12 months

RDF will work with the villagers and the GA to determine where they will resettle on a long-term basis with future land ownership. As the government has (as of Jan 11^th) stated that people need to live above a 3 metre contour, the villagers will need to settle elsewhere. During this period of discussion and negotiation RDF will regularly visit the camp, ensure that conditions are good and the villagers needs are being met, and set up and/or support village groups such as women and children’s groups, men’s groups etc. If necessary, psycho-social counselling will be provided.
Once the area of land has been allocated temporary shelter will be constructed, community wells (20 to each family), and individual permanent toilets. The land may have to be cleared and small access roads may have to be built. With the two larger villages the pre-schools will be replaced. The villagers will be involved as much as possible with all areas of reconstruction, as their participation and collaboration in rebuilding is essential. Discussions will continue with the villagers to determine activities for Phase 3 and to provide support with the rebuilding of their lives.

Phase 2 – To be determined

Phase 2 work will involve permanent housing, wells, income generation activities (grants and loans which will involve the formation of societies), and replacement of materials and equipment. RDF will continue monitoring and supporting for a period of time after these activities are completed.

Alongside these activities the RDF will also continue to provide immediate relief to meet humanitarian needs. Since the tsunami hit Sri Lanka RDF have been actively involved in relief efforts. RDF’s main office and warehouse in Puttalum has coordinated supplies of dry rations, clothes and infant health items to Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara districts and used our 4 vehicles for distribution. In Vavuniya, RDF has been working with the NGO consortium and provided relief items and funds to the Northern region, primarily Mullaitivu district. RDF has also provided 20 counsellors to Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara who are currently working in the camps. They will be training more counsellors in the next few weeks.

Who is doing it?

The Rural Development Foundation was founded in 1984 in response to the growing conflict in the North West. It now operates in five districts (Puttalum which is the head office, Mannar, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, and Trincomalee) and has a staff of over 100. RDF works primarily in relief and rehabilitation in water and sanitation with all three ethnic groups, gender based violence in the welfare centres, women’s programs, and operates a quality training centre that provides counselling, conflict resolution, social mobilization, PRA etc. RDF is committed to alleviating poverty, empowering women, improving the capacity of village-based organizations, and educational facilities for children.

Financial Logistics

Contact person: Mr. A.M. Jawamil (Chairperson) / Ms. M. Hillier (VSO-RDF)
Email: rdf-trc@sltnet.lk, jml2003@wow.lk, rdfpav@sltnet.lk

Contact Information

Trincomalee Office: No.20/3 Konepuram Road, Orrshill, Trincomallee
Vavuniya Office: Kandy Road, Thekkawatta, Vavuniya
Phone 011 4614887 / 077 7259884 / 024 2222671 / 077 6294886
Email: rdf-trc@sltnet.lk, jml2003@wow.lk, rdfpav@sltnet.lk

8. Sarvodaya, Moratuwa

Focus:

In addition to general relief work across the country, Sarvodaya has pledged to take in and provide for all children aged 11 and below who have been orphaned by the tsunami disaster. In addition Sarvodaya will care for all women and girls below the age of 19. They have begun drafting plans to build permanent housing and school facilities. Sarvodaya is also mobilizing a group of 30 counsellors and meditation teachers to implement a psycho-spiritual healing program for the Tsunami survivors.

Who is doing it:

Sarvodaya’s website is www.sarvodaya.org

Sarvodaya is a Sri Lankan organization with the largest community

network in the country and has a 50 year history of decent social development work. In the past they have provided an important avenue for Sinhala people to develop ties with Tamil and Muslim communities in the North and East by contributing to post-conflict reconstruction

Financial logistics:

To donate to Sarvodaya online by credit card you may donate through the Nonviolent Peaceforce: http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/english/help/donatetosarvodaya.asp Go directly to the Sarvodaya donation page. 100% of the money we collect at this site will go to Sarvodaya.
To donate via post within the USA, send a tax-deductible check made out to Sarvodaya USA to 5716 Manchester Avenue #3, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Contact Information

Sarvodaya Headquarters
No 98, Rawatawatta Road,
Moratuwa , Sri Lanka
Phone +9411 2647 159, 5550 756, 2655 255
Fax +9411 5557 972
Email: arisar@sltnet.lk

9. Butterfly Garden Tsunami Relief, Batticaloa

Focus:

This project is focused on the needs of the people of Batticaloa town and its environs, in particular the very large refugee settlements set up at by St Michael’s College /St. Cecelia’s in Batticaloa and nearby Manresa in the countryside. Both these centres currently assist over 2000 people each. There are other such centres at all the Batticaloa schools as well as temples, mosques and churches. Batticaloa has been hard hit by the Tsunami. There are over 280,000 displaced people in this district alone. The situation varies from place to place. Some people have settled in small gatherings but there also some very large camps in the district. It is anticipated that this will be a three stage process

i. Responding immediately to the emergency addressing needs such as Tarpaulins and plastic sheeting for shelte; bedding;bottled water, food etc.

ii. Interim re-settling with materials to build small shelters, supplying cooking and household items and basic financial support.

iii. Resettlement of the people in their home communities.

Who is doing it:

Father Paul Satkunanayagam SJ, Executive Director, Butterfly Peace Garden
Paul Hogan, Batticaloa Peace Garden
Father Miller of St. Michael’s who has a long history of involvement with community based networks resisting human rights violations, political violence, communalism and the suppression of dissent in Batiicaloa
Others involved with the Butterfly Peace Garden (focused on children and war trauma) and local secondary schools St. Michael’s and St. Cecelias.

Financial logistics:

Please forward money to Fr. Paul Satkunayagam, Hatton National Bank, Batticaloa, Account Number 02 - 0306001 -3. Please specify the money is for Father Paul and give this address, Jesuit Residence, No.1 Jesuit Street, Batticaloa, Please indicate “Tsunami Relief – Batticaloa” and give your name and address.
In Canada: If need a tax receipt this can be arranged by making your donation through the Geist Gallery/ Stupid School. The contact there is Laurie Edwards. His numbers are: Stupid School 416-778-1667 / mobile 416- 561- 4856. If you send money directly to Batticaloa there will be no tax receipt.
In the USA: If need a tax receipt make donations through the Virgina based non-profit, Ashoka to the Butterfly Peace Garden of Batticaloa - Tsunami Relief Fund. Please mail checks to Ashoka Innovators for the Public, 1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 3000, Arlington, Virginia 22209 -192, USA. Attention Carol Grodzins; Ashoka is involved in several relief efforts so please Indicate that you check is for the Butterfly Peace Garden of Batticaloa – Tsunami Relief Fund.

Contact information

Paul Hogan of Butterfly Garden at poho@sierra.lk

Father Paul Satkunanayagam, Jesuit Residence, No.1 Jesuit Street, Batticaloa.

Finding Sri Lanka, and then discovering it

2005-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

from the January 28, 2005 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0128/p18s02-hfes.html

Finding Sri Lanka, and then discovering it

By Robert Marquand

Before the tsunami, Sri Lanka was not easy to enter - at least not for a foreign correspondent. You visited the embassy, met a diplomat, shared a cup of milk tea, then got your visa a week later. Or longer. After the tsunami, I got there in a day.

Landing in Colombo's tropical climate at midnight on Dec. 28 and being instantly waved through customs signaled how much this small island off the Indian coast of Tamil Nadu needed help. The airport itself was a relief coordination center. In a corner room, past posters for Sri Lanka's Yala elephant park and an incongruous duty-free special on European peppermint wafers, Sri Lankan officials met reporters and diplomats. No one felt sleepy. Our questions were basic: Where did it hit worst? What roads were washed out? Much information eventually proved wrong. But it was amazing to find officials treating us like family. That was Day 3.

Even after we spent two weeks in damaged villages, coastal landscapes, and refugee centers, one of the tsunami "side stories" was the amazement locals felt at simply being recognized by the outside world. In a way that citizens from large nations don't always "get," there is a profound desire by those in smaller locales to be acknowledged in the control centers of the world. The tsunami was a global-scale tragedy in an era of globalization. Many Sri Lankans expressed hope that Americans and Europeans will better know where Sri Lanka is.

"I think Americans ... have no idea what it is like to be from a small but proud country," said a diplomat from a small Central European nation. "You go abroad, and the first questions aren't about who you are. They are always 'Where are you from?' When you say 'Sri Lanka,' or 'Moldova,' and the retort is, 'Where is that?' - well, it is absolutely crushing."

Yet suddenly after the tsunami, world leaders crowded this nation's tropical-scented hotel lobbies. Sri Lankans are proud that science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke lives here and owns a scuba-diving school (wiped out in the wave). But a dazzling new level of fame arrived: US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Kofi Annan of the United Nations, James Wolfensohn of the World Bank, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fisher. Sri Lanka's president said half her time in the days after the tsunami was spent greeting dignitaries.

Sri Lankans turned their satellite dishes to CNN or the BBC and saw famous correspondents reporting from just two villages away. UNICEF volunteers from distant places were suddenly standing in their kitchens. US marines last seen in Baghdad were in their backyards, next to the family water buffalo, offering help.

Sri Lanka has an ancient civilization. It was governed by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British for hundreds of years. Today it has a literacy rate of 92 percent. Yet, as in most small states, there's a sense that this tiny teardrop island has been off the world's radar.

"It took the war in Vietnam for Americans to pay attention to Southeast Asia," says Kingsley Wickramaratne, governor of south Sri Lanka. "Very few Americans knew about Vietnam or Laos or Cambodia until the 1960s," he says. "The tsunami is, curiously, a form of free advertising for Sri Lanka. We may get a boost in tourists after the [cleanup]. The world has paid attention."

Aid is arriving from the centers of globalization. A need for clothes in the aftermath was eased when a boatload of T-shirts and sweat pants was distributed on Day 2. Displaced children were found wearing a certain jet-black T-shirt with American rap and rock stars depicted in a cheap air-brush style: Eminem. Nirvana. Snoop Dogg. Aerosmith. Even the image of Elvis Presley was seen amid the tsunami rubble. In Galle, a Japanese photographer wearing a Beatles T-shirt with the White Album depiction of the Fab Four was shooting refugee kids who wore Beatles T-shirts from the "Yellow Submarine" days.

Historically, many large states have assumed that small states are irrelevant or vassals. Or they just haven't paid attention. Joseph Stalin, standing before a wall map of Asia, once famously inquired about Sri Lanka. He thought it must belong to India. When told it was an independent state, he replied, "Why?"

Many Americans did not know where Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia were until the Yugoslav breakup in the '90s. The Baltics, newly independent in those days, were confused with the Balkans, far from where Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia are located. Koreans get annoyed at being misidentified as Japanese or Chinese. Not until the breakup of the Soviet Union did a range of small states get recognized.

The overseas response to the Sri Lankan tsunami may have reached its apex. Even by the second week, the government was turning away volunteers.

Media have found Sri Lankans to be friendly at a time when they had a right not to be. Monitor photographer Andy Nelson, who has spent time here and in Baghdad, said, "How often do you go to a place where people smile and rush to greet you, and you are invited to sit for tea in a pile of rubble where your host's house used to be?"

Young survivors eagerly hand out e-mail addresses, not always with the intent of gaining something in return. Again and again I heard: "We can talk to you." Sometimes it was said in English. One correspondent said the message he heard was: "Think about us. Don't forget us. I want you to know where we are on the map."

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A month after: Opportunities and dangers

2005-01-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

A month after: Opportunities and dangers

Sanjana Hattotuwa*

25^th January 2005

“… so that long afterwards we would be tempted to wonder if we did not hurry forth too fast straight into the morass that is now our malformed freedom”

The In-Between World of Vikram Lall, M.G. Vassanji

One month after the tragic events of 26^th December 2004, there is a palpable sense of hopelessness. Lest we forget, the continued puerile rhetoric bandied by politicians not only mocks the deaths of over 40,000, but also toys with the continued trauma of those who have lost everything – their families, parents, children, livelihoods, income, community and support structures. Many have lost the one thing that makes us human – hope.

While it is true that the tsunami did not discriminate along ethnic, religious or caste lines, it is also the case that in Sri Lanka and in many other regions severely affected by it, the weakest segments of society, the most impoverished and economically disadvantaged communities suffered the brunt of its force. To face the full horror of the tsunami requires sensitivity to the psychosocial aspects of its destruction, and not just observing the physical devastation. In communities where life was inextricably entwined with the ebb and flow of the sea, to have so much taken away by their life-giver in an instant is beyond comprehension.

The tsunami has dismembered lives in a country which did not need more trauma. It might, as some argue, be a fortuitous event, for in its wake the tsunami has engineered a more reconciliatory tone from the key stakeholders in the peace process. Yet, sporadic murmurings of cooperation and collaboration aside, the LTTE and the Government do not seem to be able to agree on a mutually acceptable framework to disburse aid and more importantly, embark on activities that address the needs of the ravaged communities in the North-East.

Wire reports on the situation in Sri Lanka paints a schizophrenic attitude of key actors towards the immediate, medium and long term needs. It is almost as if the generosity of the world (in the form of aid free from any donor conditionality) has galvanized, not restrained zero-sum politics. One the one hand, there is the seeming inability of the incumbent government to create inclusive, participatory and accountable structures to address the long term needs of relief and the longer term needs of reconstruction. Reports that documents for requesting and channelling aid were dispatched to the North in Sinhala point to both a severe lack of capacity and a callous insensitivity to fragile ethnic relations within the structures that have been set up to spearhead the long-term relief efforts by the central government. One cannot seriously expect a traumatized population to fill in documentation in a language they cannot comprehend in order to get the relief they deserve as citizens of Sri Lanka. It is unforgivable that we continue to trivialize the rights of entire peoples in this fashion, even after such a catastrophic disaster.

On the other hand, the LTTE while rightfully demanding donor aid and human resources to rapidly address the suffering of those affected by the tsunami in the North East, must realize that the same principles of accountability and transparency apply to their operations. Relief organizations in foreign countries which had been identified as fronts for the collection of funds to arm the LTTE cannot be forgotten in an instant under the guise of providing channels for aid to those affected on the ground. The continuing concerns of child recruitment (which some reports alarmingly state has continued unabated even after the tsunami) must not be ignored or brushed aside in efforts to mainstream the participation of the LTTE in the long-term relief efforts. Violations of human rights cannot be countenanced in any circumstance. Pressure must be placed on both the government and the LTTE to ensure that aid is disbursed to those who need it, for the purposes which the aid was intended for, in a manner that is accountable to both the donors and more importantly, the people themselves who were affected by the tragedy.

We must also recognize the moral duty that the acceptance of donor aid binds us to. It is unfortunate, as some analysts have already pointed out, that grandiose projects to ostensibly address the destruction of the tsunami have taken a life of their own. Whilst communities on the ground in certain parts of the country still await concrete measures to restore a semblance of normalcy, the reconstruction agenda overflows with hurriedly assembled blueprints for building cities, highways and electric railways. As mentioned earlier, we seem to think that unconditional donor aid flows are a golden opportunity to kick-start developmental processes that lay dormant with the stasis in the peace process. The suffering of communities must not be the currency with which we negotiate funding to build Sri Lanka’s infrastructure. It is morally reprehensible to hold those who have lost everything ransom to processes that are aimed at reversing a historic incapacity to engender sustainable development in Sri Lanka. Such parasitic behaviour, which feeds on the plaintive voices of those on the ground, will inevitably result in a cataclysmic failure to create sustainable developmental processes and may further entrench ethnic distrust and sow the seeds of future violence.

It is unfortunate, in this respect, that the necessary inclusiveness in a conflict sensitive developmental process is not one that is espoused by stakeholders such as the JVP, who are wholly against the participation of the LTTE in the relief efforts. The pathetic fallacy of their arguments mirrors a larger depravity of mainstream political parties to mutually agree upon a national consensus for long-term relief. If, on the one hand, the LTTE states that the relief efforts take precedence over political differences that existed prior to the tsunami, it is up to the political forces in the South to take up this position and lock the LTTE into a national dialogue that uses long term relief efforts as a springboard to re-energise a dormant peace process and lock them into frameworks that are democratic, accountable and transparent. Clearly, the LTTE has demonstrated an ability, in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, to rapidly mobilise rescue efforts. What is unclear is whether they are receptive to enter mechanisms that lock them into aid that then cannot be used, for instance, for the procurement of weapons. Mechanisms that both vision new futures must also address the plague of continuing human rights violations at present, realising that both co-exist in a continuum that can only be challenged by democratic means and not by hegemonic control over territory as the sole arbiter on all matters of development and relief. Given that the LTTE has expressed a desire to work collaboratively with the government on the long term tsunami response, it is up to the powers in the South to come up with structures that include them in transformative processes that will seamlessly dovetail with efforts at peacebuilding as well.

Donors have a special role in this new paradigm. While it is correct that the conditionalities to the disbursement of aid imposed in Tokyo in 2001 may no longer hold true, it is also a challenge to create structures that can work with both the Government and the LTTE. The creation of infrastructure and livelihoods is bound to be hotly contested issues in the communities and geographical terrain that the tsunami has affected the most. Donors are thus placed in a precarious position, but one that is ripe with opportunity. They once again command the authority to instruct frameworks that disburse money to do so in a manner that is equitable and resonant with needs on the ground.

The deaths of so many in Sri Lanka and the region may blind us to another danger. Sri Lanka and South and Southeast Asia, in the space of a few weeks, received more aid than most other humanitarian disasters in Africa which have existed for far longer, with cumulative casualties that dwarf the numbers who died in the tsunami. As Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV / AIDS in Africa succinctly states:

“It is hugely worthy of applause that the governments of the world, overwhelmingly of the western world, have pledged, in a mere three weeks, some 5.5 to six billion dollars. However, it is bracing to note that in more than three years, they have summoned, in pledges, almost exactly the same amount - $5.9 billion – for the Global Fund to fight the pandemic of HIV / AIDS.

Without the slightest invidious intent, it is important to recall that there are today, now, at this very moment, six million dying of AIDS, 4.1 million of them in Africa. I don’t begrudge a penny to Southeast Asia. But what does it say about the world – that we can tolerate the slow and unnecessary death of millions, whose lives would be rescued with treatment?

The tsunami must be seen to be the turning-point. The publics of the world have shown their desperate concern for the human condition: how long will it take for government to do the same?”[1]

We must consider ourselves lucky. Coupled with a gratitude to the unprecedented generosity of individuals and states must also lie a commitment to ensure that the help we have received should not go waste, or into the private coffers of those greedy for short term gain. An acute awareness of the continued suffering of people in equally if not more desperate circumstances in other parts of the world must sensitise us to how lucky we are to be faced with the financial and human resources to build a better future.

As civil society organizations have also pointed out[2], one needs to address the complex dynamics of sustainable development in a holistic manner. This may not lie in the creation of wholly new frameworks and institutions to deal with the tsunami relief efforts, but more critically, in strengthening existing institutions (and processes) to augment their capacity to address the needs of the social fabric affected by the tsunami. With accountable and transparent frameworks, aid should also go to legitimate, proven civil society organizations that have a demonstrable capacity to address the ripple effects of the tsunami on a number of levels – from grassroots to the levels of policy making. The government and LTTE must come together to forge a covenant that eschews bickering and instead builds frameworks for the sustainable development of regions affected by the disaster. The trust relationships created in this exercise would be invaluable in the larger processes of peacebuilding. Conflict sensitive approaches must be mainstreamed into every aspect of long term relief. Consonant with a renewed call for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation, relief efforts must always be open to the rigour of public scrutiny. It is only by the creation of accountable and transparent structures that one can avoid further erosion of ethnic and communal harmony, and counter perceptions of favouritism or bias in aid delivery and relief work. All communities in Sri Lanka, especially the Muslim and Tamil communities in the North-East, must be equal partners in the long term relief efforts to ensure that partisan bias does not creep and undermine the sustainability of relief efforts. Long term relief needs to be looked at holistically – from a media that acts in the public interest to enabling legislation that strengthens the accountability of relief mechanisms the myriad of ways in which Boxing Day 2004 can change, for the better, the contours of the larger peace process remain uncharted to date.

The long term relief efforts are also not merely about development as something that is uncontested and straightforward. It is unfortunate the even today, the State is openly eschewing a participatory approach to the myriad of tasks that lie ahead, instead taking a position that all aid and operations should be funnelled though its failed (or failing) apparatus. The incomprehensibility of this stance is more acute when we realise that it was on account of the inability of the State to meet the aspirations of communities and identity groups in Sri Lanka that gave rise to the ethnic conflict in the first place. The imperatives of a holistic and conflict sensitive development process make it imperative that Southern politics realises the acute need to reach out to communities in the North-East. Furthermore, notions of neo-liberal development, which governments of the day have a peculiar penchant for, must also be contested. There is a significant corpus of literature that strongly suggests that economic development that does not have roots in the communities it is supposed to liberate by a high GDP growth, that does not endogenously develop community resources, that does not transfer knowledge and creates vicious dependencies, that draws a simplistic linkage between high growth and economic empowerment, do not, in the long term, result in an equitable and just social system. While the argument is also not to revert to a pastoral Marxism, blueprints drawn up in non-consultative ways are bound to be rife with problematic normative assumptions of developmental theories, which if allowed to take root, may severely affect politico-social relations in the future and again lay the seeds for violent conflict.

It is imperative that we do not let the events of 26^th December 2004 derail our nation’s progress. It is our response to the tsunami that will forge our mettle – to have used the tsunami as a watershed to create a more just social order, to heal strained ethnic relations and make government more responsive to the aspirations of all communities in Sri Lanka. One recalls the emotive words of John Hume:

“All of us are asked to respect the views and rights of others as equal of our own and, together, to forge a covenant of shared ideals based on commitment to the rights of all allied to a new generosity of purpose.”[3]

The danger of not doing so is to turn our country into a sarcophagus of hopelessness from which we may never escape.

The world is watching us.

* The author is a Rotary World Peace Scholar at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be contacted at hatt@wow.lk.

[1] Notes for Press Briefing by Stephen Lewis on his recent trips to Malawi and Tanzania. United Nations, New York: 12.30PM, Tuesday, January 18^th, 2005.

[2] See memorandum submitted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) to the Task Force on Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) - http://www.cpalanka.org/research_papers/Memo_to_TAFREN.pdf

[3] John Hume, Nobel Lecture, Oslo, 10^th December 1998.

Donors Press Release

2005-01-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE SRI LANKA DONOR CO-CHAIRS MEETING

Joint Press Statement 25 January 2005
The Sri Lanka donor Co-chairs came together today to express their support to Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami disaster and to evaluate how best to build confidence and strengthen the Peace Process. The Co-chairs of the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka (the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway) met in Brussels 25 January 2005 to further discuss their support for the Peace Process following the tsunami disaster that hit the North, the East and South coasts of Sri Lanka 26 December. The Co-chairs joined the international community in expressing deep felt sympathy and their support to the reconstruction of the devastated areas in all parts of Sri Lanka. They further expressed their gratitude to the people of Sri Lanka who unselfishly and regardless of their own suffering caused by the disaster helped rescue many foreign tourists hit by the tidal wave. They welcomed - as a sign of reconciliation - the statements by the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the wake of the tsunami addressing all victims of the disaster regardless of ethnic and religious origin. They welcomed the overall well functioning practical collaboration on the ground between the two parties in the North and the East. Co-chairs welcomed the ongoing effective response by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in distributing humanitarian aid to people of all ethnic and religious communities and political affiliations. They also welcomed the very effective and impressive local and private response of the Sri Lankan people to assist the victims of the tsunami disaster. The Co-chairs support the Government and the LTTE efforts too strengthen cooperation on assistance for relief, rehabilitation and development in the tsunami affected areas of the North and East. Co-chairs emphasised that in the midst of this tremendous natural disaster, renewed opportunities exist to build confidence and to strengthen the Peace Process. The Co-chairs support donors in their efforts to ensure that the implementation of the tsunami assistance is sensitive to and strengthens the Peace Process. The Co-chairs called on donors and all parties to ensure that tsunami assistance adheres to basic principles of equity, transparency and accountability. It should be focused on objective local needs and priorities. The participation of local and international civil society and all political parties will be crucial. Co-chairs called on international donors and aid organizations to cooperate and coordinate their tsunami assistance with each other and with all relevant parties in Sri Lanka. They called on the government and the LTTE to do their utmost to continue to respect and observe the Ceasefire Agreement as the basis for the Peace Process and were pleased to note that, by and large, the ceasefire has been upheld for almost three years with the very able assistance of the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. The ceasefire allows donors to continue to address the needs of the poor and conflict affected people in the whole of the country. The Co-chairs also reassured their continued full confidence in and support to Norway's challenging task as facilitator. The Co-chairs noted again that a peace settlement can only be sustained if it respects the legitimate rights and involvement of all ethnic groups, preserves the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and is based on the principles of democracy and respect of human rights. The Co-chairs agreed to meet again in the coming months to further discuss the advancement of the Peace Process. Liliane Waerzeggers-Van Rompaey Directorate General External Relations European Commission Tel. 02/2960953 e-mail: liliane.waerzeggers@cec.eu.int website: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/world/

From Tragedy to Slavery

2005-01-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

From Tragedy to Slavery

By Juliette Terzieff, AlterNet
Posted on January 24, 2005, Printed on January 25, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21030/

Having survived the terrible wrath of nature, the youngest survivors of the Asian tsunami are faced with a new peril: child trafficking. In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of international trafficking and illegal adoption rings looking to exploit the thousands of traumatized children separated from family members.

While accurate numbers remain hard to come by, the United Nations estimates 1.5 million children were affected when killer waves swamped 13 Asian nations wiping out 220,000 people on Dec. 26. According to official estimates, as many as 50,000 children have lost one or both parents.

A Child Trafficker's Paradise

The first official case of trafficking last week involved a 4-year old boy from Banda Aceh in Indonesia. Aid workers became suspicious of the couple accompanying the child when he arrived at a hospital in Medan – a well-known departure point for smugglers taking children out of Indonesia. The couple first told medical professionals they were the boy's parents, but subsequently claimed to be his neighbors. In this case, authorities soon stepped in to take custody of the boy. Since then Indonesian aid agencies have reported 10 attempted cases of child-trafficking.

There are alarming signs that other children may not be as lucky. A UNICEF worker in Malaysia, for example, received an e-mail offering 300 orphans up for adoption. It assured the recipient that all paperwork would be "taken care of." Indonesian authorities also confirmed reports that dozens of young children were ferried out of Sumatra by unknown adults in early January – before the government slapped a ban on the removal of children under the age of 16 from the country.

The child-trafficking threat is not limited to Indonesia, nor is it just professional smugglers who are kidnapping and selling these children. "We are getting reports of people trying to sell children or claim children that are not their own," said Geoffrey Keele, communications officer for UNICEF in Sri Lanka. "At this point, it appears to be more opportunistic than a widespread organized criminal activity campaign but, absolutely, it is something we are watching very, very closely."

In Sri Lanka, a 63-year-old man, A.H. Somadasa, was arrested for trying to sell his own grandchildren after their mother died in last month's tsunami. The girls, aged 7 and 9, were reunited with their father last week after authorities intervened.

Sri Lankan children also face the prospect of becoming the newest recruits of the bloody civil war. The New York-based international watchdog, Human Rights Watch, has already chronicled a half-dozen attempts by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers to recruit pre-pubescent boys as soldiers in their guerilla army.

A Race Against Time

Despite widespread agreement on where the aid effort for orphans is headed, getting there isn't going to be easy. "Registration and a safe environment, in place as quickly as possible, are key to helping this most vulnerable group," says Birgithe Lund-Henriksen, chief of UNICEF's Indonesia child protection unit.

Registrations in relief camps across the region are well underway, but it will be weeks – maybe months – before aid workers and officials can reach far-flung towns and villages. "Without a doubt the biggest danger is for children who do not have a protective family environment to shield them," says Keele. "All of the children exposed to the devastation are traumatized, but none are more vulnerable than the orphans."

In a region where birth registrations are sporadic at best – especially in impoverished rural areas – identifying orphaned children and tracking down blood relatives is going to be a herculean task – and a process that is unlikely to hits its stride anytime soon. Aid workers predict it will be at least a year before registrations and meeting the basic needs of survivors are taken care of; and then years before the tsunami victims can approach regaining what was lost.

Adding to the challenge is the reality that human trafficking has long been a thriving business in the regions hit by the disaster. "We're extremely concerned about trafficking, as it was a significant problem that existed prior to the tsunami. With syndicates already in place, it's obvious they'll attempt to take advantage of the chaos existing now," says Lund-Henriksen.

Every year one to two million women and children are trafficked across the globe, with the largest number – 375,000 – coming from the tsunami battered shores of South and Southeast Asia. Lured by false promises of good jobs or simply kidnapped, trafficking victims soon find themselves chained to a life of forced labor, domestic servitude, illegal adoption or sexual exploitation.

Traffickers feed directly on fear, crisis, poverty and despair – elements that at this moment are more widespread in Asia than ever. The chaos created by the tsunami can only boost the prospects of a thriving global trade that has grown from a $1.5 to $2 million a year industry in the 1980s to an $8 to $9 billion industry today. Human trafficking is the third most profitable crime after drugs and weapons smuggling.

The Adoption Conundrum

Yet the efforts to crack down on illegal trafficking are also likely to have a chilling effect on legal adoptions. To combat widespread trafficking, authorities in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka have slapped temporary bans on international adoption of tsunami orphans, and are considering a similar move on the domestic front as dangers more close to home begin to emerge. Dozens of cases have surfaced in Sri Lanka of desperate adults snatching up orphans in impromptu adoptions. At a hospital in Kalmunai, nine women showed up to claim a small baby boy pulled from the Indian Ocean. Police were called in after one woman threatened to kill a doctor on duty and another threatened to commit suicide if the baby wasn't handed over.

So it's no wonder that even ardent advocates of adoption rights like Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana support a temporary ban. "This was a very wise move, as long as it is temporary, as the international system of adoption wasn't structured in a way that would effectively prevent improper adoptions," she says.

Landrieu, who visited Sri Lanka last week and is herself a mother of two adopted children, also supports the policy of Asian governments that favors keeping the tsunami orphans within their extended families or their communities as a first choice. "Children need a lot of things, but nothing more than a nurturing parent or family member. If they are unavailable then friends or local community members are the next best options for children who have lost so much," she says.

The plight of the tsunami orphans reveals just how long and perilous the road to recovery will be in the months and years to come, as the international relief effort struggles to rebuild not just buildings or roads, but shattered lives of survivors. "These children have suffered so much, while so young, they deserve to be with their families, with people who love them," says UNICEF's Keele. "We are going to work with local authorities to do everything possible to make that happen."

Flash presentation on tsunami in Sri Lanka

2005-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

Check out http://indi.ca/papers/tsunami-warning.swf

Wonderful flash presentation on the tsunami hitting Sri Lanka.

Great new GIS tool !

2005-01-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

Check out http://polarbear.css.cornell.edu/srilanka/default.asp

Invaluable for humanitarian agencies.

Appeal for volunteers

2005-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Volunteers,

Greetings from Colombo. I wanted to first thank you all for your interest in helping Sri Lanka to rebuild in the coming year. I also wanted to take this opportunity to update you on what we are doing.

We have to date received over 200 volunteer applications and have placed about 20 so far. If you have been talking with some of the larger International NGOs, and the Multilaterals and Bilateral organizations, you would have no doubt heard that there is no need for workers and that we are already overloaded with too many people.

Let me assure you emphatically this is not the case.

We have hit a roadblock in identifying NGOs to place volunteers with in the field, mainly because we are all volunteers here at VolunteerSriLanka, and we have run out of money to keep doing our operations. But we did send two separate teams into the field in the south of Colombo this last week. With the limited number of visits they conducted we discovered:

The need for at least 20 volunteers to do reconstruction and rebuilding with one NGO group alone. Another organization needs child trauma counselors in an ongoing program which will last at least 6 months. There is an equally large inability for these organizations to make their demands known at the national level. It was only by getting out there in the field we were able to identify these needs.

So despite what you may have heard there is a huge need for volunteers at the local level. Some of the skills I see community level organizations needing straight away are:

Construction related
(Carpenters/Builders/Plumbers/Electricians/Masons/Surveyors)

Proposal writers (with laptops!)

Teachers (Computer literacy/English)

Trauma Counselors

However, as I mentioned, we have run out of money out of our own pockets. PLEASE DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND - WE ARE NOT SOLICITING YOU KIND PEOPLE FOR MONEY, but if you know ways of raising funds for this effort, we are certainly open to suggestions and input. We have a concept paper and budget we can send to corporate sponsors or large private sector organizations and we are ready to begin a dialogue with anyone who is interested in helping. Please also understand that VolunteerSriLanka intends to set new standards in terms of transparency and accountability.

I have every confidence we will be able to place nearly everyone who has applied thus far. Just be patient a bit longer. I hope that by being out of touch for the last couple of weeks we have not lost our window of opportunity with you or your faith in us. We have also set up a communication list for future general announcements on MSN Groups – we invite you to join it at http://groups.msn.com/VolunteerSriLanka. This will be the last mass email we send out.

Tomorrow we will be setting up a user’s blog for general discussions. We encourage you all to use this blog to begin discussions amongst yourselves and to learn more about what we do and what you can do to help. We are hoping we can get you all to start participating actively long before your arrival.

Trust me, we’re still here and we’re still working hard to help the local level NGOs and community organizations here in Sri Lanka – the very same people quite likely to get washed over and completely missed in the flood of aid money flowing into this country. Stay in touch and I promise we will as well.

Warm Regards,

Tod Bruning

United States Fulbright Scholar
Project Team Leader, VolunteerSriLanka

Following are experts who can comment on various aspects of the devastating tsunamis in Asia:

2005-01-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

30 Dec 2004 18:26 Asia/Rangoon

THE PROFNET WIRE: Tsunami Aftermath

Dec. 30, 2004

Following are experts who can comment on various aspects of the devastating tsunamis in Asia:

**1. SREENATH SREENIVASAN, co-founder of the SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION, a New York-based group representing 1,000+ South Asian journalists in the U.S. and Canada: "The SAJA is an excellent source of information for media coverage of the crisis, as well as a way of connecting with journalists and others on the ground in the affected areas. SAJA can also help you find contacts in the U.S. who have relatives in the region and/or U.S. groups involved in relief efforts." Sreenivasan is also a professor of journalism at Columbia University and technology expert for WABC-TV's "Tech Guru" segment in New York. Sreenivasan: saja@columbia.edu Phone: +1-212-854- 5979 Web site: http://www.saja.org/freelance.html (12/29/04)

**2. CHRISTOPHER FAULKNER, CEO of C I HOST, a global Web hosting and data center operation, says natural disasters, such as the earthquake, could create devastating tidal waves on the Internet -- were it not for geographic diversity in Web hosting data centers: "The disaster caused immeasurable, horrific suffering for the population in and around Indonesia. But looking beyond that tragedy, there could be ripple effects throughout the hosting industry and e-commerce in general if major companies' servers were hit. C I Host recently launched a 2005 initiative to strategically place more data centers around North America and in Europe to provide backups in the event of catastrophes. Therefore, if there is a problem at one location, there are multiple data centers ready to transfer the traffic and shift the work load." News Contact: D. Kent Pingel, kentp@cihost.com Phone: +1-888-868-9931, ext. 7006 Web site: http://www.cihost.com/ (12/29/04)

**3. ROBERT R BUTTERWORTH, psychologist at INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATES: "After a natural disaster, we naturally focus on the physical effects; however, it is also important to discuss the psychological effects of disasters on children. Traumatic symptoms children exhibit include the memories and fear of the disaster. Their innocence about nature is lost and many suffer long-term emotional distress. Depression is partly due to the reality of the loss or injury starting to 'sink in' the psyche. The disillusionment is based on the fact that the trauma forces us to deal with the unpredictability of life and our vulnerability and loss of perceived control of our lives." Butterworth: robert@drbutterworth.net Phone: +1-213- 487-7339 (12/29/04)

**4. DR. WALTER B. KOPPEL, M.D., MPH, public health expert and medical director of MEDEX ASSISTANCE CORPORATION, one of the world's leading providers of 24/7 emergency assistance to travelers in medical, security, legal and other emergency travel situations: "Despite damage to infrastructure, we are doing our best to communicate with MEDEX Assistance members and our human and medical resources on the ground. Our immediate concerns are to assist those who are calling in for help in locating loved ones or in evacuating people from the devastated areas. Clearly, we are facing a second wave of casualties from communicable diseases, lack of potable water, safe food supplies and sanitary conditions." Koppel is board certified in internal medicine, holds master's degrees in public health, toxicology, immunology and zoology, and is a medical director at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. News Contact: Nicole Beach, nbeach@medexassist.com Phone: +1-410-453-6391 (12/29/04)

**5. WHEATLEIGH DUNHAM, president of ATTORNEY TRANSLATION SERVICES, LLC, which translates legal documents into all major languages using experienced attorneys and subject matter experts: "Aid in this disaster is going to be complicated due to the multiple languages, cultures and legal systems in the countries affected. We deal with attorney translators from many of these countries, and each has their own style and way of doing things. As a result, relief organizations will need to modify their efforts to meet the legal and cultural issues in each country -- for example, labeling of emergency food supplies going to countries with different dietary restrictions, such as prohibitions against Hindus eating beef and Muslims eating pork." News Contact: Mark Pruner, mpruner@attorneytranslation.com Phone: +1-203-637-4628 (12/29/04)

**6. DOUGLAS RAYBECK, anthropologist at HAMILTON COLLEGE and Southeast Asia expert: "The recent tsunami requires a timely, energetic response. The U.S. has an opportunity to refurbish its tarnished image by providing prompt, generous aid. Too often our past 'gifts' have been accompanied by political and economic conditions, making our generosity appear disingenuous. Muslims subscribe to Ummah, a concept of community or a people. We, too, can treat the world as a community. Muslims believe in Zakaat, generosity to the poor, and so should we." Raybeck has lived in and researched communities in Southeast Asia for many years. News Contact: Vige Barrie, vbarrie@hamilton.edu (12/29/04)

**7. DOUGLAS MULHALL, science journalist, former science institute manager and author of "Our Molecular Future," which explains how new technologies can help prevent havoc from tsunamis and other natural disasters: "It is high time to set up a tsunami warning system, not just for the Indian Ocean but also where the risk is high and preparedness is low on America's and Europe's Atlantic shorelines. New cheap technologies can save lives and billions in property loss." Mulhall, who supervised flood prevention in the tropics and was interviewed by CNN about the Asia tsunami catastrophe, can describe discoveries about how tsunamis occur, new defensive technologies against them, and other items not yet covered in news stories. Mulhall: mulhall@calcify.com (12/29/04)

**8. ALAN STEINBERG, Ph.D., associate director at the Terrorism and Disaster Branch of the NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS NETWORK: "Children and adults who were exposed to the worst of the tsunami will have the most severe post- traumatic reactions. It is terrifying to be in life-threatening situations and to witness destruction and death. The areas hardest hit will continue to have significant post-disaster adversities, such as poor access to shelter, food, clean water and medicine. Meeting those basic needs is the first step in disaster response. If they are not destroyed, schools often provide the best location for basic psychological first aid for children following a disaster. Many will have traumatic grief reactions after losing a loved one." News Contact: Patrick Cody, codycom@earthlink.net Phone: +1-202-965-0580 Web site: http://www.nctsnet.org/ (12/29/04)

**9. BROOK NOEL, co-author of "I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One" and founder of GRIEF STEPS, a grief support site, is noted for her expert advice in times of tragedy: "The recent tsunami that hit southern Asia has reached epic proportions of loss. The economic disaster is staggering and the tragic loss of over 50,000 people is an immense tragedy that has affected the world. The reality of unexpected death is a uniting factor of all religions, ethnic backgrounds, political views and economic levels. Our ways of grieving may be different, but the feelings and steps to healing are not." Noel has also shared her expertise in many print and media venues, including "ABC World News Now," "Fox and Friends," "Good Morning LA" and others. News Contact: Sara Pattow, sara@championpress.com Phone: +1-262-692-3897 Web site: http://www.griefsteps.com/ (12/29/04)

**10. SUZANNE BROOKS, director of the CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DISASTER INFORMATION: "As people see footage and hear eyewitness accounts of the devastating tsunamis, many will have one question on their minds: How can I help? The answer is clear. In the wake of disasters, monetary donations to established relief agencies are always the most useful response. These groups use cash contributions to purchase exactly what disaster victims most urgently need. Unlike donations of clothing or other materials, cash contributions cost nothing to transport and allow relief supplies to be purchased as close to the disaster site as possible, which also stimulates and aids in the reconstruction of the local economy." News Contact: Lisa Dreisch, lisa.dreisch@hillandknowlton.com Phone: +1-202-944-5158 (12/29/04)

**11. ERIC THURMAN, CEO of GENEVA GLOBAL, INC., which manages international grants for private donors and foundations and has extensive experience working with humanitarian organizations in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and 90 other Third World countries: "When a disaster strikes, Americans are eager to help, but they usually don't realize that the best way to help is by supporting local organizations already in the affected countries. When a gigantic emergency breaks out, it is normal to expect governments or famous international organizations to rush in with an adequate response. The reality, however, is that little-known local groups are often there first with the most meaningful help. When you want to make a wise donation that produces real benefit, you cannot do better than connecting with service organizations that are permanently in the disaster communities." News Contact: Mike Schwager, Moschwager@aol.com Phone: +1-954-423-4414 (12/29/04)

**12. RANDY ADAMS, CEO of AUCTIONDROP, leader in the online auction drop-off service concept: "The U.S. public is opening its hearts and wallets to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami disaster. One way of raising money to donate to the relief effort is by selling used cameras, computers and consumer electronics through online auctions. Interested parties bring donated items to various locations across the United States, and all net proceeds of items sold are donated to international humanitarian organizations." News Contact: Kathy Wilson, kwilson@tieronepr.com Phone: +1-781-862-9937 (12/29/04)

**13. JONATHAN BERNSTEIN, president of BERNSTEIN CRISIS MANAGEMENT, LLC, and editor of "Crisis Manager," an internationally distributed e-mail newsletter read in 75 countries: "Despite the suffering caused by massive natural disasters, most American residents and businesses remain horribly under- prepared. I'm based in California, and I know that most residents of this state play ostrich with regard to the prospect of 'The Big One' earthquake." Bernstein can talk about what should be done to prepare for natural disasters and why it hasn't been done. Bernstein: jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com Phone: +1-626-825-3838 (12/29/04)

**14. JAYANTH VINCENT, relief worker for WORLD VISION, a Christian relief and development organization, has seen the devastation of Chennai's coastal waterfront: "Parks where I used to picnic with my wife and daughter are now in ruins. Survivors search through the rubble to pick up any pieces of their lives. The dead are being buried in mass graves. Survivors face trauma upon trauma. They've lost sons, daughters, mothers and fathers -- and often they're robbed of the chance to even pay respects at their graves." News Contact: Sheryl Watkins, swatkins@WorldVision.org Phone: +1-253-815-2246 (12/29/04)

**15. REENA SAMUEL, relief worker for WORLD VISION, a Christian relief and development organization, is residing outside of Chennai, India. Samuel has been hearing the stories of survivors: "The line between those who survived and those who were swept away was strikingly thin. Those who stopped to grab

personal belongings, or who ran too slowly, were swept away." News Contact: Sheryl Watkins, swatkins@WorldVision.org Phone: +1-253-815-2246 (12/29/04)

**16. SITHMINI PERERA, relief worker for WORLD VISION, a Christian relief and development organization, is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Perera has encountered survivors traumatized by the disaster: "Survivors keep asking, 'Why us?' They wish they had been swept away instead of their loved ones." News Contact: Sheryl Watkins, swatkins@WorldVision.org Phone: +1-253-815-2246 (12/29/04)

**17. JON HANSON, retired assistant chief for the OKLAHOMA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT and President George W. Bush's nominee for U.S. Fire Administrator at FEMA, is a rescue veteran of several natural and manmade disasters and can offer first-hand knowledge of the search-and-rescue process. Hansen can illustrate a phase-by-phase playbook of what needs to be done in the tsunami's aftermath. He can also provide his thoughts on the lessons learned after this particular disaster. News Contact: Somill Hwang, Somill.Hwang@bitepr.com Phone: +1-415-365-0363 (12/29/04)

**18. ALBERT C. HINE, geological oceanographer at the College of Marine Sciences at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, can speak about stratigraphy and sedimentary processes along continental margins, mapping and high-resolution seismic reflection profiling techniques. Specific areas of interest include coastal geology of barrier-island and marsh-dominated coastlines, continental shelves, reefs and carbonate platforms. Hine has worked worldwide and his research employs a range of geoacoustical tools, such as swath bathymetry and side-scan sonar to image the seafloor in shelfal and upper slope environments for habitat mapping and identification of geologic features. News Contact: Randolph Fillmore, rfillmor@admin.usf.edu Phone: +1-813-974-9051 (12/29/04)

**19. CHUCK CONNOR, professor and chair of the Department of Geology at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, says that although his primary research interests are physical volcanology and geophysics, he can comment on earthquakes and tsunamis. Connor's recent research has focused on the development of volcanic hazard and risk models, and the development of new techniques for understanding the structural setting of basaltic volcanic fields, particularly in the southern Basin and Range. Connor can also speak to the issue of monitoring and modeling heat and mass transfer in volcanoes. News Contact: Randolph Fillmore, rfillmor@admin.usf.edu Phone: +1-813-974-9051 (12/29/04)

**20. ROBERT WEISBERG, professor of physical oceanography and geology at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, is an experimental physical oceanographer engaged in ocean circulation and ocean atmosphere interaction studies in the tropics, on continental shelves, and in estuaries. As director of the USF Ocean Circulation Group and co-director of the USF Coastal Ocean Modeling and Prediction System, Weisberg's research presently emphasizes in-situ measurements, analyses and models of the West Florida Shelf circulation, and the interactions between the shelf and the estuaries. News Contact: Randolph Fillmore, rfillmor@admin.usf.edu Phone: +1-813-974-9051 Web sites: http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/; http://comps.marine.usf.edu/ (12/29/04)

**21. ROBERT A. DALRYMPLE, coastal engineer at JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY and internationally recognized expert on water waves and coastal engineering, has written numerous scholarly articles and textbook chapters on water wave mechanics and how powerful waves can damage harbor structures and buildings constructed near the shore. Dalrymple is assembling a computer model to study the effect of tsunamis on coastal structures, and, although this model will not predict when and where tsunamis will strike, it may eventually help engineers build structures that are better able to withstand the impact of powerful waves. News Contact: Phil Sneiderman, prs@jhu.edu Phone: +1-443-287- 9960 (12/29/04)

**22. LAURA HAMMOND, assistant professor of international development at CLARK UNIVERSITY, anthropologist and author of "This Place Will Become Home," can talk about the humanitarian assistance operations that are unfolding, the kinds of dangers that can be expected (water-borne diseases), and the difficulty of reconstructing these areas following the earthquake and tsunamis. Hammond's perspective is based on emergency and humanitarian work she has done over the past decade, mostly in Africa. However, she is well acquainted with how the international community mobilizes in such a situation and is also familiar with issues of resettlement of disaster-stricken people. Hammond is available until Jan. 1. News Contact: Angela M. Bazydlo, ABazydlo@clarku.edu Phone: +1-508-793-7635 (12/29/04)

**23. MARY WUNDROCK, vice president of laboratory services for WISCONSIN PHARMACAL COMPANY, is an expert on water purification and methods of purifying water, specifically the use of water purification tablets. Wundrock can speak to the types of diseases caused by water-borne viruses and bacteria. Specific angles include third-world countries, disaster relief and outdoor expedition safety. She also oversees the FDA- and EPA-approved production of Potable Aqua tablets -- iodine tablets to the United States military, as well as several other foreign militaries. News Contact: Ben Blair, ben@caffeinecomm.com Phone: +1-414-727-8300 (12/29/04)

**24. CRISPIN PIERCE, Ph.D., assistant professor of the Department of Public Health Professions at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE, can provide the media with basic information about water-borne diseases, such as malaria and cholera, to which residents in the stricken area will now have much greater exposure. News Contact: Julie Poquette, poquetjm@uwec.edu Phone: +1-715-836- 3985 (12/29/04)

**25. SUSAN E. HOWE, president of the PENNSYLVANIA INSTITUTE OF CPAs, can comment on the loss implications for multinational companies with affected properties, HR aspects of having people posted in those areas and the HR aspects for multinational companies. News Contact: Meg Killian, mkillian@picpa.org Phone: +1-215-972-6186 (12/29/04)

**26. JOHN W. BROOKS, founding chairman of the International Services Group of LUCE, FORWARD, HAMILTON & SCRIPPS, LLP, can speak about the implications of the recent tsunamis on the economy in Asia. Brooks, who has just returned from an extended trip to Southeast Asia and Southern India, has recently completed an extensive series of articles that were published in "The Daily Transcript" in San Diego regarding business in Asia, with each article focusing on a different country. Since the Aceh quake, Brooks has been in contact with friends in Singapore, Thailand, and India about the extent of local damage and their personal safety. News Contact: Karen Korr, karen@berkmanpr.com Phone: +1-619-231-9977 (12/29/04)

**27. TOM CLASEN, water purification consultant for WISCONSIN PHARMACAL COMPANY, can discuss the health consequences of the tsunamis in Asia. Clasen is the founder of Extream Water Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of portable water treatment products. He is also the founder and organizer of First Water, Inc., a U.S. company that works with governments and NGOs in the development, evaluation and commercialization of low-cost, point- of-use water treatment and storage products for emergency relief and development. News Contact: Ben Blair, ben@caffeinecomm.com Phone: +1-414-727- 8300 (12/29/04)

**28. RICH MOSEANKO, relief director for WORLD VISION, a Christian relief and development organization, is based in Los Angeles and responsible for the transportation and delivery of relief aid during crises, such as the current Asia tsunami disaster. Moseanko has worked for World Vision in some of the world's most troubled countries, such as Rwanda, Kosovo and Bosnia, and served as country director in these countries. In 1990, Moseanko established a relief program in Jordan after Iraq invaded Kuwait, and before joining World Vision, he worked for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Ghana and Nicaragua. News Contact: Sheryl Watkins, swatkins@WorldVision.org Phone: +1- 253-815-2246 (12/29/04)

**29. JOHN WOOD, founder and CEO of ROOM TO READ, a non-profit organization focusing on literacy in impoverished Asian countries, can comment on how the horrible tragedy in Asia will bring an international effort for rebuilding schools, libraries, and other institutions that foster literacy and economic development. Wood: john@roomtoread.org Phone: 1-415-561-3331 (12/29/04)

**30. JOE HARBISON, Asia area director of WORLD CONCERN, a Christian international relief and development organization, is directly involved in the assessment of damage and distribution of relief supplies, as World Concern partners with government agencies and churches in Sri Lanka and Thailand. Harbison has also lived in Thailand for 20 years, and has nearly two decades of experience in directing humanitarian relief and development aid in Asia and Africa. News Contact: Mark Cutshall, mcutsh@aol.com Phone: +1-206-782-4130 (12/29/04)

**31. HARRY E. GRUBER, M.D., CEO, chairman and co-founder of KINTERA, INC., which helps non-profit organizations generate more awareness and funds using Web-based tools, can comment on the tsunami disaster, with a specific focus on fundraising and disaster relief efforts. During the past 25 years, Dr. Gruber has been a doctor, scientist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and an inventor with the vision to develop leading-edge technology tools to benefit society. News Contact: Judy Piercey, jpiercey@kintera.com Phone: +1-858-795-3056 (12/29/04)

**32. MICHAEL WILLS, director of Southeast Asia studies at the NATIONAL BUREAU OF ASIAN RESEARCH, is available to comment on U.S. policy in Southeast Asia. Wills will be available for comment after Jan. 3. News Contact: Aaron Blank, aaron.blank@edelman.com Phone: +1-206-268-2245 (12/29/04)

**33. DR. SHELDON W. SIMON, advisory board chair of the NATIONAL BUREAU OF ASIAN RESEARCH SOUTHEAST ASIA STUDIES PROGRAM and professor of political science at Arizona State University, is available to comment on U.S. policy in Southeast Asia. News Contact: Aaron Blank, aaron.blank@edelman.com Phone: +1- 206-268-2245 (12/29/04)

**34. DR. DONALD K. EMMERSON, member of the NATIONAL BUREAU OF ASIAN RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD and director of the SOUTHEAST FORUM OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC RESEARCH CENTER, is available to comment on U.S. policy in Southeast Asia. News Contact: Aaron Blank, aaron.blank@edelman.com Phone: +1-206-268-2245 (12/29/04)

**35. STEVE MATTHEWS, communications manager for WORLD VISION'S GLOBAL RAPID RESPONSE TEAM, a group of first responders sent to humanitarian emergencies around the world within the first hours or days of their onset, is based in Sri Lanka and has extensive experience in radio and television journalism and gathers written, photographic and video resources for the World Vision partnership. News Contact: Sheryl Watkins, swatkins@WorldVision.org Phone: +1- 253-815-2246 (12/29/04)

**36. TOM ARNOLD, CEO of CONCERN WORLDWIDE, a major humanitarian relief group conducting a major operation in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the most affected region of India, can speak on the tsunamis in Asia. News Contact: Jeremy Barnicle, jbarnicle@westhillpartners.com Phone: +1-212-279-4410 (12/29/04)

**37. SIOBHAN WALSH, executive director of CONCERN WORLDWIDE U.S., a major humanitarian relief group conducting a major operation in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the most affected region of India, can speak on the tsunamis in Asia. News Contact: Jeremy Barnicle, jbarnicle@westhillpartners.com Phone: +1- 212-279-4410 (12/29/04)

**38. ROD MACLEOD, India country director for CONCERN WORLDWIDE, a major humanitarian relief group conducting a major operation in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the most affected region of India, can speak on the tsunamis in

Asia. News Contact: Jeremy Barnicle, jbarnicle@westhillpartners.com Phone: +1- 212-279-4410 (12/29/04)

**39. LISA ANDREWS, marketing manager of ORBIMAGE, INC., a satellite imaging company, can speak about satellite imagery over the areas where the tsunamis have taken place. Andrews: andrews.lisa@orbimage.com Phone: +1-703-480-7502 (12/29/04)

**40. COL. PAUL LAFOND, retired marine colonel of Skowhegan, Maine, believes that the U.S. military should move the U.S. forces out of Fallujah and into Malaysia to help those who are suffering from the fallout of the tsunami. Lafond was also the author of a disaster plan during the Vietnam War for cities in Southeast Asia. News Contact: Nancy Marshall, nmarshall@marshallpr.com Phone: +1-207-623-4177 (12/29/04)

PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To submit query by e-mail: profnet@profnet.com To consult the ProfNet Database: http://www.profnet.com/ To submit query by fax: 631-348-7906 To submit query by phone: +1-800-PROFNET To share a thought on the ProfNet Wire: leads@profnet.com

PRNewswire -- Dec. 30

Source: ProfNet

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following experts have provided direct contact information: Wheatleigh Dunham, Attorney Translation Services, LLC, wdunam@attorneytranslation.com Phone: +1-203-637-4628; Alan Steinberg, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, ASteinberg@mednet.ucla.edu Phone: +1- 310-629-3604; Eric Thurman, Geneva Global, Inc., +1-610-254-0000, ext. 225; Albert C. Hine, University of South Florida, +1-727-553-1161; Chuck Connor, University of South Florida, cconnor@chuma1.cas.usf.edu Phone: +1-813-974- 0325; Robert Weisberg, University of South Florida, rfillmor@admin.usf.edu Phone: +1-813-974-8476; Robert A. Dalrymple, Johns Hopkins University, +1- 410-516-7923; Laura Hammond, Clark University, +1-508-410-8305; Crispin Pierce, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, piercech@uwec.edu Phone: +1-715- 836-5589; John W. Brooks, Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, LLC, jwbrooks@luce.com Michael Wills, National Bureau of Asian Research, +1-206- 632-7370; Dr. Sheldon W. Simon, National Bureau of Asian Research Southeast Asia Studies Program, shells@asu.edu Phone: +1-480-965-1317; Dr. Donald K. Emmerson, National Bureau of Asian Research Advisory Board emmerson@stanford.edu Phone: +1-650-724-6403; Col. Paul Lafond, +1-207-858- 0051

Tsunami Resources - from Zoo Station Blog

2005-01-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

Content source - http://wetware.blogspot.com/2004/12/tsunami-relief-efforts.html

Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Tsunami Thread -- you don't need to register to post or respond. UPDATE: LP has shifted Found Persons here to make more room for missing persons on the earlier thread.

Tsunami Disaster Forum

CNN E-Mail Appeals

Asian Quake Disaster is running a very useful thread that helps with information on missing people. They also have a list of emergency contact details.

As Mash has already posted, the best one-stop site for all tsunami related information is tsunamihelp.blogspot.com -- I cannot begin to emphasise how good this blog is. Suhit, Dina etc, you guys are doing an amazing job with the blog.

The best place to get some comprehensive information on the current tsunami along with a comprehensive set of links is the Wikipedia earthquake and Tsunami page. Columbia University has the scientific information on the Tsunami. Finally, Wave of Destruction has the most comprehensive photo/video evidence of the destruction.

List of places you can donate to --

I did think of collecting some money via ZS but have rested the idea temporarily unless someone can provide me with logistical support. The bottom line with donations is to find an agency with low overheads and where you can get a tax deduction. Of course, if you can get matching grants, that's even better. While this list is by no means exhaustive, I have listed every single prominent site on here. In addition, most of the organisations I have listed on here accept online donations which makes giving a lot easier. I have also avoided explicitly religious organisations on here since their agenda is suspect.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent allows you to specifically mark your contribution for 'tsunami and earthquake relief' if need be. You can also contribute to the Red Cross via Amazon which has already raised over $6 million since its appeal went up. Music for Relief is also raising money for the Red Cross. As is Yahoo.

You can also contribute to local chapters of the Red Cross -- India,Thailand, Indonesia, Britain, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Holland, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Brazil, Denmark,Sweden, Finland, Russia etc. Needless to say, there are plenty of countries not listed on here. This is just a small sample of countries from where I have noticed Zoo Station readers.

The incredible Medecins Sans Frontieres lets you pay in USD, Sterling or Euros. You could also donate to MSF here. In addition, MSF also provides oppurtunities to volunteer, though you need to contact their offices to find out more.

CARE is an organization that was on the ground in most of the countries struck by the Tsunami and is therefore logistically well suited to help.

Direct Relief International has been helping with health related issues in the disaster struck region about which you can read more.

The World Food Programme, the world's largest humanitarian organisation allows you to make tax-free donations as part of its Tsunami Disaster Appeal.

ASHA for Education, the well known Indian charity that does remarkable work in promoting children's education in India is collecting donations. Several Zoo Station readers and at least one ZS blogger (Anand) are actively involved with ASHA and will vouch for the organization.

Though I am skeptical of handing any money over to the mangy Indian bureaucrat, the Prime Minister's Relief Fund is accepting online donations and is a place many of you might consider. Apparently, Anil Ambani trusts the Fund enough to personally contribute over $200,000. Gopal suggests that you could also contribute to the PM's relief fund via Citibank.

The Tamil Nadu government has set up the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The problem of the Indian bureaucrat remains.

In light of the fact that over one-third of the victims of the disaster are little children, UNICEF is accepting donations. So is Save the Children. So is Vibha. Meanwhile, PLAN USA has already raised $1.5 million towards helping affected children, but will need a great deal more. Child Relief and you (CRY), the well known Indian children's charity has launched a Tsunami Relief Fund.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has launched an appeal even as they launch operations in Aceh, southern Sri Lanka, Thailand and also in East Africa, which has been hit pretty badly too.

SEEDS is a voluntary organisation in India that has launched relief operations in the hard-hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands where I suspect we will see a substantial increase in the death toll once rescue teams do a proper assessment.

The America India Foundation, set up in the wake of the Gujarat quake with Bill Clinton as honorary chair, has set up the Tsunami Relief Fund with the stated goal of raising at least $2 million in the next 90 days. AIF plans on matching dollar for dollar the first $1 million received in contributions. UPDATE: Just got an update from AIF. They have raised $120,000 in the first week, meaning there's another $880,000 to go. AIF promises that 100% of your money will be used for Tsunami relief.

Habitat for Humanity, an organisation known for its rebuilding efforts will be involed in rebuidling homes in the affected areas. They estimate that for between $50 and $150, a house can be made habitable again, depending on damage. Needless to say, they'll need a great deal more to rebuild from scratch as seems to be the case in a lot of southern Sri Lanka.

The Hindu, South India's leading English newspaper has launched the Hindu Relief Fund. Given that they're based in Madras, they are probably well suited to help people severely affected in Tamil Nadu. The Times of India too has launched an appeal, though they're not online yet.

The Association for India's Development (AID) has also set up a rehabilitation fund for families in Southern India. Sulekha.com has set up a matching fund with AID with donations from its members and corporate clients/partners worldwide. The matching fund has currently raised a little over $110,000.

AmeriCares is a disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs.

Sarvodaya, the largest civil society organisation in Sri Lanka with a large presence on the ground is trying to collect food and medical supplies. UPDATE: Indi is right. I have heard from several people now that Sarvodaya is doing excellent work on the ground in Sri Lanka. Folks looking to contribute to the Sri Lanka relief effort (and I hope that includes a LOT of you), please have a good look at the Sarvodaya website.

*NEW* Seva International, the charity known for its work in eye care has also set up a fund to help with relief efforts in Sri Lanka and India. In Sri Lanka, they are working with IMPACT Sri Lanka to set up health camps while in India, they are working with the Aravind Hospital system and is focussing on relief efforts in Cuddalore district.

*NEW* SOS Children's Villages is an organisation that I forgot to add on here initially. They were on the ground in both India and Sri Lanka before the Tsunami hit and are logistically well prepared. For whatever its worth, this is an organisation people in my family have worked with in the past and have an excellent opinion of. UPDATE: My mum informs me that SOS has plans of adopting as many children orphaned by the disaster as their resources will permit. So, once again, please have a look at how SOS adopts children and provides them with the closest thing resembling a real family in both Sri Lanka and India.

*NEW*: Some of you know that I did my dissertation research among the coastal fishing communities of southern India -- precisely the communities that have been utterly devastated by the Tsunami. During the course of my research, I had the opportunity to meet with officers from SIFFS, the South Indian Fishermen's Federation. According to an e-mail that I received, SIFFS constituents have been very badly hit and SIFFS is now looking to raise funds rehabilitate and rebuild within these communities and especially to restore destroyed fishing equipment so these fishermen can get their livelihoods back in the long term. I have nothing but the highest regard for this organisation and if any of you are looking to make a contribution that will have an immediate impact on the ground in south India, I would urge you have a look at SIFFS. The details on their fundraising are outlined here. UPDATE: SIFFS now has a dedicated page for its relief efforts.

*NEW* Give2Asia, a U.S. non-profit established by the Asia Foundation has started the Tsunami Recovery Fund. With offices in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India, the fund aims to help with mid to long-term reconstruction efforts.

*NEW* The UN Foundation has set up the UN Foundation Tsunami Relief Fund which lets you make tax-deductible contributions to the UN's relief efforts in the region.

*NEW* The well known Helen Keller International has joined in on the relief efforts, focussing on assisting people in Indonesia. HKI is distributing vitamin A, iodized oil and dispersible zinc tablets, which constitutes one of the most cost-effective ways to save lives and prevent disease in disaster situations, to children under five years of age. HKI is also distributing a monthly supply of multivitamins suitable for cooking or non-cooking conditions to enhance health. You can find more information and donate here.

Oxfam lets UK taxpayers increase their gift by 28% under the Gift Aid scheme. UK residents can also contribute directly to the Tsunami Earthquake Appeal. Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) offers UK tax payers the same deal as Oxfam.

International Medical Corps is on the ground in Aceh. Donate here. The International Rescue Committee is also on the ground in the Aceh province. In fact, their offices in Aceh are said to have been devastated and two of their aid workers are missing.

Give World has set up a tax-deductible Rehabilitation Fund to support initiatives to help those affected by the disaster in South India, in association with GiveIndia and ICICI Communities (with the largest private bank in India). You can also check how they managed the money they raised during the Gujarat Quake.

Swiss Solidarity, the Swiss NGO which supports emergency programs for people suffering from the consequences of natural disasters has already raised 11 million CHF as part of its relief efforts, of which 7 million came in yesterday. They are working with 10 partner organisations including Caritas Sri Lanka and MSF.

Jiva Institute, the pioneering organisation founded by my friend Steve Rudolph, has launched the Jiva Relief Fund. They have created low-cost Health Packs for tsunami survivors. The packs will prevent and cure diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis. Each pack costs USD$10 and provides a week’s medicines for one person.

Project Concern is targeting its efforts in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.

Project Hope is on the ground in Thailand and working on prviding health care and supplies.

Operation USA is a privately funded organisation with extremely low overheads with administrative costs running at a mere 2%.

Northwest Medical Teams have already dispatched doctors and medical professionals to Thailand.

Relief International provides emergency, rehabilitation and development services.

Action Against Hunger tells you exactly how your contribution will be used and also provides the option of matching funds from your employer.

World Emergency Relief is donating food and blankets and will focus on Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Catholic Relief Services plans to raise $25 million for humanitarian services.

Mercy Corps is collecting money for emergency disaster relief.

American Friends Service Committee -- all contributions are tax deductible.

International Relief Teams (IRT) has made a commitment to send a substantial shipment of medicines – enough to sustain 20,000 people for 3 months.

Tsunami Victims provides an exhaustive list of donating and volunteering opportunities in India.

Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation of Sri Lanka has put out an appeal for donations. So has Lanka Page.

The Sri Lanka Academic Network are also collecting online donations. Here's how they use your money.

The Sri Lankan govt has details on the sort of assistance they need immediately.

Akanksha, an organisaton I knew well during my college days in Bombay is collecting clothes, tarpaulin, bed sheets, utensils, dry ration, candles, match box, torch & batteries, water purifier tablets, medicines etc at collection centers in Bombay.

Muslim Hands is sending emergency response teams to Malaysia and Indonesia.

KARUNA Trust of Sri Lanka is collecting money towards relief efforts.

NETAID has set up an Asian Earthquake Crisis Fund.

Architecture for Humanity is another organisation that will be involved in rebuilding efforts. You can read more about their reconstruction efforts here.

GOAL, the Irish humanitarian organisation has set up a major feeding operation in Tamil Nadu and wants to expand to Sri Lanka.

Switzerland based Medair is sending emergency medical kits and water drilling equipment to Sri Lanka.

In Singapore, you can make contributions via SMS using the Singtel Donation Hotline.

The UK-based Hindu Forum is collecting money, clothes and medicines.

Lutheran World Relief

International Orthodox Christian Charities.

Islamic Relief.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

World Concern.

International Relief and Development Foundation.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency International.

B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund.

Tear Fund New Zealand.

BAPS Care.

The Ramakrishna Math.

Most places are currently seeking cash contributions though I am sure volunteers will be needed soon (Indiserve would be a good place to look), especially medical professionals and individuals who have experience getting the infrastructure back in order. Until the call for non-local volunteers is made by the specialists, let us make sure there is enough money to fund whatever relief effort is necessary. I will post whatever information I come across on here.

Some people have asked me what a good contribution would be. The simple answer would be that no amount is enough for a disaster of this magnitude. That said, you could use some simple parameters. For example, you can donate the amount of one dinner foregone or of one night out on town avoided and spent reading a book instead. Better still, you could donate a couple of hour's pay or even a day's pay. Those who can afford it should donate a great deal more. Trust me, it doesn't take much to put this in perspective.

I have no intention of asking any of you to donate to any one set of organisations, but since many of you asked, here are the criteria I would use. As I have mentioned earlier, it would be good to contribute to someone who has low overheads. In addition, they must also have the logistical capabilities to deliver aid, have the ability to coordinate with other relief agencies and have been around for long enough to be credible and know hard this is going to be. You could also search the database on Charity Navigator to see how efficiently your funds will be used.

On a personal note, we have donated money to MSF and Save the Children though we plan on donating some more money in the coming week. Please do not let our opinion bias your choice though. You must donate to what you think is most appropriate. That said, if you know of someone personally who is doing good work on the ground, I would certainly urge you to help fund them over everything else and let us know at ZS in case we haven't linked to them already.

PS: I urge Indian readers of ZS to contribute not just to Indian aid agencies, but also to aid agencies based in other countries. In some ways the Indian (and the Thai) economy can probably cope with this disaster, but Sri Lanka and Indonesia will need every ounce of help they can get.

PPS: Please send these links along to as many people as you know. In addition, if you know of any links that have been missed here, please let me know and I'll add.

UPDATE: Tsunami Help has a call for volunteers here if you happen to be anywhere near Madras. They also have a specific set of contacts to help Aceh, where the toll is really going to be mind-numbing.

UPDATE: Mercy Corps has an excellent website that lets you find whether your company will match your charitable contribution. For example, a search for Microsoft tells you that MS will match your donation 1:1 to a maximum match of $12,000.

UPDATE: Via Tsunami Help, I found Kapruka, where you can directly purchase products like Paracetamol, Ciproflaxacin, Aspirin etc which will directly be delivered to the Red Cross in Colombo. What's more, the medicines are bought in local Colombo pharmacies, so you are paying local rates, not much higher western prices. Seems like a great site for those among you who are concerned about how your money is put to work.

UPDATE: (Via Subhashish) ICICI Bank, India's most prominent private bank has announced a new initiative to help with relief efforts. ICICI Bank is doing the following : First, demand drafts to any NGO for Tsunami relief work will not be charged. Also, they are ready to provide, at par facilities, for specific cheques for the NGOs involved in the relief activity. Anyone who wants to avail of this facility write to surabhi.gupta@icicibank.com.

UPDATE: In Bangalore, these folks are collecting stuff (no cash).

Prakruti Mudrana
Contact Person - Sashi Kumar/ Uvaraj
Phone: +91-80-26713894/ +91-93412 12691 / +91-94483 71389

If anyone is interested to do rescue work for affected people in Madras please contact Shihan Hussaini +91-98411-618386. You could help with old clothes,water bottles, blankets, food packets. People willing to do rescue work in Nagapattinam there please contact the following numbers - +91-4635 242 999 and 4635 248 777

UPDATE: The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has put up an extensive list of tsunami-related resources. In particular, this site will be very useful for anyone in the media looking to cover the situation in South and South East Asia.

UPDATE: MSF is looking for volunteers with medical experience in Indonesia. Here's who you need to contact --

Medecins Sans Frontieres Belgium (MSF B) - Indonesia
Jln. Kemang Utara No. 32
JAKARTA 12730
Tel. + 62 - 21 - 719 5947
Fax. + 62 - 21 - 719 5948
E-mail : msfb-jakarta@msf.be

UPDATE: ACEH IT-Media Center has set up a comprehensive site to help with relief efforts in Aceh. It includes a missing persons billboard, list of needs and links to Indonesian media. Folks, we need as much information as possible about Indonesia since its woefully under-represented here. If you have information on aid agencies working in Indonesia, please sent it along.

UPDATE: AID is collecting a list of volunteers who want to work in India. Australian Volunteers is looking for just that.

UPDATE: I forgot to add yesterday that you can also help by donating your unused air miles. Tsunami Help has the details. For example, Continental accepts miles for the Red Cross and AmeriCares, Delta accepts miles for CARE, Northwest for Oxfam and UNICEF besides the ones mentioned above and so on. Have a look.

UPDATE: The folks at Tsunami Help have now launched the Tsunami Help Wiki, which categorises information much better than the blog does. You can drill further into the categories listed on the right navigation bar. Their hosting and bandwidth needs have been met by Wikinews, so I am taking down the bandwidth appeal for now. On an unrelated note, the US govt has upped its aid for the affected areas ten fold to $350 million with promises of more aid. Kudos to the Bush administration for announcing this increase even if all of us know a great deal more will be needed. UPDATE: Japan has upped its aid to $500 million, making it the single largest donor so far.

UPDATE: Folks, if you find an organisation on here that you like but cannot find on the Charity Navigator database, you might want to consider submitting the organisation for evaluation.

UPDATE: Feroze Jamal has a pretty exhaustive list of ways you can help on the ground in India. This is a good place for those looking to volunteer in India to pick up some ideas.

UPDATE: Kauai Aerospace Institute is willing to donate helicopters to aid agencies involved in the relief effort. The Bell 206 Jet Ranger features dual VHF communication and navigation radios and 5 place intercom for relief/search/rescue and utility equipment for delivery of supplies, reconstruction efforts and repairs.

*UPDATE*: The Wise Giving Alliance has an excellent watch-list for donors. I would urge every one of you to go through it begore deciding which organisation to donate to. Highly, highly recommended.

UPDATE: Indonesia Help is a new blog that's trying to help the disaster victims in Aceh. I can only hope these guys can swing more resources Aceh-wards. The bloggers among ZS readers should consider linking to this site to give it as much visibility as possible.

UPDATE: The Sri Lanka Medical Association of North America is accepting donations to buy water purification tablets and medicines. Besides the paypal system, they have also organised several collection points in the New York and New Jersey region with details on what they're looking to collect.

*UPDATE*: An urgent appeal for aid from Indonesia. Please see if any of you can help. It seems to indicate that there were parts of Indonesia (the islands off the coast of Aceh close to the epicentre) which were much harder hit than anything we have seen or heard in the media.

UPDATE: Organisations looking for volunteers in all of the affected areas should go to Tsunami Help Offered.

UPDATE: The Daily Record is reporting that a massive Live Aid style concert is being organised in the third week of January to be held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. It appears the concert will be headlined by U2, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. In addition, a charity single is also being planned by Cliff Richard and Boy George. This is yet another channel for those of you in the UK and Europe to donate money.

UPDATE: MSF has apparently made a most surprising announcement -- that donors stop sending money, saying MSF had collected enough money for its Tsunami relief effort for now. Mind you, this holds true ONLY for the MSF. The other agencies are in desparate need for donations to fund relief efforts. As someone from the UNICEF said, the MSF tends to concentrate on emergency relief work while others like the UNICEF stay on longer for the rebuilding effort. So, this is merely a FYI to those of you considering donating money to MSF. You may want to donate money elsewhere for the time being.

UPDATE: Propoor.org, the South Asian organisation working on sustainable development initiatives has launched a Tsunami blog which attempts to match volunteers, resources and ideas with opportunities. For those of you looking to volunteer, this might be an excellent place to start.

*UPDATE*: The Times Foundation (set up by the Times of India group) has set up a Tsunami Relief Fund. In addition to soliciting donations for immediate relief and rehabilitation, the Foundation also provides concrete information on volunteering opportunities in India with contact persons and so on. Once again, a great place for volunteers to have a look.

UPDATE: Sara makes a valid point in the comments section. Those of you making donations to the big international aid agencies should consider giving them carte blanche on where and how they can use the money. I really worry that this tremendous outpouring of support may completely displace huge problems like the crisis in Darfur, AIDS etc off people's radars. If you'd like to read more on this, please read this column by Nick Kristof where he touches on the problem. UPDATE: Timothy Garton Ash too touches on some of these issues in the Guardian.

UPDATE: A note of caution -- According to the FBI, several donors (especially those using Internet Explorer) are liable to be open to cyber attacks involving Trojans, 419's and so on. The best way to avoid this is to donate only to reliable organisations (leave those bleeding-heart stories you get in your inbox alone) and by using any browser but Internet Explorer (Firefox, Opera, Safari etc) while making secure online donations.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: The U.S. Congress has passed a resolution to extend the last date for claiming tax deductions for charitable contributions from Dec 31 2004 to Jan 31 2005 providing an additional incentive for the Americans among you to donate. To claim the exemption, you need to donate to registered tax-exempt organisations. In passing the resolution, members of Congress asked the American public to donate generously to help Tsunami victims.

*NEW* Rough Guide, of travel guide fame, has launched the Rough Guides Tsunami Appeal Fund. All donations made through the Rough Guide before Jan 31, 2004 will be matched by the Pearson Group (effectively doubling your contribution) which owns the Rough Guide. All donations made this way will be sent to CARE International.

*NEW* The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an urgent appeal to raise $66 million to address the public health needs in the badly stricken areas over the next six months. The WHO also has details on how exactly your money will be used.

UPDATE: Smart Travel Asia has an update for probable travellers about the situation on the ground in all the Tsunami hit areas. Vijay Verghese, the editor of STA lists a bunch of reasons why you will be contributing to the rebuilding of the hard-hit local economies and doing the region a favour by not cancelling your travel plans.

Online help for journalists covering the disaster

2005-01-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

ONLINE HELP FOR JOURNALISTS COVERING THE DISASTER

The international media assistance community has responded quickly to the tsunami in Asia by posting various tip sheets and articles to help journalists cover the disaster.

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma is a global network of journalists, journalism educators and health professionals dedicated to improving media overage of trauma, conflict and tragedy. The center's European and Australasian branches have posted numerous articles for journalists in South Asia, ranging from tips for managers covering the tsunami, to a journalists' personal account covering a tsunami in Papua New Guinea in 1998.

self-care

. Reporting Disaster: Self-care, Compassion Are Critical
http://www.dartcenter.org/articles/headlines/2004/2004_12_29a.html
. Tips and Tools: A Guide for Journalists - Self-Care for Journalists
http://www.dartcenter.org/tips_tools/journalist.html

psycosocial
. Giving Support to Disaster Survivors
http://www.dartcenter.org/articles/headlines/2005/2005_01_05.html
Johann Thoroddsen of the Icelandic Red Cross discusses constructive roles that aid organizations and journalists can fill in the aftermath of natural disasters.
. Natural Disaster and Mental Health Issues
http://www.dartcenter.org/articles/headlines/2004/2004_12_30b.html
. Images of Trauma: Dart Center Guidelines
http://www.dartcenter.org/europe/articles/news_events/images_guidelines.html

general

. Covering the Tsunami: Tips for Managers
http://www.dartcenter.org/articles/headlines/2004/2004_12_28.html

. Frontline Reporting Guidelines for Families and Managers
http://www.dartcenter.org/europe/articles/families_support/frontline_reporting.html
The Dart Center produced two brochures for families and managers of journalists who are covering conflict and tragedy.
. Advice from One Who's Been There
http://www.dartcenter.org/articles/headlines/2004/2004_12_31.html
The Dart Centre's Trina McLellan spoke to Patrick Hamilton, an award-winning photographer with national newspaper The Australian.
. Tips for Mass Casualty Disasters
http://www.dartcenter.org/articles/headlines/2004/2004_12_30.html
U.S. Army guidelines for exposure to dead human bodies.
. Tips and Tools: A Guide for Journalists - Covering Disasters
http://www.dartcenter.org/tips_tools/disasters.html

The IJNet Training Materials Library has a section on disaster reporting. Although the tip sheets are not specifically related to the tsunami, they may prove useful for journalists covering the situation in South Asia.

. Taking Care of Yourself
http://www.ijnet.org/FE_Article/Trainingdocument.asp?CID=203099&UILang=1
. Are Reporters Prepared to Cover a Disaster?
http://www.ijnet.org/FE_Article/Trainingdocument.asp?CID=25005&UILang=1
. How to Prepare a Plan of Action for Disaster Coverage
http://www.ijnet.org/FE_Article/Trainingdocument.asp?CID=25004&UILang=1
. Practical Suggestions for Journalists Covering Catastrophe
http://www.ijnet.org/FE_Article/Trainingdocument.asp?CID=203098&UILang=1
. Five Tips for Being Helpful to the Community
http://www.ijnet.org/FE_Article/Trainingdocument.asp?CID=25003&UILang=1

The U.S.-based Poynter Institute also has posted several articles and tips for both Western and Asian journalists covering the tsunami.

. The Journalist as Eyewitness
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=76244
. Numbering the Dead
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5813
Lessons for journalists and managers in news judgment and empathy.
. The Asian Tsunami: Think Globally, Locally, Journalistically
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=76241
Questions and resources for journalists to consider as they plan their coverage.
. Tsunami Aftermath Resources
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=32&aid=76316

The International News Safety Institute also has posted health warnings and tips for journalists in South Asia - particularly those in the Aceh region of Indonesia.

. Health Information for News Professionals Covering the Asian Tsunami Disaster
http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/fleet02.htm
. Earthquake aid for Indonesian journalists
http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/aji5.htm
. Earthquake/Tsunami/Warzone Alert: Warning Aceh Indonesia
http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/aceh27.htm

Other groups have dedicated parts of their Web sites to tsunami coverage:

The South Asian Journalists Association - a group of South Asian journalists in North America - has backgrounders, story ideas, news sources and a list of freelance journalists available in South Asia (http://www.saja.org/tsunami.html).

The Asia Pacific Media Network, published by the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Asia Institute, has a page with a variety of media-related stories on the tsunami (http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/tsunami/).

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Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey (KAPS)

2005-01-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)

www.cpalanka.org

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey (KAPS)

The Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey (KAPS) provides a deeper and richer understanding of the peace process in Sri Lanka, thereby building the capacity of both the Government and Civil Society organisations and institutions to understand and better meet the interests, needs and concerns of the public with regard to the current peace process.

Download the KAPS Survey 2004 as Adobe PDF documents - Executive Summary (194 kb) and KAPS 2004 Final Report (799 kb)

Download the KAPS Survey 2003 as Adobe PDF documents - Chapter 1 (1.7 mb), Chapter 2 (1.1 mb), Chapter 3 (2.6 mb), Chapter 4 (1.2 mb) and Chapter 5 (2.6 mb)

Drive for 200 tsunami volunteers

2005-01-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

Drive for 200 tsunami volunteers

More than 200 volunteers are needed to help communities devastated by the Asian tsunami to rebuild and recover, UK development charity VSO says.

There is a "pressing need" for people: from mental health workers helping traumatised Sri Lankans, to teachers in the Maldives, it says.

Education, health, social development, business and management professionals are sought for long-term positions.

Volunteers will share skills with local people, usually on two-year postings.

Occupational therapist Hilary Colston has been working in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, helping a Sri Lankan colleague to establish a new psychosocial care unit.

'No quick fix'

She said it was important to offer help, but to allow local people to lead the work.

"There is no quick fix solution," she said.

"We must recognise that it will be a slow process of offering support, respect and encouragement to those who will be administering care, because they will be dealing with their own personal trauma as well as that of their patients."

VSO chief executive Mark Goldring added: "The time is right for those who expressed an interest in volunteering to think again about how their skills can have a lasting impact on the communities affected by the disaster."

Mix of Quake Aid and Preaching Stirs Concern

2005-01-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

Copyright 1997-2005, TamilCanadian,
URL: http://www.TamilCanadian.com/
E-mail: webmaster@tamilcanadian.com

Article URL: http://www.tamilcanadian.com/pageview.php?ID=2962&SID=492

Mix of Quake Aid and Preaching Stirs Concern
Source: New York Times - January 22, 2005
By: David Rhode & Neela Banerjee

A dozen Americans walked into a relief camp here, showering bereft parents and traumatized children with gifts, attention and affection. They also quietly offered camp residents something else: Jesus.

The Americans, who all come from one church in Texas, have staged plays detailing the life of Jesus and had children draw pictures of him, camp residents said. They have told parents who lost children that they should still believe in God, and held group prayers where they tried to heal a partly paralyzed man and a deaf 12year-old girl. The attempts at proselytizing are angering local Christian leaders, who worry that they could provoke a violent backlash against Christians in Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist country that is already a religious tinderbox.

Last year, Buddhist hard-liners attacked the offices of the World Vision Christian aid group and vandalized or threatened churches and pastors 75 times. They accuse Christians of using money and social programs to cajole and coerce conversions.

Most American groups, including those affiliated with religious organizations, strictly avoid mixing aid and missionary work. But scattered reports of proselytizing in Sri Lanka; Indonesia, which is predominantly Muslim; and India, with large Hindu and Muslim populations, are arousing concerns that the good will spread by the American relief efforts may be undermined by resentment.

The Rev. Sarangika Fernando, a local Methodist minister, witnessed one of the prayer sessions in Sri Lanka and accused the Americans of acting unethically with traumatized people. "They said, 'In the name of Jesus, she must be cured!' " he said. "As a priest, I was really upset."

The Americans in Sri Lanka belong to the Antioch Community Church, an evangelical church based in Waco, Tex. Two members of the church were arrested, and accused of proselytizing, by the Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2001. When the United States invaded the country several months later, pro-American Northern Alliance forces freed the women, who church officials say did speak with Afghans about their personal "relationship with Jesus."

The Antioch Community Church is one of a growing number of evangelical groups that believe in mixing aidgiving with discussing religion, an approach that older, more established Christian aid groups like Catholic Relief Services call unethical.

In Sri Lanka, alarmed local Christian leaders say proselytizing at such a sensitive time could reverse the grass-roots interfaith cooperation that has emerged since the tsunami and endanger Christians, who make up 7 percent of the population. The country also has sizable Hindu and Muslim minorities.

The Rev. Duleep Fernando, a Methodist minister based in Colombo, the capital, brought the Americans to the camp here. Mr. Fernando said they had described themselves as humanitarian aid workers. He and other Sri Lankan Christian leaders say raising religion with traumatized refugees is unethical.

"We have told them this is not right, but now we don't have any control over them," said Mr. Fernando, who called the group's Web site postings "unnecessarily explosive."

"This is a dangerous situation," he said.

In Indonesia last week, reports that a missionary group named WorldHelp planned to raise 300 Muslim tsunami orphans in a Christian children's home in Jakarta brought an outcry from Muslims. The group later said it had never had custody of the children.

Sri Lankan refugees, camp administrators and church officials said the Americans here had identified themselves only as a humanitarian aid group. In an interview here on Wednesday, Pat Murphy, 49, a leader of the team, said the group was a nongovernmental organization, and not a church group. "It's an NGO," Mr. Murphy said. "Just your plain vanilla NGO that does aid work."

But the church's Web site says the Americans are one of four teams - for a total of 75 people - dispatched to Sri Lanka and Indonesia who have persuaded dozens of people to "come to Christ."

When the group's postings were read to Mr. Murphy, he confirmed that the Americans were from the Antioch Community Church, but said the group would never use relief goods and gifts to entice or pressure people into becoming Christians. He denied that the team, which sent about half its 24 members to work in the eastern town of Kalmunai, was trying to convert people. The church has 2,000 members.

Advertisement "We simply provide people with information," he said, "and they do with that what they like."

A Jan. 18 posting from the team in Indonesia says the country's devastated Aceh Province is "ripe for Jesus!!"

"What an opportunity," it adds. "It has been closed for five years, and the missionaries in Indonesia consider it the most militant and difficult place for ministry. The door is wide open and the people are hungry."

The Rev. Jimmy Seibert, the senior pastor of the Waco church, said in a telephone interview that the church would evaluate whether the group's members should identify themselves as aid workers. But he said the church believes missionary work and aid work "is one thing, not two separate things."

"My hope is that as a follower of Jesus they would bring who they are into the workplace," he said, "whether they are in a workplace in America or a workplace in Sri Lanka."

Older Christian aid groups like Catholic Relief Services, Lutheran World Relief and others with religious affiliations say they do not proselytize, abiding by Red Cross guidelines that humanitarian aid not be used to further political or religious purposes. Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services, said that in the last 20 years there had been an increase of smaller Christian evangelical groups providing relief aid in the wake of disaster.

"I think there are new groups that are driven by missionary zeal," Mr. Hackett said. In the last several weeks, Mr. Hackett said, his group has received anecdotal reports of proselytizing in countries devastated by the tsunami.

"From our partners in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia we've heard that there have been instances when American and other Christian groups have been proselytizing and casting aspersions on the faith of people there," he said. "Some of these groups raise questions about other faiths, saying that people would be better off if they converted to Christianity immediately."

Several American evangelical aid groups have arrived in Sri Lanka, but no reports of proselytizing by those groups have emerged, according to Sri Lankan church officials. The Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of the evangelist Billy Graham, visited Sri Lanka this week to encourage the workers of his evangelical aid organization, Samaritan's Purse, who plan to work in Sri Lanka for the next five years.

Other American evangelical aid groups, including Gospel for Asia and World Relief, are active on the country's devastated east coast, according to Sri Lankan and American aid workers.

Members of Mr. Graham's group said they did not engage in proselytizing, but said if local Christians wanted to build a church they would help them. Officials from World Relief, the aid wing of the National Association of Evangelicals, have said in interviews that they try to first build trust with local people and then look for opportunities for conversions, in some cases years later.

More evangelical groups are apparently on their way. A message posted on the Web site of the Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell says the school he founded, Liberty University, is preparing to send a team to Sri Lanka, India and other countries battered by the tsunami.

"Distribution of food and medical supplies along with the dissemination of thousands of Gospel tracts in the language of the people will keep the L.U. team very busy," the Web site says. "Mission trips to the Asian region by many L.U. students will follow in the months, and perhaps years, to come."

Ron Godwin, president of Jerry Falwell Ministries, confirmed that the Liberty Foundation was organizing a shipment of rice, medication and Scriptural excerpts, but said the primary goal of the effort was relief, not proselytizing. "Everything we do is in the name of Christ," he said. "But we try to be sensitive in areas where it may be politically sensitive, and we have no litmus test for those we give rice to."

According to the Waco church group's Web site, its teams in Sri Lanka and Indonesia are performing "children's ministry," seeing "many people saved" and continuing to "minister to families and children through prayer and evangelism."

According to its Web site, the congregation uses small groups called "cell churches" to attract new members. The reports from Indonesia and Sri Lanka refer to "cells" and "lifegroups" in both countries.

Residents of the camp here reported no healings as a result of the group's prayers. But they said they appreciated the aid and activities for children that the group provided and did not want to see them end.

Organizers in a nearby camp have declared the Americans missionaries and barred them from entering. Camp organizers here said they believed that the group was trying to convert people, but did not want to further upset the tsunami victims by cutting off the aid.

W. L. P. Wilson, 38, a disabled fisherman with a sixth-grade education, said he allowed the Americans to pray three times for the healing of his paralyzed lower leg because he was desperate to provide for his wife and three children again. Mr. Wilson, a Buddhist, said that he believed that the Americans were trying to convert him to Christianity but that he was in "a helpless situation now" and needed aid.

"They told me to always think about God and about Jesus and you will be healed," he said. "Whenever I ask for help they always mention God, but they do not give any money for treatment."

Peace dividend from tsunami?

2005-01-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

from the January 20, 2005 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0120/p07s02-wosc.html

Peace dividend from tsunami?

Norwegian team hopes to end a standoff between Sri Lanka government and Tamil rebels.

By Janaki Kremmer | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

KILINOCHCHI, SRI LANKA - A high-level peace- negotiating team from Norway arrives in Sri Lanka Thursday for a four-day visit to assess tsunami damage - and to try to break a deadlock between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels in the north.

Talks stalled last year between the two sides, which have observed a tenuous cease-fire for three years. But the tsunami may have changed the reality on the ground, encouraging cooperation on reconstruction and opening a window for compromise in a civil war that has racked the small island nation over the past two decades.

"Hopefully, the rebuilding of confidence will translate into some sort of power- sharing agreement which is urgently needed now," says Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of the Center for Policy Alternatives Studies in Colombo. "The two sides have to work together on the ground to rehabilitate the people and quickly build the institutions to do this."

The tsunami may provide an opening for peace initiatives elsewhere as well. Indonesia's foreign minister, Hassan Wirayuda, said Wednesday he hoped to start talks this month with rebels in Aceh - the first since May 2003.

Last year, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) put forward a proposal for a five-year interim self-governing authority, or ISGA. But the government balked, charging that such an agreement would lay the groundwork for an independent Tamil state in the Tamil majority north and east. The government is interested in discussing the ISGA only in the context of a final accord - something the LTTE has rejected so far.

Before the tsunami struck, growing tensions between the government and the rebels, who control two-thirds of the northeast, had raised concerns about renewed fighting.

"The LTTE were reportedly getting stronger every day," says Jehan Perera the director of the independent National Peace Council, in Colombo, adding that the rebels felt they had gained little from the cease-fire.

"However," he says, "it is believed that the military capability of the LTTE has been badly hurt by the wave, and thousands of their people have been affected. There is the added situation of having foreign troops on the ground, including US troops, which will make them think twice about war."

In an interview at the group's political headquarters in Kilinochchi, about 180 miles north of Colombo, the political head of the LTTE insisted that the government should agree to the five-year period stipulated in the ISGA proposal, adding that he would "not rule out" extending it because tsunami destruction might cause more delays to the reconstruction of the LTTE-held areas.

"We are right now concerned with humanitarian issues and giving immediate relief to make the people stand up on their feet again, and any extensions of the time frame will have to be reconsidered after this is over," says S.P. Thamilselvam, an authoritative, youthful figure who walks with a stick from an injury sustained in the conflict.

About 120,000 people in the Tamil-held areas have been displaced by the tsunami, adding to the burden of the thousands displaced during the war itself.

Government sources say that it would be unfortunate if the LTTE used the tsunami as an excuse to buy more time. "Since the cease-fire, people have been able to buy most goods and travel from the north to the south freely and cheaply by road," says K. Ganesh, the government agent in Jaffna district in the north, where both government forces and the LTTE operate. "The fishermen can go further than [the half-mile limit imposed by the government] from the shore to fish in deeper waters. They want a permanent solution."

But independent analysts say that in private discussions with the government, the LTTE has indicated that it might be willing to negotiate on the terms of the ISGA.

Norway sponsored and facilitated the 2002 peace talks in Sri Lanka between the LTTE and the government. The delegation arriving Thursday, which includes Foreign Minister Jan Petersen and International Development Minister Hilde Johnson, will focus first on working through international agencies, local NGOs, and Norwegian organizations to meet the urgent needs of the displaced, as well as on a rebuilding strategy.

The team is expected to travel to the south and to visit the devastated north, including Mullaitivu, where the Tamil minority suffered greatly, and which is also the base for the rebel group's fledgling navy.

"The aim of the visit will be to rebuild confidence between the two sides, which has been shattered due to allegations by the Tamils of poor tsunami relief arrangements for the Tamil majority areas, by the government," says Mr. Saravanamuttu.

The peace team from Norway is also expected to try to facilitate the release of $4.5 billion for general reconstruction, promised from donor countries before the tsunami.

"This new arrangement might involve an international component, which will monitor how the funds are used and will also reassure both sides," says Mr. Perera. "The LTTE will be assured that the government won't drag its feet, and the government will be reassured that the LTTE won't use the funds to rebuild its navy, which was damaged in the tsunami."

Full HTML version of this story which may include photos, graphics, and related links

Confusion surrounds Sri Lanka tsunami death toll

2005-01-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

Confusion surrounds Sri Lanka tsunami death toll

21 Jan 2005 13:54:21 GMT

Source: Reuters

It is now impossible to get officials to agree on a figure. The sheer numbers involved are part of the problem. Natural disasters in the island rarely kill more than a few dozen people. Even the toll from Sri Lanka's 20-year of ethnic war stands at 64,000 dead.By Arjuna Wickramasinghe COLOMBO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Sri Lankans trying to come to terms with piles of corpses left by a tsunami may never know the actual death toll because of the disaster's unprecedented scale, different methods of counting and the politics of an ethnic war. After surging almost daily in the immediate aftermath of the Dec. 26 catastrophe, the toll stabilised at around 30,000 until the beginning of last week. Then the public security ministry added 7,275 victims to its count, taking the toll over 38,000. The Centre for National Operations (CNO), which was set up to coordinate relief work after the tsunami, has since stuck to its tally of 30,956 people. Adding to the confusion, the government's recovery plan put the toll at around 40,000 with 6,000 missing, according to documents obtained by Reuters on Friday. "The discrepancies are at the collection point of information, the CNO gets the information from the government agents while the public security ministry gets it from the police," said Niranjan De Soyza, Media Coordinator at the CNO. "I think neither figure is 100 percent correct but, the closest to reality depends on whom you trust the most -- the police or the government agents," he said on Friday Across the Indian Ocean region the death toll has topped 225,000 with Indonesia taking the biggest hit. Hundreds were washed out to sea by the walls of water that devastated the island's southern and eastern coasts. Thousands were buried rapidly in mass graves. Officials say methods used to count the dead could also lead to discrepancies. Tilak Ranavirajah, secretary of the public security ministry, says the jump in his toll represents a backlog of figures coming in from the regions and not the discovery of new corpses. Then there is the complication of counting bodies across the battlefronts that went cold three years ago when Tamil Tiger rebels signed a truce with the government. The official toll includes 102 dead from government forces stationed along the seaboard. The government says that while losses to the military are manageable the tsunami dealt a big blow to the rebels' fighting capacity. The Tigers put their death toll at six "There are more Tiger cadres in these areas than average civilians so it defies logic when they say only six of their men died," said Iqbal Athas, correspondent of Jane's Defence weekly. The rebels accuse the government of deliberately inflating their death toll for "short-term military gain". "Only six of our cadres died in the tsunami. The government is trying to say it's more, but they are lying," Daya Master, a spokesman for the rebels told Reuters.

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The Global Shock Wave

2005-01-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

The Drum Beat - Issue 283 - Tsunami Communication Responses January 24 2005

2005-01-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

The Drum Beat - Issue 283 - Tsunami Communication Responses January 24 2005

from The Communication Initiative...global forces...local choices...critical voices...telling stories...

Partners: BBC World Service Trust, Bernard van Leer Foundation, CFSC Consortium, The CHANGE Project, CIDA, DFID, Exchange, FAO, Ford Foundation, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, OneWorld, The Panos Institute, PCI, The Rockefeller Foundation, Soul City, The Synergy Project, UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID, WHO.

Chair of the Partners Group: Garth Japhet, Soul City garthj@soulcity.org.za
Director: Warren Feek wfeek@comminit.com http://www.comminit.com

Subscribe to The Drum Beat: http://www.comminit.com/subscribe_drumbeat.html

***

On December 26 2004, an earthquake and a series of tsunamis wrecked havoc in the Indian Oceans' coastal communities. Numbers do little to communicate the extent of the tragedy and the gravity of the situation, but as of January 14 2005, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 157,464 persons dead, 27,303 persons missing, and 1,167,006 persons displaced in South Asia, South East Asia, and East Africa (see http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://aric.adb.org/asiantsunami/numbers_casualties.asp). On January 20 2005, BBC News reported that the number of people known to have died in the disaster had reached 220,000 (see http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4190375.stm).

This issue of the Drum Beat explores some of the roles that communication has played in the aftermath of this particular natural disaster, and highlights some of the strategic ways that communication might be drawn upon to respond to or prevent such devastation in the future.

Please send contributions for The Communication Initiative website and The Drum Beat to the Editor, Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com

***

COMMUNICATION AS AN AID

1. Phone Call Saved Scores of Indian Villagers from Tsunami
by Chin Saik Yoon - Digital Review of Asia Pacific This article relates the role of Vijayakumar Gunasekaran, the son of a fisherman from Nallavadu village (Pondicherry, India) who works in Singapore. "As the seriousness of the disaster in Aceh sank in he began to worry about the safety of his family living along the Indian coastline facing Aceh. He decided to phone home...[H]is sister answered the phone. She told him that seawater was seeping into their home when he asked what was happening in Nallavadu...He asked his sister to quickly leave their home and to also warn other villagers to evacuate the village. 'Run out and shout the warning to others' he urged his sister...The warning from Vijayakumar, collaborated at this time by a second overseas telephone call from Gopu, another villager working abroad, was broadcast across the village using the loud-speaker system. The village's siren was sounded immediately afterwards for the people to evacuate. No one was killed in this village as a result of the timely warnings."
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-964.html

2. South Asian Tsunami Relief
NetHope and its partners have devised a system for making portable Internet technology available to those in even the most remote coastal communities affected by the catastrophe. Still in a prototype stage, NetReliefKits (NRKs) are rugged, suitcase-sized, wireless-based voice and data communications devices with access to the Internet via a mobile satellite station. According to this report, the device "can be made operable within hours of a disaster striking. The NRK may be powered by mains as well as car battery." The purpose of the tool is to provide an easy-to-set up and operate communications hub for disaster management. NetHope is shipping a total of 5 NRKs to the region; one will be installed in a mobile van.
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-977.html

3. Internews Assists the Sole Radio Station Back on the Air in Aceh
Internews responded to the tsunamis by providing a radio station in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh with a suitcase radio transmitter and computer equipment. "Suara Aceh" (Voice of Aceh) thereby became an emergency radio station through its broadcasts of health and relief aid information. Internews plans to install a second suitcase radio station in Meulaboh and to set up small radio stations in the International Displaced Persons camps in Aceh; inexpensive radio transistor sets are being donated to the camps' inhabitants. Internews is also helping build an emergency media centre in Aceh. A team is meeting with radio, print, and television journalists from local media outlets and with the local branch of the new broadcasting commission to devise short- and long-term needs for reconstructing the media there.
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-963.html

4. Early Warning? Ask Nicobar's Stone-agers
by Ranjit Devraj - Inter Press Service (IPS) "Stone-age tribes living on India's remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands not only survived the devastating December 26 tsunami...but may actually have a few lessons in reading natural early-warning systems for their less perceptive Asian neighbors, say scientists....[T]he Onges, Jarawas, Sentinalese and Great Andamanese who live in the archipelago escaped unscathed because they took to the forests and higher ground well in time. 'These tribes live close to nature and are known to heed biological warning signs like changes in the cries of birds and the behavior patterns of land and marine animals'."
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-966.html

SEE ALSO:

* Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service (DARES) Foundation Because the Indonesian Government does not allow foreign radio amateurs or foreign radio equipment to enter Indonesian territory, this organisation "will focus on a long-term plan to sponsor a Winlink2000-station in Asia in order to help regional hams to prepare their ARES-system on future disasters and give them the opportunity to establish worldwide email-contact even without internet access not only when disaster strikes but also under normal circumstances."
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.dares.nl/tsunami_disaster.htm

***

Internews has launched an urgent appeal to support local journalists in the tsunami-ravaged areas of Asia. Local independent media in these areas are vital in assuring that important public health and relief information reaches the most vulnerable in their communities; rehabilitating their capacity (by, for instance, getting local radio stations back up and running) is critical to the humanitarian response, says Internews.

For more information on how to help, contact JoAnne Sullivan, Internews Director of Development at (202) 833-5740 ext. 208 or jsullivan@internews.org OR visit http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.internews.org/prs/tsunami/tsunami_relief_050105.html

To make a donation: http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.internews.org/about/donations.htm

***

COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES & DEFICIENCIES

5. Helicopter Journalism: What's Missing in the Tsunami Coverage
by Danny Schechter - Mediachannel.org
This analysis piece critiques "helicopter journalism", which Schechter describes as "distanced 'outside-in' reporting that accesses few if any sources in the country itself, does not speak the language, and does not explain much about what is going on. It's like the foreign correspondent who flies into a conflict zone for an afternoon and gets most of his information from a taxi driver." Reflecting on media reports from the tsunami disaster, Schechter raises a number of questions about the media's strategy for sharing information in, and raising awareness about, emergencies. His conclusion: "As the crisis deepens, the journalism has not."
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-965.html

6. Tsunami Disaster: A Failure in Science Communication
by David Dickson - SciDev.net
"At the heart of the devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunamis lies a failure to communicate scientific information adequately to either decision-makers or the community." Based on this assessment, David Dickson urges that any future plans include provisions for developing and making use of the professional skills of journalists in general, and science journalists in particular. These skills, Dickson explains, involve the capacity not merely to spew facts, but the more complex ability to "identify and make comprehensible the potential impact of such information on the lives of readers, listeners or viewers." Along with communication's power during times of crisis comes what Dickson describes as a weighty responsibility among journalists to ensure the accuracy of the information they are communicating; the Internet can be a useful tool here, he suggests.
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-973.html

7. Gender and Natural Disasters: Why We Should Be Focusing on a Gender Perspective of the Tsunami Disaster
by Rochelle Jones - Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) Jones argues that, in the aftermath of such catastrophes as the tsunami, disaster management plans and humanitarian assistance must be linked with gender dynamics in order to "precipitate a greater understanding of what is needed to ensure that women's unique circumstances during natural disasters are not only recognized, but acted upon." That is, while the physical aspects of natural disasters are fixed, "the social and economic aspects are not. They can be reshaped, used and sometimes abused." In the best cases, she suggests, natural disasters can even become a platform for social change: Using such communication tools as the media and such strategies as community mobilisation, women can voice their vulnerabilities, reduce their invisibility, and restructure misguided gendered conceptions that limit them - during disasters and beyond.
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-976.html

SEE ALSO:

* 2004 Tsunami Disaster - Scholarly and Factual Analyses
Offered by the Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library (The Australian National University, Canberra), this document catalogues web links to online analyses and discussions of the demographic, economic, political, and security implications of the disaster.
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVLPages/AsiaPages/Tsunami-Analyses.html

***

Pulse Opinions
http://www.comminit.com/pulse.html

Explicit attention to culture - both of the implementers and the stakeholders - is crucial to the success of all development projects.

Do you agree or disagree?

[For context, please see http://www.comminit.com/drum_beat_281.html]

VOTE and COMMENT!
http://www.comminit.com/pulse.html

***

COMMUNICATION AS A PREVENTIVE TO DISASTER

8. Wave of Change: How to Build a Global Internet Tsunami Warning System
by Robert X. Cringely - Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) In lieu of a time-consuming, expensive, global cooperation effort, Cringely claims, it is various localised, community-based processes that will be the key to preventing a tsunami catastrophe from happening again. In short, his idea is "what we care about here is not global tsunami warning but LOCAL tsunami warning (Is it going to hit MY beach?)." In this commentary, he lays out such a framework, arguing that "You don't even need broadband. The data is available, processing power is abundant and cheap. With local effort, there is no reason why every populated beach on earth can't have a practical tsunami warning system up and running a month from now."
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-967.html

9. Text Messages Aid Disaster Recovery
by Clark Boyd - BBC News
"Text messaging technology was a valuable communication tool in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The messages can get through even when the cell phone signal is too weak to sustain a spoken conversation. Now some are studying how the technology behind SMS [Short Message Service] could be better used during an emergency....The idea is to use open-source software - software can be used by anyone without commercial restraint - and a far-flung network of talent to create a system that links those in need with those who can help..."
http://www.comminit.com/trends/ctrends2005/trends-220.html

10. National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET) - Nepal
The Kathmandu-based NSET is a non-government, non-profit organisation using communication in an effort to help Nepalese communities become earthquake-safe. NSET uses low-tech innovations, interpersonal channels, and the media to mobilise community members of all ages to be aware of their vulnerabilities to earthquakes, and to develop and implement organised approaches to manage and minimise earthquake risks within the buildings in which they live, learn, and work. Participation is at the forefront in such activities as the shake table demonstration, Earthquake Safety Day (ESD) activities, and the Environmental Mapping Programme.
http://www.comminit.com/experiences/pds2005/experiences-2879.html
Contact nset@nset.org.np

SEE ALSO:

* "Responding to the Tsunami Tragedy: Women Must be at the Heart of Rebuilding Shattered Communities" - Statement by Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.unifem.org/pressreleases.php?f_page_pid=6&f_pritem_pid=185

***

ConunDRUMs
http://www.comminit.com/conundrums.html

NEW Feature!!

Tides of Hope?
http://www.comminit.com/conundrums/conundrums/conundrums-10.html

Warren Feek suggests some overall communication strategies for the longer term redevelopment process in communities and countries affected by the earthquake and tsunami. He argues that the necessary culture of short term relief and care should not extend to the long term. All agencies need to ensure that solid development communication principles guide the longer term interventions. 6 specific strategies are proposed.
http://www.comminit.com/conundrums/conundrums/conundrums-10.html

For other ConunDRUMs please go to
http://www.comminit.com/conundrums.html

If you would like to receive copies of ConunDRUMs by email as they are released, please contact Deanna Brotherston dbrotherston@comminit.com and specify "Please send me ConunDRUMs by email."

***

ONLINE RESOURCES

11. South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog
This interactive, participatory website provides news and information about resources, aid, donations, and volunteer efforts.
http://www.comminit.com/links/linksngos/links-1552.html

12. Family Links
This ICRC website is meant to help those separated by conflict or disaster in a number of regions around the world to find information about their loved ones in order to restore contact.
http://www.comminit.com/links/linksngos/links-1553.html

13. Indian Ocean Disaster Relief Portal (Tsunamihelp) - Global
This web portal project is an effort to share information and resources with victims of the disaster through voluntary, participatory citizen journalist reporting. Maintained by Wikinews creators, including the creators of The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog (SEA-EAT), the Indian Ocean Disaster Relief Portal (Tsunamihelp) organises information into an interactive online emergency database that shares resources in the form of news and images, as well as support and relief. The specific type of technology being used is Wiki, which is a website (or other hypertext documents collection) allowing users to add or edit content freely. Wikinews' mission is "to create a diverse community where anyone can independently report the news on a wide variety of current events."
http://www.comminit.com/experiences/pds2005/experiences-2890.html
Contact Peter Griffin zigzackly@gmail.com OR Dina Mehta explore@vsnl.com OR Bala Pitchandi bala.pitchandi@gmail.com

14. Voices and Actions of Youth on the Tsunami
Coordinated by Voices of Youth (UNICEF), this online discussion forum is designed to enable youth to talk about the tsunami and what they can do to help.
http://www.comminit.com/discussionforums/discussionforums/dforums-215.html

15. Asia Regional Information Center (ARIC)'s Asian Tsunami subsite
Launched by the Asia Regional Information Center (ARIC) of the Asian Development Bank to provide updates on the disaster, this subsite includes updated casualty figures, links to news reports, country and international responses, and impact assessments.
http://www.comminit.com/links/linksunmulti/links-1554.html

***

This issue was written by Kier Olsen DeVries.

***

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

Please send material for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com

To reproduce any portion of The Drum Beat, see http://www.comminit.com/help.html#copyright for our policy.

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To unsubscribe, reply to this message with "unsubscribe" as the subject.

Development should mean more than survival

2005-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

'Sustainable development' leaves the poor vulnerable to natural disasters.
by Daniel Ben-Ami

The agencies involved in the Tsunami Earthquake Appeal have emphasised that they are concerned with more than emergency relief, and will also work on long-term development in the regions hit by the tsunami. But what they mean by longer term help is not immediately clear.

See full article here - http://www.spiked-online.com/printable/0000000CA883.htm

Tsunami deaths soar past 212,000

2005-01-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

Tsunami deaths soar past 212,000

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia is reporting a staggering new death toll from the tsunami disaster as recovery efforts slowly resolve the fates of tens of thousands of missing people.

The Indonesian Health Ministry says the December 26 earthquake and tsunamis killed 166,320 people in Indonesia, double the previous official figure.

The latest figures out of Indonesia now put the regional death toll for the Indian Ocean disaster at 212,611.

The new death numbers reflected the latest reports from the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, both in the path of the killer tsunamis spawned by a magnitude 9 earthquake the day after Christmas, Dodi Indrasanto, a director at the Health Ministry, told Reuters.

Authorities say 6,245 people are listed as missing in Indonesia.

But Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, speaking before the latest figures were released, told a donor conference in Jakarta the true extent of the catastrophe defied description.

"Perhaps we will never know the exact scale of the human casualties," he said.

Officials have warned that compiling accurate figures for those killed or missing from the tsunami is almost impossible as many people were swept away by the waves into sea, while others were buried under rubble and mud.

Three weeks after the tsunami struck, relief workers and militaries are trying to help the survivors and rebuild communities.

Indonesia's defense minister said the military is sending 5,000 more soldiers to the region to help with reconstruction efforts.

So far aid workers have been able to prevent outbreaks of measles, malaria, diarrhea in massive refugee camps set up around the region after experts warned that hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk of disease.

But survivors, living in makeshift accommodation around water lying in stagnant pools and swamps left by the tsunami, are still at risk.

They are "straining to stay ahead of a wide range of threats to a severely weakened, still disoriented and beleaguered population," said Bob Dietz, the World Health Organization spokesman in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

"I still sense a precarious situation."

Most survivors have been getting food aid, and workers are now trying to make sure they get a healthy diet, including canned fish, cooking oil with added vitamin A and fortified biscuits, The Associated Press reported.

Indonesian authorities are taking steps to assure international donors that money pouring in for relief efforts won't go to corrupt officials, and they have appointed the accounting firm Ernst & Young to track relief donations.

So far, governments and agencies have pledged some $4 billion.

Meanwhile, a group of experts is meeting in Kobe, Japan to talk about lessons learnt from last month's quake and tsunamis.

Key to the meeting is laying the foundation for an Indian Ocean tsunami early warning system, similar to one set up in the Pacific.

The U.N. has proposed a system in the Indian Ocean -- including offshore detection buoys and a communications center -- that would cost $30 million and go into operation by mid-2006.

Experts say well-placed breakwaters, quake-proof seawalls, detailed hazard maps showing danger areas and well-defined evacuation routes and shelters are also needed, according to the AP.

In Tamil Nadu, the Indian state where more than 8,000 people died, state officials have come up with an alternative solution. They are planning to plant 3 billion casuarina, coconut and cashew saplings along the coast after discovering that villages that survived were protected by forest cover.

Sri Lanka is launching an extremely ambitious plan to rebuild parts of the country wiped out in the tsunami disaster.

By some estimates, almost two-thirds of Sri Lanka's coastal region was destroyed, including hundreds of thousands of homes.

The so-called "Rebuilding Nation" program is expected to cost $3.5 billion. It includes plans for constructing new townships, replanning transportation networks, and improving telecommunications infrastructure.

The U.N. head of emergency relief has warned that a natural disaster in any of the world's largest cities could set off a catastrophe that could be 100 times worse than the Indian Ocean tsunamis.

"Perhaps the most frightening prospect would be to have a truly megadisaster in a megacity," Jan Egeland, the U.N. Director of Disaster Relief, told delegates from 150 nations at the Kobe summit.

"Then we could have not only a tsunami-style casualty rate as we have seen late last year, but we could see one hundred times that in a worst case."

Megacities are densely concentrated cities, with a population of 10 million or more, and Egeland said time is running short for some of the largest cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The five most populated cities in the world are the greater Tokyo area with 35.3 million people, Mexico City with 19 million, New York-Newark with 18.5 million and Bombay and Sao Paulo both with a population of 18.3 million, U.N. figures show.

The United Nations is also calling for the world's children to be educated in disaster reduction and prevention in the next 10 years.

Asian tsunami casualty tol

2005-01-19T17:32:00.001-08:00

Asian tsunami casualty toll ^a
	Deaths	Missing
Indonesia	113,306	10,000+
Sri Lanka	30,718	5,000+
India	10,022	5,617
Thailand	5,305	3,498
Somalia	114	n/a
Maldives	82	26
Malaysia	68	6
Myanmar	59	n/a
Tanzania	10	n/a
Bangladesh	2	n/a
Kenya	1	n/a
Seychelles	Unconfirmed reports of deaths	n/a
Total	159,687	n/a
a As of January 9^th. All figures are expected to rise.
Sources: World Health Organisation; UN; Reuters; CNN

Sri Lanka Tsunami Aid

Joint Mechanism: Four Months and Counting! What’s Next?

'We can't expect foreigners to come here to cry for us'

H-NET AND TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS

H-NET AND TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS: URGENT APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE

Tsunami Event Database

Massive earthquake causes panic in Asia

Surfing paradise suffers second disaster

Indian Ocean quake causes panic

Quake Strikes Island Off Sumatra; 290 People Killed, AP Says

Small tsunami reported at Cocos Islands

It's in the top eight since 1900

Latest UNJLC update

OXFAM Australia - 3 month update

Sarvodaya status report - 3 months on

Refugee Babies: The Lasting Effects of Tsunami Aid in Sri Lanka

Refugee Babies: The Lasting Effects of Tsunami Aid in Sri Lanka

LTTE Needs Assessment

Tsunami Relief Via Laptop

Tsunami Relief Via Laptop

Latest report on ICRC activities in the field

Sri Lanka Bulletin No. 5 – 2nd of March 2005

Help Provincial Journalists get back to work

Report on the Workshop on Post-Tsunami Reconstruction of Sri Lanka

Resources for Sri Lanka

Radios for Sri Lanka

Draft concept paper on early warning systems for Sri Lanka

Land Issues arising from Ethnic Conflict and Tsunami

Post-Tsunami Reconnect project

Progressive Organizations that need your support

Finding Sri Lanka, and then discovering it

Finding Sri Lanka, and then discovering it

A month after: Opportunities and dangers

Donors Press Release

From Tragedy to Slavery

From Tragedy to Slavery

By Juliette Terzieff, AlterNet Posted on January 24, 2005, Printed on January 25, 2005 http://www.alternet.org/story/21030/

© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21030/

Flash presentation on tsunami in Sri Lanka

Great new GIS tool !

Appeal for volunteers

Following are experts who can comment on various aspects of the devastating tsunamis in Asia:

Tsunami Resources - from Zoo Station Blog

Online help for journalists covering the disaster

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey (KAPS)

Drive for 200 tsunami volunteers

Mix of Quake Aid and Preaching Stirs Concern

Peace dividend from tsunami?

Peace dividend from tsunami?

Confusion surrounds Sri Lanka tsunami death toll

The Global Shock Wave

The Drum Beat - Issue 283 - Tsunami Communication Responses January 24 2005

Development should mean more than survival

Tsunami deaths soar past 212,000

Tsunami deaths soar past 212,000

Asian tsunami casualty tol

By Juliette Terzieff, AlterNet
Posted on January 24, 2005, Printed on January 25, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21030/

© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21030/