Links

A place to stay, a place to live: Challenges in providing shelter in India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka after the tsunami [pdf 155K)

This Oxfam briefing paper highlights problems that have slowed the provision of permanent shelter for the tsunami ravaged countries of India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The paper argues that humanitarian agencies lacked the know-how and expertise to lead a mass building exercise, and some international agencies could have worked better with civil authorities, by acknowledging local expertise and experience. On the part of civil administrations, there were gaps in their understanding of their duties to the victims of the tsunami: to provide adequate shelter first, but then to properly consult communities on their opinions and needs. Both governments and agencies need to be more open and transparent with the 1.4 million people who are still displaced.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/issues/conflict_disasters/downloads/bn_tsunami_shelter.pdf

(Added: Thu Jan 19 2006   Hits: 227)

After the Tsunami: Human Rights of Vulnerable Populations

After the Tsunami: Human Rights of Vulnerable Populations is based on interviews conducted by research teams in March and April 2005 with hundreds of tsunami survivors, government officials, human rights activists, and aid workers in five tsunami-affected countries-India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Thailand.

http://www.eastwestcenter.org/res-rp-publicationdetails.asp?pub_ID=1961

(Added: Mon Nov 28 2005   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 357)

Building Back Better [PDF]

A 12-month update on UNICEF's work to rebuild children's lives and restore hope since the Tsunami.

http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_30335.html

(Added: Mon Jan 09 2006   Modified: Thu Jan 11 2007   Hits: 133)

Curbing Corruption in Tsunami Relief Operations

Humanitarian relief and reconstruction following natural disasters is particularly vulnerable to corruption. Sudden flows of large amounts of money, goods and services, pressure to deliver aid quickly, as well as the substantial economic opportunities that arise from large-scale reconstruction, all contribute to increasing the risk of corruption, waste and mismanagement. Given the scale and scope of the relief and reconstruction required following the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Transparency International (TI) and the Indonesian Government jointly hosted a two-day meeting on preventing corruption in tsunami relief. (Asian Development Bank, 2005)

http://www.transparency.org/regional_pages/asia_pacific

(Added: Fri Jun 02 2006   Hits: 135)

Joint Evaluation of the International Response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami: Synthesis Report [pdf]

Our efforts to respond to the tsunami have placed in sharp relief both strengths and weaknesses in the way we organize ourselves when faced with such massive challenges. This report includes both praise and uncomfortable reading, it identifies important lessons and an agenda for reform that deserve careful analysis and an appropriate response (Tsunami Evaluation Coalition, July 2006)

http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2006/tec-tsunami-14jul.pdf

(Added: Mon Jul 17 2006   Modified: Tue Sep 19 2006   Hits: 149)

Report of DFID's reponse to the Indian Ocean Tsunami (pdf)

In the National Audit Office's report, Britain's Department for International Development was praised for its speed in response to the tsunami. However, DFID is committed to learning lessons from what was done in order to improve future efforts. To that end the department has asked advisors and independent experts to undertake an extensive review process, culminating in this report. (DFID, March 2006)

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/report-dfid-response-tsunami.pdf

(Added: Fri May 05 2006   Hits: 138)

The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC)

The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC) is a unique, sector-wide learning and accountability initiative. Its purpose is two-fold: To promote a sector-wide approach to evaluations of the tsunami response in order to optimise sector-wide learning; To develop procedures for the future establishment of such an evaluation coordination mechanism that could facilitate such an approach.

http://www.alnap.org/tec/

(Added: Mon Nov 28 2005   Modified: Tue Nov 29 2005   Hits: 194)

Tsunami Aid or Debt Cancellation! The Political Economy of Post Tsunami Reconstruction

by Damien Millet & Eric Toussaint. December 26, 2004, the day after Christmas, darkness dawned on the countries of the Indian Ocean regions. An earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale resulted in a tsunami tidal wave that devastated coastal areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Myanmar, the Seychelles and India. There have been unbearable scenes of death and destruction and despair among the survivors. Poverty breeds vulnerability, thus aggravating the consequences of the natural disaster like tsunami further increasing the levels of deprivation. The beaming of this disaster awakened the collective consciousness of people across the globe and generated waves of generosity among the viewers. There was overwhelming response to the immediate needs of the victims but their long term development needs continues to be a major challenge because the multiple impacts of the tsunami have further intensified the burden of economic crisis on the poor. The studies presented in this book by Damien Millet, Eric Toussaint and Francois Houtart analyses the link between the post tsunami reconstruction and the cancellation of the multi and bilateral aid of the tsunami affected countries. They have argued that even before the tsunami ravaged the coast lines, the coastal poor were suffering from the powerful neo-liberal wave. The servicing of the debt which accounts for the colossal amount is a major obstacle to the development of these countries.

http://www.vakindia.org/book2.html

(Added: Mon Nov 28 2005   Hits: 193)

Tsunami Evaluation Coalition: Initial Findings [PDF]

This is an initial report from the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC). The TEC is a collaborative effort by aid agencies (donor governments' aid departments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organisations, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement) to improve humanitarian systems by learning from the response to the earthquake and tsunamis of 26 December 2004. Another aim of the TEC is to provide some accountability for the humanitarian system to both the giving and receiving publics. The TEC carried out five joint thematic evaluations; on the donor response, co-ordination, needs assessment, the impact on local and national capacities, and the linkage of relief with rehabilitation and long-term development.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6KG2QR?OpenDocument

(Added: Mon Jan 09 2006   Modified: Mon Sep 11 2006   Hits: 144)

WHO Conference on the Health Aspects of the Tsunami Disaster in Asia

Phuket, Thailand, 4-6 May 2005. The WHO Conference on the Health Aspects of the Tsunami Disaster in Asia - convened at senior policy and expert practitioner level - will focus on the lessons learnt in the health sector response to tsunami crisis response and the early phase of recovery, in the broader framework of efforts undertaken by the affected countries supported by international assistance.

http://www.who.int/hac/events/tsunamiconf/en/index.html

(Added: Mon May 09 2005   Modified: Fri Sep 01 2006   Hits: 192)