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Aid agencies stymied by war in Sri Lanka

Nineteen months after the tsunami brought Sri Lanka an unprecedented rush of charity from abroad, international aid agencies find themselves hemmed in not only by surging violence in a long-running civil war but also by suspicion, hostility and, on occasion, deadly attacks. As the civil war between the rebel Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government continues to escalate, aid workers face increasingly difficult -- and dangerous -- conditions in the south Asian country. A number of high-profile attacks against humanitarian agencies and aid workers in the past month, along with restricted access to conflict zones and a lack of cooperation from the Sri Lankan government, have made humanitarian and aid missions much more difficult than in the past. (Shimali Senanayake and Somini Sengupta, International Herald Tribune /The New York Times, August 17, 2006)

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/17/news/lanka.php

(Added: Mon Aug 21 2006   Hits: 58)

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: 158)

Tsunami - 6 Months After [PDF]

Plan International, June 2005. At the end of December 2004, Plan joined people from neighbouring communities, local governmental and voluntary organisations, and the international community to respond to the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. It seems appropriate now both to reflect on what has happened since the tsunami struck, and to look at the work in the months and years ahead.

http://www.plan-international.org/pdfs/TsunamiReport.pdf#search=%22Tsunami%20-%206%20Months%20After%22

(Added: Mon Nov 14 2005   Modified: Mon Sep 18 2006   Hits: 103)

Relief and Supply News and Knowledge Base for Tsunami-hit Aceh and elsewhere

Articles were researched and edited to be as succinct as possible about relief and supply needs. Indicative lead paragraphs listed under the issue (week to) date are for the reader to browse the week's research and only click what's of interest. Reference links are provided at the end of articles in case readers want to see the research sources, etc. Articles page has news updates and reviews added since the Boxing Day tsunamis. A table of Articles from 29 Dec 04 to 16 Feb 05 indicates the progress in researching and writing articles for the Relief and Rescue Phase which lasted until Easter. Since Easter Monday when Nias islands off North Sumatra were hit again, another heavy earthquaker, Indonesia decided on forming a body to progress both Aceh and Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. All the news and knowledge base on the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction phase is found in www.indonesia.relief.org for which Oznewz provides Aus-NZ Supply articles as trade correspondent.

http://freewebs.com/oznewz

(Added: Wed Aug 03 2005   Modified: Fri Sep 01 2006   Hits: 79)

The Indian Ocean tsunami crisis: humanitarian dimensions

ODI Humanitarian Policy Group. 11 January 2005 This note highlights some of the humanitarian issues raised by the catastrophe in the Indian Ocean region. This note, contains some preliminary reflections on the nature of the catastrophe and the responses to it, including lessons from the past. It provides a series of links to relevant papers, websites and other sources, including research conducted by ODI.

http://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/Tsunami.html

(Added: Tue Apr 26 2005   Modified: Fri Sep 01 2006   Hits: 158)

Community funding for long-term, post-tsunami rehabilitation

InfoChange News & Features, February 2005. By Pushpa Sundar. Now that victims of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami have been provided immediate relief, governments and voluntary organisations must do some out-of-the-box thinking to create a permanent source of funding for development efforts. In this connection, the community foundation model offers the greatest possibility for decentralised and long-term funding of local needs

http://www.infochangeindia.org/analysis64.jsp

(Added: Mon Mar 07 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 146)

East Timor's lessons for tsunami recovery

BBC, Wednesday, 9 February, 2005 . By David Loyn, Developing World Correspondent in East Timor. The international development community faces its biggest challenge in living memory in rebuilding the countries devastated by the tsunami. Indonesia alone will need $4.5bn (£2.4bn). The World Bank will take the leading role, acting as a clearing house for money raised by many government donors, as well as attempting to co-ordinate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the ground.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4250601.stm

(Added: Fri Feb 11 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 129)

Civicus: Tsunami Response

The terrible tsunami tragedy that has transformed the shores of the Indian Ocean in both Asia and Africa, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and seriously affecting the livelihoods of millions of people in many countries, raises many challenges for civil society. On this page, CIVICUS members reflect on how they are responding to the tragedy and how you can assist them in their response. The page also provides a number of useful on-line links and resources relating to civil society's role in this disaster.

http://www.civicus.org/new/content/tsunamis1.htm

(Added: Mon Feb 07 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 110)

Untouchability: What the tsunami couldn't wash away

InfoChange. The dalit survivors of the tsunami were reportedly thrown out of relief camps, barred from using makeshift toilets, and given stale food. What will it take to wash away this powerful and destructive caste order that is so firmly rooted in Indian society, asks Chandra Bhan Prasad.

http://www.infochangeindia.org/analysis58.jsp

(Added: Mon Feb 07 2005   Modified: Mon Sep 04 2006   Hits: 121)

Thailand: Discriminatory relief operations and forced deportation against Burmese migrant workers affected by the tsunami

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), 19 January 2005. The AHRC is extremely concerned about the discriminatory relief operations against Burmese migrant workers affected by the tsunami by the Thai authorities. According to the latest information, due to the tsunami, about 2,300 Burmese workers were killed, 4,000 went missing, and over 3,000 are taking shelter at an abandoned construction sites without any humanitarian assistance. These Burmese workers are mainly in two provinces; Phangnga and Phuket province. While Thai citizens and foreign tourists affected by the tsunami have received proper humanitarian aid facilitated by the Thai authorities, the Burmese migrant workers are totally isolated and have received no assistance. Send a letter, fax or an email to the Minister of Labour urging that immediate relief be provided to Burmese migrant workers affected by tsunami and their forced deportation be stopped.

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2005/922

(Added: Fri Jan 28 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 233)

Rapid health assessments begin along Aceh coast

WHO, 14 January 2005. Rapid health assessments have begun along the coast of Aceh, in conjunction with the Indonesian government, the United Nations and the United States military. It has become increasingly urgent to obtain and confirm information on the health status of people affected by the tsunami.

http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/briefings/05/en/

(Added: Mon Jan 17 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 96)

Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Operations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

This website provides a range of information about the impact and relief efforts following the Dec 26 2004 tsunami.

http://tsunamiandaman.tn.nic.in/

(Added: Thu Jan 13 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 197)

Indonesia restricts foreign aid workers

International Herald Tribune, Wednesday, January 12, 2005. BANDA ACEH, Indonesia Indonesia's military imposed strict restrictions on foreign tsunami-relief workers who it said were in danger of attack by rebels in Aceh, throwing chaotic aid efforts into further disarray.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/11/news/aid.html

(Added: Wed Jan 12 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 99)

Chaos of Relief: Why? (Doc)

By Tejalben of DMI tsunami team in Coastal India, December 30, 2004. The experience of Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI) tsunami relief team during the visit to affected coastal Chennai on December 29, 2004, has helped us to know how one affected area is helpful to the other, how an individual helps another individual and how one community helps another community. And more importantly, why relief seems always chaotic in India, and who causes this chaos?

http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/04tsunamiDMI.doc

(Added: Fri Jan 07 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 137)

Military Control Hampers Relief Work in Aceh

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), 5th Jan 2004. Following the earthquake and tidal waves which hit a large portion of Asia last week, a tremendous amount of aid relief has been sent by the Indonesian public, government agencies, and international relief organizations to Banda Aceh and Jakarta airports. Media reports and witness accounts from the ground indicate that survivors are again facing imminent threats to their lives, this time due to relief operations which are being seriously hampered by military control in Aceh. FORUM-ASIA expresses its grave concern regarding the information received from our members and partners currently working inside Aceh.

http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/statements/2005/forumasia_tnihamperwork_060105.htm

(Added: Fri Jan 07 2005   Modified: Mon Sep 11 2006   Hits: 143)

Acheh Aid at IDEP

IDEP established in 1999 is an Indonesian non profit foundation. Their objective was to respond to urgent needs for sustainable food production and resource management, while conveying the importance of environmental education for sustainable living. In 2001 IDEP launched a Community Based Crisis Response Program that will help local Indonesian communities to be more prepared for and to better manage disasters. Within hours of the disaster IDEP were mobilising aid initiatives in Acheh.

http://www.idepfoundation.org/aceh_aid.html

(Added: Thu Jan 06 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 161)

AidWatch Tsunami Donation Appeal Guide (PDF 80kb)

Aid Watch guide to giving money to the tsunami. Directed at the Australian public.... "What are the issues to consider when donating to the tsunami appeal, which organisations are active and where, who is receiving the lions share and how much is actually getting through to the affected areas. Find out here..." AidWatch AID/WATCH is a not for profit activist organisation monitoring and campaigning on Australian overseas aid and trade policies and programs. We work to ensure aid-funding reaches the right people, communities and their environments.

http://www.aidwatch.org.au/assets/aw00638/tsunami%20guide.pdf

(Added: Thu Jan 06 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 151)

Aceh: an interview with Allan Nairn

A ZNet interview providing analysis of the effects of the tsunami in Aceh, Indonesian military and government involvement, and background to the situation in Aceh.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=44&ItemID=6954

(Added: Wed Jan 05 2005   Modified: Fri Sep 01 2006   Hits: 327)

Tsunami compounds problems in Acheh

The Acheh Support Group commented, "The massive damage caused by these natural disasters is very likely to be unnecessarily compounded by the Indonesian government's banning of media and humanitarian organisations in Acheh. These bans are in place to hide the state's systematic abuse of the Achehnese people since the latest all-out offensive began in 2003."

http://indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/23834/index.php

(Added: Wed Jan 05 2005   Modified: Fri Mar 11 2005   Hits: 115)