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Church World Service Emergency Response Update: Tsunami Recovery/Indonesia
Jan. 27, 2005
SITUATION: This week, CWS Indonesia
issued a summary of its response to the tsunami disaster from Dec.
29 through Jan. 24. Here are highlights
of this summary:
++ The CWS Emergency Response in Indonesia has focused on four main activities: (1) Emergency
relief of food and non-food items to internally displaced persons (IDPs) living
with host families in Banda Aceh; (2) a CWS mobile clinic medical team
for IDPs in host families in Banda Aceh; (3) CWS mobile psychosocial
mental health team with host families and settlements for community- based
intervention; (4) a drinking water project to assist 50,000 people per day.
1) Following a rapid needs assessment on Jan. 3 in Banda Aceh, the CWS distribution team, in collaboration with local Aceh partner Mamamia, has distributed relief assistance to IDPs living with host families. CWS distribution covered 5,914 IDPs living with host families.
As of January 16, the CWS team had distributed a total of 2,000 food packages; 5,326 bottles of bottled water; 7,815 instant noodles; 1,420 packets of biscuits, and relief packages that have included CWS Blankets and Health Kits. The food packages are 13.08 oz packs containing a fortified mixture of rice, soybean flour, dried vegetables and flavoring. These meals are being distributed under the close supervision of a nutritionist specialist. As additional distribution of emergency supplies continues, quantities of CWS Blankets and Health Kits now on hand in Banda Aceh are expected to be provided throughout the course of the relief phase, which is planned to go through March.
2) The medical team in Banda Aceh has been operating a mobile clinic in conjunction with the CWS psychosocial Mental Health (PMH) team, providing assistance to IDPs in host families and communities. The areas covered are the sub-districts of Darussalam, Darul Imarah, Suka Makmur,
Kuta
Baro, Darul Imarah, Lhok Nga, Suka Makmur, and Montasik. 907 patients
have been treated to date. The CWS medical team of three doctors, assisted
by local Acehnese volunteers acting as translators, are equipped with 100 IMA
Medicine Boxes, each containing drugs and medical products to treat common
illnesses of 1,000 adults and children for about three months.
3) The CWS Psychosocial Mental Health Team (PMH) has begun to formulate
a strategy for a community-based intervention by establishing: (1) A center
for IDP support; (2) a child center; (3) training for volunteers. The
PMH team is working in the same geographical areas as the medical
team in Banda Aceh, conducting person-to-person counseling, group counseling
and community-based support groups. The team consists of two CWS PMH
specialists and three psychologists from Aceh and will work with students
from a local university, as well as the faculty of psychology to help set
up a program which will lead to a full program of community-based trauma
counseling.
This assistance is being funded by the United States Agency for International
Development/ Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and CWS, and assisted
by the Trans-cultural Psychological Organization (TPO) in collaboration with
the Boston Trauma Center. Among the groups the team
has already worked with were heads of households in camps whose family members
were lost during the tsunami disaster. The PMH team has begun a list
of counseling appointments allowing continuous counseling for those who need
it the most.
4) In collaboration with its partner Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), CWS
is currently implementing a water and sanitation project in Meulaboh. NCA
and CWS have begun installation of a water treatment plant in Rantau Panjang
village in the Aceh Barat district. Once installed, the water purification
units--donated by the Norwegian government--will produce 20,000 liters/hr--or
enough clean water for approximately 50,000 persons per day. In Meulaboh,
two CWS technical staff are assisting water and sanitation experts from Norway.
5) The current collaboration between Helen Keller International (HKI)
and CWS on the distribution of micro-nutrient supplements in other parts of
Indonesia is expected to continue in Banda Aceh. HKI returned from its
field assessment and decided that a priority was to ensure that immediate action
is taken to enhance Vitamin A distribution and coverage. Multiple vitamin/mineral
supplements need to be provided to complement food aid, the assessment concluded.
6) CWS has established offices in Banda Aceh and Medan, including a warehouse
in Medan for logistics, storage, and coordination for CWS and other members
of the ACT International network.
++ In other news from this week, a cargo plane from NCA arrived in Medan
carrying 45 tons of relief items-- 5-ton truck, trailer, another water purification
unit, and other relief supplies. Also, a CWS truck
convoy traveling from Medan to Banda Aceh arrived earlier this week containing
relief supplies of IMA Medicine Boxes, CWS Blankets, family tents, and biscuits.
Contributions to support CWS Tsunami Recovery efforts may be sent to your
denomination or directly to:
Church World Service
Tsunami Recovery (Acct. #6970)
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
Contributions may also be made by credit card by calling: (800) 297-1516,
ext. 222, or online.