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Church World Service Emergency Response Program
Response Update: CWS Tsunami Recovery
April 14, 2005
SITUATION: A magnitude 9.0 earthquake on December 26, off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered massive tsunamis that affected several countries throughout South and Southeast Asia and East Africa. Reliefweb and United States Agency for International Development report 174,441 dead, 106,496 missing and 1,170,936 displaced. The figures include Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Somalia, and the Seychelles.
On March 28, another large-scale earthquake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra's Nias Island (approximately 300 miles south of Banda Aceh), causing as many as 2,000 fatalities and 4,000 injuries, and destroying 80 percent of the structures in the capital city of Gunung Sitoli.
*(This is an update of CWS tsunami response activities and developments from March 15 - April 11).
INDONESIA (Dec. 26 Earthquake/Tsunami Response):
+++ Since March 15, CWS has provided 1,500 people in Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh, with combinations (based on individual need) of the following relief items: mattresses, mosquito nets, CWS Blankets and "Gift of the Heart" Health kits, Baby kits and School kits, family tents, stoves, jerry cans, kerosene, and BP-5 energy biscuit packages.
+++CWS mobile medical clinic continues conducting needs assessments and administering health care to tsunami-affected families. Since the last update, CWS has provided health services to an additional 500 persons (often in remote, hard to reach areas) of Aceh province.
+++CWS and its partners are continuing the installation and maintenance of water systems throughout Meulaboh. The group is also testing water quality and developing measures in a concerted effort to ensure efficacy of water supply systems in scope and durability. Since March 15, CWS has installed 18 water distribution points in the region, each providing clean water to 300 people (5,400 total).
+++The CWS Psychosocial support team held a commemoration ceremony marking the 100th day of its post-tsunami recovery work. One hundred fifty persons participated in the event, women and children from three CWS-assisted camps for the internally displaced in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.
INDONESIA (March 28 Nias Earthquake Response):
CWS will provide the Nias earthquake survivors with:
- 1,000 Non-food Item (NFI) packages including stoves, pots and pans, spoons and forks, glasses and plates, buckets, sarongs, bed sheets, and assortment of personal hygiene items
- 35 IMA boxes (essential medicines and supplies to treat approximately 1,000 patients for 2-3 months)
In addition, CWS has prepared additional boxes of medicines, 14 boxes of gloves and 500 tents, a water purification unit and other related equipment. which will be sent by helicopter from the CWS warehouse in Medan over coming weeks. Two CWS staff members are currently in Nias.
SRI LANKA: Staff from CWS Pakistan office continue working on-site in support of local partner Sarvodaya, conducting assessments and facilitating daily relief assistance to tsunami-survivors displaced in 14 camps across coastal areas of the country. Relief packages include inputs to revive fishing livelihoods, the primary source of sustenance and income for 90 percent of affected Sri Lankans. In addition to distribution of relief packages, Sarvodaya is training teachers in counseling children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is anticipated that as many as 500 children may require counseling throughout the 14 camps.
INDIA: CWS partners and ACT members Church's Auxiliary for Social Action, Lutheran World Service-India and United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UECLI) continue assisting tsunami-survivors in hard-hit southern coastal regions of India -- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Pondicherry. The groups continue daily distribution of food and non-food items to Internally displaced persons living in camps across the region. "Livelihood Kits" (fishing boats, motors, nets) are now being distributed to families who fish for food and income to support their families. "We were anticipating this day," exclaimed a village fisherman. "It's a great feeling to go back fishing after such a long time. The water was quiet, and I was able to catch some fish."
THAILAND: In a letter addressed to Rev. John McCullough, Executive Director of Church World Service, Ambassador Kasit Piromya, on behalf of the Royal Thai Government and the people of Thailand, thanked CWS for the donation of 100 IMA medicine boxes used to treat tsunami-survivors in six southern provinces of Thailand. Ambassador Piromya expressed his deepest appreciation to all of the CWS staff and offered prayers and continued good will in solidarity with CWS and its on-going work to help alleviate the suffering of tsunami survivors.
SOMALIA: CWS is supporting the work of partner and ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) working in coastal areas of the country where 18,000 households (approx. 54, 000 people) are affected. NCA is supplying clean water, repairing and cleaning flooded wells for 12,000 persons, and providing inputs to restore fishing livelihoods for 729 fishing families, benefiting more than 4,000 persons.
ACTION BY CHURCHES TOGETHER (ACT):
Staff and members of ACT have
begun a "real-time" evaluation
of partner tsunami response activities. The evaluation is taking place
throughout the month of April in the tsunami-affected areas of India,
Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The purpose of the evaluation is to facilitate
the learning process and to provide recommendations based on these experiences.
These recommendations will be published and made available to ACT member
organizations in late May.
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 at S. Asia Tsunami Recovery.