26th January 2005
Akkaraipattu, Sri Lanka.
TSUNAMI STATISTICS CURRENT @ 24th JANUARY 2005
Sri Lanka
|
My Area
|
|
Deaths |
30957
|
10436
|
Missing |
5637
|
876
|
Injured |
15196
|
313
|
Displaced People |
392048
|
75492
|
Temporary Camps |
322
|
82
|
Damaged Houses – Fully |
78199
|
29077
|
Partially |
40911
|
n/a
|
Number of children losing both parents |
896
|
164
|
Number of children losing one parent |
3202
|
954
|
Dear Friends,
First of all let me say sorry for not being in touch sooner, but as you can probably imagine, we have been working crazy hours, 7 days a week, although there are some signs appearing that it might be starting to calm down a bit. My colleague Nazza and I came back to Akkaraipattu on the 5th of January and I was pleased to get back. We went to Colombo after being lifted out of Arugam Bay by helicopter and I think that was the right thing to do. A few days of rest and calming down after the tsunami were definitely needed. But it seemed to me that we were running away when our friends and colleagues were still in Akkaraipattu having nowhere else to go. But whilst in Colombo we were able to launch our own appeal as you know, and I have been amazed at the response we have had. Not only have friends, business colleagues, rugby clubs and players been in touch, but also people we don’t even know who have been passed a copy of the e-mail from those I have sent it to. I don’t know what the exact tally is yet as cash is still coming in and more is on its way. But between us we must have some 30000 pounds so far. People are so generous and we are so grateful to you all. We haven’t started spending any of it yet as I think I explained, we plan to use the money when people start to be resettled and begin rebuilding their lives.
When we got back, the problem was to find some job where we could be of help. With me being an accountant and Nazza a lawyer, we were not best equipped to help in setting up camps, putting in toilets and water or in dispensing emergency medical aid. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, aid agencies were arriving, rushing to an affected area and getting on with those tasks. That was the right thing to do at the time but, after a few days, it was obvious that a more co-ordinated approach was necessary to avoid shortages of aid in one area and a surplus in another. The UN assumed the role of the lead agency in the district and they asked us if we would set up and run an information and co-ordination centre for Ampara District and that is what we have been doing with the help of 2 UN staff. At the moment we have 52 international aid agencies from 18 different countries, as well as a 220 strong contingent of the Canadian Army and the various UN agencies, working in the District. Trying to get them to talk to each other, to co-operate and co-ordinate with each other and with national and local government agencies has not been the easiest task although this was not from a lack of will but as a result of their having too few people. When support staff started to arrive, the situation improved and regular meetings are now held between sector groups (e.g., Water & Sanitation, Food, Shelter, Health etc).
Our main job now is collecting information from the many camps temporarily (we hope) housing the displaced people and trying to satisfy daily needs by contacting those organisations who can meet them. It’s pleasing to report that the Tamil Tigers here are co-operating well with the relief agencies and Government, helping Muslims and Sinhalese as well as Tamils. In fact, the District Secretary in Akkaraipattu has handed over to them local government responsibility for relief operations even though this is supposed to be an area under Government control. Although the Tigers have committed many atrocities during both the war and the cease fire, in some things one has to admire them. They are extremely disciplined, can get things organised and achieved and don’t suffer from the bureaucracy of the Government. As for me, I am ok.
I don’t have nightmares about the events and I sleep ok. Although, at night when it’s quiet, I can hear the sea from my house and I sometimes feel a little apprehensive asking myself whether the waves breaking sound louder than usual. It took me 10 days before I could face going to the beach nearest me. When I got there I couldn’t recognize it. No fishing boats; no fishermen’s shacks; many palm trees and houses down; the road has gone and debris everywhere. It looked like a scene from World War 3. Its quite amazing really that the damage in all the affected areas extends for only about 500/600 meters from the sea. But the devastation in that area is total. The furthest the water reached inland was 3 kilometres at Yala East National Park, about 35 miles south of us, where it is fairly flat. Being a park, it is sparsely populated though the park tourist bungalow was wiped out and 12 Japanese tourists and their guides died. But no dead animals have been found. We are told that animals can hear or feel ultra sound which humans cannot (or we have lost the ability) and could therefore sense that something was happening and fled the area.
As far as the general situation is concerned, we appear to be coming to the end of the 1st phase of supplying emergency aid and relief. Roads have been patched up and temporary bridges installed so relief is getting through. Although there are some areas where relief so far is inadequate, by and large the displaced people are being sheltered in temples, mosques, schools, in the remaining refugee camps and in temporary tented camps. Water supplies have been organised and some sanitation facilities have been installed although not nearly enough as yet. They are being fed. The Government’s immediate objective now is to move out the people housed in schools into other camps so that schooling in the affected areas can restart being the 1st step in returning to a degree of normality especially for the children. The target date for achieving that was initially the 17th, then the 24th and now the 31st of January. The main problem is identifying land where permanent resettlement can take place so that temporary camps can be put up there or in the vicinity. There is nothing the aid agencies can do about this as it is a job for national and local government and, as usual, this is taking a long time. At first, the Government said there would be no rebuilding within 600 meters of the sea. They have since backtracked on this decision but haven’t yet stated what the new limit will be. So far, at least in this area, very little clearing up has been done and the physical effects of the tsunami are still very evident.
There are still many missing people and I guess a lot of these will be found when the clean up starts and that’s not going to be a pleasant job. The people will then need help with starting up their livelihoods again. On my beach for example, there were 24 fishing boats of which 22 are completely destroyed and most nets have been lost. People like these now have no homes, no possessions, no equipment and no insurance. Regeneration will be costly and take a long time. Once again, thanks for getting in touch. At times like this it’s so good to know that you are all thinking of us in Sri Lanka and are prepared to help.
I will give further reports from time to time but goodbye for now.
John.