U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)

Indonesia (12/26 tsunami)	126,732 dead , 93,662 missing	533,770 displaced
Indonesia (3/29 tsunami)	394 dead * - 626 dead #	34,000 displaced #
Sri Lanka	31,147 dead, 4,114 missing	496,282 displaced
India	10,776 dead, 5,640 missing	112,558 displaced
Maldives	82 dead, 26 missing	21,663 displaced
Thailand	5,395 dead, 2,952 missing	N/A
Malaysia	68 dead, 6 missing	8,000 displaced
Somalia	150 dead	5,000 displaced , 54,000 affected @
Seychelles	3 dead	40 households displaced

Source Legend:

Government of Indonesia, 3/22/05
* Government of Indonesia, 3/31/05
# U.N. Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Indonesia
Government of Sri Lanka, 3/09/05
Government of India, 2/08/05
Maldives National Disaster Management Center, 3/23/05
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 1/18/05
Government of Thailand, 03/01/05
@ U.N. Consolidated Appeal, 1/06/05
U.N./Seychelles and USAID, 1/12/05

Total USG Humanitarian and Recovery Assistance Pledged1: $350,000,000
Total USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Assistance Committed: $80,693,000
Total USAID/FFP Humanitarian Assistance Committed: $22,466,900
Total USAID/ANE Humanitarian Assistance Committed: $5,372,944
Total USAID/ANE Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Assistance Committed: $11,518,202
Total State/PRM Humanitarian Assistance Committed: $200,000
Total USG Humanitarian Assistance Committed2: $132,307,371

CURRENT SITUATION

Regional Update

On March 24, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) announced that a food crisis following the December 26 tsunami had been averted.

Earthquake in Indian Ocean

On March 28, a magnitude 8.7 quake hit near the island of Nias 200 km off the Sumatran mainland, triggering tsunami alerts around the Indian Ocean. According to the Indonesian national disaster agency, 394 people have been killed as a result of the earthquake. The latest U.N. estimates indicate that 626 people are confirmed dead and thousands more are injured in the affected islands. A USAID/OFDA Program Officer reported from Nias on March 29 that the quake destroyed or seriously damaged approximately 40 percent of the concrete buildings in the main town of Gunung Sitoli. According to local media reports, the earthquake damaged or destroyed as many as 80 percent of the buildings on the islands of Nias and Simeuleu. In addition, thousands of people fled their homes in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka following tsunami warnings. Three hours after the quake, tsunami alerts were scaled down.

Indonesia Update

On March 17, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) released a statement that the GOI will extend the transition period for reconstruction past March 26 for an additional 30 to 60 days, enabling foreign aid workers to apply for visa extensions and continue humanitarian assistance in Aceh.

According to OCHA, the U.N. Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has reported an increasing number of malaria cases, most likely due to improved and increased testing for malaria. The Provincial Health Office, U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are working together to expand malaria control activities.

On March 23, the U.N. Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) reported that according to the GOI, 90 percent of the temporary repairs to the Banda Aceh-Meulaboh land route had been completed. In addition, the roads from Banda Aceh to Lamno and Lamno to Teunom have been reopened.

On March 26, the GOI presented the draft Master Plan for reconstruction of tsunami-affected areas to local governments and the public for comment.

Sri Lanka Update

According to OCHA, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have reported that bodies are still being discovered in the Hikkaduwa area. The American Red Cross has provided additional body bags at the request of the Galle District authorities.

A new radio station, Sayura FM, has been established in Hambantota District to reach tsunami-affected communities.

As of March 30, USAID/OFDA implementing partners have constructed 1,224 transitional shelters in Sri Lanka, and according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of March 31, a total of 7,747 transitional shelters have been built on the island. Figures vary on the number of total shelters required with Governmen of Sri Lanka (GOSL) estimates ranging from 38,588 to 41,474 shelters. UNHCR reports that 68,000 transititional shelters have been pledged.

According to the USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), local media reported on March 27 that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) has signed 100 Memoranda of Understanding with donors to build 30,000 houses for tsunami victims who were living within the 100 meter buffer zone. Construction of houses is now in various stages across the affected areas. The UDA is only building houses for victims who were living in the buffer zone. The GOSL will provide financial assistance to others to reconstruct houses on their own lands. Each single story housing unit will be 500 square feet, and approximately 60,000 units will be built, according to the UDA Deputy Director.

India Update

USAID/India reports that the Tamil Nadu and Kerala state governments have introduced guidelines for reconstruction of houses affected by the tsunami in those states.

According to the Administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, land has been cleared in order to prepare 57 planned sites for 10,245 temporary shelters in the islands.

The USAID/OFDA South Asia Regional Advisor reports that generally programs are advancing on target, although concerns about appropriate permanent shelter solutions continue to hinder recovery efforts. In Kanyakumari District, NGOs have reported a scarcity of potable water at some temporary shelter sites but are working with local leaders to address the problem. In addition, cash-for-work activities are in high demand among disaster-affected populations. Local populations have also expressed a strong desire for permanent shelter and fishing equipment.

Maldives Update

The World Bank has approved $14 million for the Maldives Post-Tsunami Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Project. The project will assist the governments efforts to provide social services, restore livelihoods, and build the capacity to implement the reconstruction and rehabilitation program.

OCHA reports that the humanitarian community has agreed upon a three-tier approach to psychological and social support services. At the primary level, the American Red Cross and the Ministry of Gender will train community members and teachers in all the atolls. At the secondary level, the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) will conduct a more focused training for the managers of the IDP camps, community leaders, the media and health care workers. At the central level, WHO will provide technical and clinical training and referral services.

Somalia Update

During the March 8 visit of the inter-agency assessment team to Puntland Region, OCHA appealed to the authorities to take a more proactive role in the coordination of humanitarian operations. Officials responded by establishing the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency (HADMA), which met for the first time on March 22. The next meeting will be held on April 5 with future meetings to be held on a monthly basis.

According to OCHA, the main operational challenge remains access to towns and settlements on the coastal area.

USG ASSISTANCE

USAID Regional Response

As the transition from relief to reconstruction continues, USAID/DART members remain in tsunami-affected countries. USAID/DART members are focused on monitoring USAID/OFDA's current programs, coordinating with other donors, and transitioning activities to USAID Missions. An additional $20 million in International Disaster and Famine Assistance (IDFA) funding is being used by USAID/ANE to launch rehabilitation and reconstruction programs.

Indonesia

To date, the USG has provided more than $41.1million in emergency food assistance, relief supplies, shelter, water and sanitation, health, livelihoods recovery, psychological and social support, logistics and coordination, and rehabilitation activities for affected communities in Indonesia. On March 9, USAID/OFDA provided more than $940,000 to the International Rescue Committee for rapid impact livelihoods activities in Aceh Province.

Indian Ocean Earthquakes and Tsunami C April 1, 2005

On March 29, in accordance with a disaster declaration and request for assistance from U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia B. Lynn Pascoe, USAID/OFDA provided an immediate contribution of $50,000 each to CARE and Save the Children to respond to the March 28 earthquake on the islands of Nias and Simeuleu.

USAID/ANE-funded reconstruction efforts have been initiated in Banda Aceh. To date, USAID/ANE has provided more than $10 million to support programs including small infrastructure activities, equipment and capacity building for local governments and communities, and assessments for road reconstruction.

Sri Lanka

To date, the USG has provided nearly $61.0 million in emergency food assistance, relief supplies, shelter, water and sanitation, health, livelihoods recovery, psychological and social support, protection and anti-trafficking, logistics and coordination, and cleanup and rehabilitation activities for affected communities in Sri Lanka. USAID/OFDA-funded cash-for-work and micro-finance programs are fully operational. The USAID/DART in Sri Lanka is now focusing on program monitoring and evaluation and ongoing situational assessments.

India

On January 31, the USAID/DART in India closed out after more than four weeks of operations, providing approximately $4.1 million for shelter, water and sanitation, cleanup and rehabilitation, education, and cash-for-work activities for tsunami-affected residents. During the transition to the recovery phase, USAID/India will oversee USAID/OFDA-funded programs; USAID/OFDA and USAID/India will share responsibility for monitoring.

Department of Defense (DOD) Humanitarian Assistance

As of February 14, Combined Support Force 536 ceased operations in the tsunami-affected countries. During the response, U.S. military personnel delivered more than 24.5 million pounds of relief supplies and equipment to the region. The U.S. military has delivered a total of 9,487,681 pounds of relief supplies to the governments of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other affected nations.

On March 16, the USNS Mercy hospital ship departed Banda Aceh, concluding six weeks of medical assistance. The USNS Mercy conducted a wide range of medical and dental assistance programs ashore and afloat, performing 19,512 medical procedures, including 285 surgical and operating room cases. In addition, the U.S. Navys Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit Six tested water in tsunami-stricken areas, coordinated the delivery of drinking water to contaminated areas, and helped to control mosquitoes and other insects. The USNS Mercy is now being returning to Nias to assist with medical needs arising from the March 28 earthquake.

BACKGROUND

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, as well as Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, and the Seychelles in East Africa. Aftershocks from the December 26 earthquake continue to occur in the region.

Based on initial findings of USG assessment teams and on the recommendation of Secretary of State Colin Powell and USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios, on December 31, President George W. Bush committed $350 million toward earthquake and tsunami relief and recovery efforts. Dollar amounts in this Fact Sheet are part of the total pledge of $350 million and refer to specific funding actions that have been committed and programmed.

On February 9, President Bush announced that he is seeking $950 million as part of the supplemental appropriations request to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami and to cover the costs of relief efforts to date. This amount includes an additional $600 million above the Presidents initial commitment of $350 million. Congressional action on the supplemental request is expected in April.

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