South/Southeast Asia and East Africa: Earthquake and Tsunamis - Fact Sheet No. 34
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Between July 2005 and November 2007,
the International Federation's transitional shelter programme built 19,923
shelters in 392 communities in Indonesia, providing high quality accommodation
for 80,000 beneficiaries. This was achieved through the collaboration of
35 national and international implementing partners.
Background
On 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.0
earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered a series of massive
tsunamis that devastated communities in ten countries surrounding the Indian
Ocean.
In July 2005, as the full extent of
the destruction became clearer, aid agencies and governments realised that
the rebuilding of lost homes would take many years. Basic infrastructure
had been destroyed and most of the already inadequate building and housing
documentation had been lost. A severely traumatized population remained
largely displaced and aid agencies were stretched to the limits of their
capacities.
The following figures give an indication of the situation facing tsunami survivors and aid agencies at this time. The situation was expected to worsen with the arrival of the approaching wet season.
| Destroyed houses (not including Nias): |
116,000
| |
| Houses needed approx: |
100,000
| |
| Displaced persons in Aceh: |
436,820
| |
| Of which: | ||
| Living in temporary living centres: |
75,576
| |
| Living in self-settled tent camps: |
67,504
| |
| Living with host families: |
293,740
| |
| Displaced persons in Nias: |
98,844 | |
Those living in tents were finding it
particulary hard. Indeed some were already on their third tent. It was
therefore decided by a number of aid agencies, led by the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and United Nations,
to implement a temporary housing programme to provide better conditions
for the beneficiaries whilst the reconstruction programme got underway.
This temporary housing programme evolved into the transitional shelter
programme.
Operational developments
In August 2005, the International Federation
assumed the lead role in the provision of transitional shelters for Aceh
and Nias provinces. The programme had a working budget of CHF 129 million,
making it the largest single programme of its kind in the history of the
Red Cross Red Crescent. The budget included the procurement of material
for 20,000 shelters as well as funding the necessary logistical, operational
and financial support.
