From Emergency Relief to Long-Term Recovery
The earthquake and tsunami of December
26, 2004 devastated families, communities and towns throughout large parts
of the Aceh and North Sumatra provinces of Indonesia. Within minutes, more
than half a million people's lives were unforgettably altered as the disaster
took lives, destroyed homes and obliterated traditional livelihoods and
community ways of life. In the immediate aftermath of the crisis, the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) focused its efforts on emergency relief
such as medical treatment of wounded victims, prevention of epidemics,
and distribution of food and non-food items. As the emergency needs lessened,
IOM's activities entered into a recovery stage geared toward the overall
rehabilitation and reconstruction of the tsunami-affected region. IOM takes
the long-term view that all programming must support sustainable development
and the rebuilding of communities devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.
Programs link the vulnerable population of Aceh and North Sumatra provinces
to available services which are most closely associated with their needs
and self-determined preferences, including cash-for-work programs to give
families incomes, training for the development of livelihoods, and longer-term
reconstruction projects of critical infrastructure and systems, including
schools, health facilities and shelters.
Life-Saving Aid to Aceh
IOM was the only international organization operating in all 15 conflict-affected districts of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province before the disaster. IOM's expertise with disaster assistance and its good working relationship with the Indonesian government and partner agencies enabled it to respond immediately and provide life-saving food, water, and emergency shelter to the affected population in Aceh within days of the disaster. IOM used its existing sub-office in Banda Aceh to organize the transportation and distribution of relief supplies. Poor road conditions and a severe vehicle shortage hampered access to the affected areas. IOM filled this gap by organizing a 300-400 strong Indonesian-owned truck fleet under contract in Sumatra for convoys between Jakarta-Medan, Medan-Banda Aceh, Medan-Meulaboh, as well as several subsidiary routes. In recognition of this service, BAKORNAS officially requested IOM to transport and distribute humanitarian aid. IOM mobilized hundreds of staff-including many tsunami victims, as part of cash for work activities. Relief goods were off-loaded at Jakarta, Medan, or Banda Aceh airports onto waiting trucks for shipment to IOM's warehouses and relief destinations in Aceh.
The logistics system works in close coordination with local and provincial authorities as well as security authorities to ensure safe, timely and transparent transportation and delivery of relief items. IOM Medan opened an office at the Belawan port at Medan to better facilitate the transport of goods through the IOM logistics assistance programme. IOM also provided computer equipment and support to the government's emergency aid office (POSKO) in Medan to increase coordination and access timely and accurate transport information. By request, IOM is coordinating with the the Belawan Customs Office and UNJLC to move cleared but uncollected containers at Belawan port. Since early April, IOM cleared some 845 containers from the reported 1500 containers stranded at the port. Recently, it facilitated the delivery of 14 x 40 foot Bailey Bridges. As of the end of June 2005, IOM facilitated the transportation of 49,029 metric tons throughout Aceh province on behalf of more than 100 organizations including the Government of Indonesia, UN agencies, international and national NGOs, intergovernmental and governmental organizations, private donors and institutions.
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