2 March 2009, Male, Maldives - Today, a ceremony will be held to mark the hand-over of Dhuvaafaru Island in Raa Atoll, where the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has created new homes for more than 3,700 people who were displaced from their original island after the Indian ocean tsunami struck in 2004. The ceremony will be officiated by His Excellency Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives.
The IFRC began work on Dhuvaafaru in April 2006 when the 40-hectare coral island was uninhabited. In just under three years, and at a cost of 32 million US dollars, the island has been transformed into a thriving community that boasts 600 houses, three schools, an island administration block, an auditorium, a health centre and a sports stadium. IFRC has also built amenities including the island's power plant, sewage system and roads.
"Developing a whole uninhabited island into a 'safe island', which is now home to almost a 4,000-strong population, is indeed quite a feat," says President Mohamed Nasheed. "The government appreciates the generosity and humanitarian work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in the Maldives and throughout the world. I'm sure all Maldivians are very grateful for the Red Cross and Red Crescent's partnership with the Maldives in rebuilding the country following the tsunami."
Upon arrival, President Nasheed will unveil a commemorative plaque and make a tour of the island, together with representatives from IFRC and the Red Cross societies of America, Canada, Japan and New Zealand, who have supported the construction effort alongside the national societies of Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, and United Arab Emirates.
Establishing an entire community on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean presented the IFRC with many logistical challenges. As the island lies 185 kilometres north of the capital, Male, thousands of tons of cement, construction materials and machinery had to be brought in by ship, together with the 600-strong labour force, many of whom came from countries as far afield as China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The new inhabitants of Dhuvaafaru originate from the neighboring island, Kandholhudhoo. With no reef to protect it, the tsunami swept over Kandholhudhoo and the government decided to relocate the entire population. For the past four years, the islanders had remained scattered in temporary shelters over five different islands in the Raa Atoll. In December 2008, they relocated to Dhuvaafaru.
"This is the biggest, single construction project that the IFRC Secretariat has ever undertaken", explains Per Jensnaes, head of IFRC delegation in the Maldives. "It hasn't been easy but we have certainly provided a much safer environment for people to live in where they will be better protected from any future natural disaster."
As well as managing the physical construction of the settlement, the IFRC has also been closely involved in training-up community members to run and maintain the island's infrastructure. Two groups of volunteers now look after the island's state-of-the-art powerhouse and water and sanitation systems. Due to water scarcity, each home has been equipped with a 2,500-litre rainwater harvesting tank and roof guttering to capture every precious drop of rainfall.
According to Ali Wahid, a member of the new community on Dhuvaafaru, "In some ways the tsunami was the best thing that could have happened to us. Our prayers have been answered, we have a new island and the community is back together again. What more could we hope for?"
For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: in Male - Necephor Mghendi +960 332 1987