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| Sunday, 30 January 2005 |
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ADB assessing relief aid for tsunami hit countries MANILA, PHILIPPINES, January 24, In response to December's earthquake and tsunami disaster, ADB is conducting needs assessments in Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. India has also requested ADB assistance. IMPACT SUMMARY : India The Government formally requested ADB assistance on 10 January for rebuilding infrastructure, both public and private, and rehabilitation of livelihoods of those affected. Assistance has also been sought for developing a disaster prevention and management system to prevent such catastrophes in future. The Government had requested that ADB and the World Bank closely coordinate assistance. A series of urgent joint missions were scheduled, with the respective country directors, who visited the affected areas on January 17-18. A joint needs assessment of the two agencies with other donors and the government started around January 19-20. While details need to be worked out, it is likely that assistance would include housing, water supply and sanitation, coastal roads and its protection, port/jetty, power, and a warning system. DISASTER SITUATION Casualties: Some 10,012 people are estimated dead from the disaster and 5,624 are still missing, while there is no reliable estimate of those injured and displaced by the disaster. Damage: The extensive damage caused to private homes, public property (infrastructure), farmlands (due to flooding of sea water - 3-4 km inland) etc. is still being assessed. The worst affected state in India is Tamil Nadu, although other states viz. Kerala, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh have also been affected. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N), which are nearest to the epicenter of the earthquake, have been badly hit. The tsunami affected 2260 kms of the mainland coastline besides the entire A&N Islands. In the mainland States it was reported that 162 km. of national highways, 462 km. of state/district highways, 7 bridges, 34 culverts and a huge number of private homes and government buildings have been damaged. Total financial loss for the mainland States is estimated to be $1.5 billion as of 10 January. Sectors affected: Coastal fisheries and agriculture are the worst affected economic activities. Apart from the loss of human life among the fisherfolk, fishing boats, nets, etc. have been extensively damaged. Moreover, fishing harbors and landing centers have also suffered heavy damage. Agriculture has suffered due to leveling of fields, destruction of irrigation, loss of land due to massive erosion and deposition of non-fertile sediments. Economic implications The economy should be in a strong position to recover from the tragedy. However, poverty impacts may be substantial, especially at local level. In the affected states of India, initial estimates indicate that number of poor people could increase by 645,000. Needs The immediate key priorities are the disposal of dead bodies, which have become a major health hazard, prevention of epidemics, provision of fresh water, oral re-hydration kits, food, medicines, plastic sheets for shelter and clothes to the displaced persons. Building for the future: It is not expected that the tsunami will have any major long-term impact on tourism in India though tourism has been temporarily disrupted in coastal areas. The tsunami will, however, adversely impact the fiscal deficit, given the large expenditure that will be incurred on rehabilitation and reconstruction operations that will be initiated as soon as the relief phase draws to an end. Indonesia ADB is closely involved in the joint Government-development partners damage and needs assessment in Aceh and North Sumatra. A team from ADB HQ and the Resident Mission in Indonesia has been fielded in the country, bringing expertise in several areas, including water and sanitation, health, transportation, and rural infrastructure, and is working with line ministries and donors. ADB will help address immediate short-term requirements, repair critical basic services, and furnish essential equipment and supplies. It will also provide rapid assistance to rehabilitate priority services, such as water, power, transport, and communications. Assistance will be linked with and complement humanitarian relief efforts. ADB assistance ADB has tentatively estimated that uncommitted funds of up to $126 million can be reprogrammed and made available for immediate assistance in affected areas. Under an MOU, signed with the Indonesian Government on 5 January, ADB's proposed assistance to Indonesia involves three parallel steps: * Reprogramming from selected ongoing projects to meet emergency needs. * ADB could also expand the scope of two projects at an advanced stage of processing due for consideration in the first quarter. * A new Emergency Assistance Loan could also be processed for ADB Board approval by April. Casualties: The provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra bore the brunt of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit on 26 December. As of24 January, the Government put the death toll in Indonesia at last 90,000, with 132,000 missing. The number of newly homeless is expected to reach 394,000. It is also estimated as many as 7,700 children may have lost both their parents. Damage: Total damage from the tsunami is estimated at $4.5 billion - almost equal to the entire GDP of Aceh - according to a preliminary damage assessment prepared by the Indonesian Government, World Bank, ADB, and other development partners. The Maldives In consultation with the Government, a joint team from ADB and World Bankis conducting a needs assessmentin Maldives. The Islamic Development Bank will be joining the mission in the next few days. The World Bank will focus on education, health and housing, while ADB will focus on infrastructure (roads and communications), water supply, and power. A joint temporary liaison office in Maldives is also being considered, as only the United Nations Development Programme has a representative office in Maldives. ADB will also be working closely with other development partners, particularly the United Nations. Casualties: Some 82 people are reported dead and 26 are missing. About 100,000 people, or 35% of the population of 290,000, have been severely affected. Damage: The Maldives was the only country where the effects of the tsunami were felt across the country, rather than in certain parts or regions. Of the 199 inhabited islands in the archipelago, 53 suffered severe damage, and 10% of the islands were totally destroyed. Schools, clinics and pharmacies have been destroyed in some 50 islands. In total, around 4,000 buildings have been damaged. 79 islands have no safe drinking water and 15% of the water systems is destroyed or contaminated. 26 islands remain without electricity. In the tourism sector, out of the 87 resorts, 19 were severely damaged and had to be closed down, while 14 others have suffered major partial damage. Poverty in the country is related to remoteness of the islands from the center and a lack of services in the atolls. ADB's 2002 poverty partnership with Maldives aims to reduce absolute poverty from 43% in 1998 to 25% by 2015. Sri Lanka A joint needs assessment mission to assess reconstruction needs got under way on January 10 involving about 10 ADB staff members in the field. It will last about two weeks. ADB's team comprises experts in such sectors as railways and roads, livelihood and coastal management, procurement and economic impact. ADB plans to send more sector experts depending on the needs. The reconstruction needs assessment will be carried out in coordination with other donors through weekly meetings and other arrangements. ADB will be cooperating with the World Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in developing a coastal areas reconstruction needs assessment that can serve as a platform for all development partners interested in contributing to the reconstruction effort following the disaster. At a preliminary meeting on 31 December, it was agreed that for purposes of the needs assessment that ADB would focus on the transport sector, the World Bank on education, health, and housing infrastructure, and JBIC on power and water supply. The United Nations system will help strengthen the link between ongoing emergency relief and long-term reconstruction. The mission will also work closely with a task force created by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga to address and coordinate reconstruction activities in affected areas, with representatives from civil society and other bilateral agencies, and with the United Nations team that is supporting the coordination of emergency relief and response efforts. For the immediate reconstruction effort, about $25 million may be reallocated from five active loans. An additional $35 million can be redirected from loans that are already addressing rehabilitation, reconstruction and community development in the north and east. Between $100 million and $150 million in new operations could be processed in the short to medium term, devoted to the reconstruction effort. Casualties: There are over 31,000 dead, 5,000 missing, 15,000 injured according to official reports as of 5 January. the count is likely to increase. The estimated numbers of displaced persons range from 300,000 to 900,000, and the population affected could be between 1 million and 2 million of Sri Lanka's total population of about 19 million. Damage: The tsunami struck a relatively thin but extremely long coastal area stretching over 1,000 kilometers, or two thirds of the country's coastline. The damage stretches from Jaffna in the north down the entire eastern and southern coast, and covers the west coast as far north of Colombo as Chilaw. About 100,000 houses were damaged; of which more than 75,000 were completely destroyed, as were 150,000 vehicles. Coastal infrastructure (roads, railway, power, telecommunication, water supply, fishing ports) was also significantly affected. Fortunately, the port of Colombo sustained only light damage. A precise assessment of damage is ongoing. More than half of the damaged hotel and telephone capacity has been repaired and the railway track in the East is also back to normal. The Government aims to get the Western railway track up and running in four months. Economic impact assessments are still in the process of being developed. Fisheries, tourism and small-scale retail trade seem to have been hardest hit. 10 out of 12 major fishery harbors were damaged including support facilities such as ice plants, cold rooms, fish receiving and marketing centers and offices. Preliminary figures from the UN show that 22,940 vessels of various categories were lost or damaged. This constitutes 81% of total number of fishing vessels in the country. The fishing population suffered 7,573 deaths; 5,686 missing, and 90,657 displaced. The immediate needs are to repair or replace boats, engines and fishing gears to enable the fishers to resume fishing in the shortest time possible. Essential facilities for cold storage, ice producing facilities, fish receiving and marketing centers, harbors and anchorages are also necessary immediately. Coastal infrastructure (roads, railway, power, telecommunication, water supply, fishing ports) was significantly affected. A tentative initial estimate of $1.3 billion in infrastructure damages has been mentioned by Government sources, but a more precise assessment will by the middle of the month. Economic impact: Maldives and Sri Lanka, on account of their small geographical size, structure of their economies, and large fiscal deficits, will be the most adversely affected countries in terms of economic impact. The devastating effects of the catastrophe could add around 250,000 more poor people. Sri Lanka's large budget deficit will make it difficult to dedicate funds to the disaster areas. It is expected that tourism revenues will decrease, deteriorating its current account deficit. |
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