Oxfam IrelandO

Asia Tsunami

SITUATION UPDATE: Indonesia

In Indonesia, thanks to massive public support, Oxfam has helped 139,000 people and spent £5.5 million on our response (as of 31 March 2005).

What is Oxfam doing?

Oxfam is currently working in six locations across Aceh: Banda Aceh/Aceh Besar, Lamno, Meulaboh, Calang, Lholseumawe and more recently in Nias, with 446 staff (394 national and 52 international).

In the aftermath of the tsunami we are providing the affected communities with water, sanitation as well as public health promotion activities (water tinkering, cleaning wells, building latrines and bathing spaces). A livelihoods and food security programme are also a key feature of our work which involves cash-for-work projects and support with livelihoods recovery (through cash grants and vouchers given to community members). Oxfam has provided building materials for shelter construction, and is also building permanent shelters. All these activities have been implemented through Oxfam's partners, and the wider community.

What has been achieved?

Public Health

During the first three months after the tsunami struck, Oxfam engineers and other staff delivered 55 million litres of clean water. Throughout the affected areas in Aceh, 1,864 wells were built or repaired. To stop the spread of infectious disease through human waste, 3,853 latrines and other sanitary facilities were built. Water and sanitation services were provided during the initial emergency phase by 58 Oxfam engineers working along 900 kilometres of affected coastline in Aceh.

Oxfam has worked in partnership with local newspapers and radio stations to communicate key messages and critical information around hygiene. This has been really successful and has helped to recruit health promoters from the local population. The distribution of radios ensured that these important public health messages were heard over a large area.

Livelihoods and food security

More than 10,000 beneficiaries participated in Oxfam's cash-for-work programme to remove debris, drain saltwater from agricultural fields, and find recyclable material in the rubble. The programme has quickly injected cash into affected communities allowing the local economy to be supported as people's ability to generate long-term income is restored.

Oxfam has worked to develop, re-establish, and/or train village financial institutions across Aceh. This project came about because communities wanted to see projects implemented with community-wide impact, rather than simply receiving grants on an individual basis only. Based on local input, Oxfam recruited three team leaders and trained more then 20 community development organisers, who currently are active in nearly 80 locations. Twelve villages have received tools and grants through this community managed process that Oxfam will continue to support.

Basic food items were distributed to over 18,000 individuals across 78 locations during the emergency phase of Oxfam's response in Aceh.

Temporary and permanent shelter construction

6,000 households received tents, plastic sheeting, and other temporary housing materials to provide shelter for displaced people during the initial emergency phase of the response in Aceh. Ten pilot houses were constructed, and the expansion of the shelter component of Oxfam's work in Indonesia will be an essential part of the long-term reconstruction programme for affected areas where we are working.

Disaster Management

Local partner organisations in Aceh have signed 35 contracts with Oxfam to complete over $760 million dollars worth of projects. Oxfam has worked with these groups to help them rebuild their offices, restore and expand their operations, and improve their overall capacity to assist with all phases of the response.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO NEED YOUR HELP NOW.