SDC HUMANITARIAN AID ONE YEAR AFTER THE TSUNAMI IN ASIA. A project in Indonesia RESTORING WATER SUPPLIES IN THE ACEH REGION

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1 SDC HUMANITARIAN AID ONE YEAR AFTER THE TSUNAMI IN ASIA A project in Indonesia RESTORING WATER SUPPLIES IN THE ACEH REGION Sanierung der Wasseraufbereitungsanlage Lamabro, Aceh, Indonesien INTRODUCTION On 26 December 2004, a violent seaquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter Scale occurred off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. The resulting tsunami brought death and destruction to the province of Aceh which was already suffering the effects of a protracted civil war. More than 130,000 people died in the tsunami in the provincial capital Banda Aceh alone. Another 400,000 inhabitants were left homeless. 1

2 EMERGENCY AID An SDC Rapid Response Team with medical, logistics and drinking water specialists was sent to the region to provide emergency assistance. The SDC/HA flew 160 tonnes of aid material in the form of tents, cooking sets, medical material, cooking stoves and oil lamps to Medan. The goods were distributed by members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, SHA. Five SHA doctors were dispatched to the two hospitals of Banda Aceh to coordinate medical aid with the World Health Organisation (WHO). They also set up emergency medical material (stretchers, wheelchairs, surgical dresses, gloves) for the Cut Nya Dhien hospital in Meulaboh. On 7 January, the Federal Council decided to place a detachment of the Swiss army at the disposal of the UN High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR. The detachment consisted of 50 soldiers and three Super Puma transport helicopters. In operation SUMA, the Federal Department of Defence, DDPS, ran flights in Sumatra for six weeks in the months of January and February. This enabled people and material (1.5t per flight) to be carried to remote areas. The SDC/HA provided logistical support to operation SUMA while the costs were covered by the DDPS. 7,500 families in Banda Aceh received financial support by taking in homeless tsunami victims. In the so-called Cash for Host Families project, families received CHF 120 for three months paid out in a simple and efficient manner. Around 40,000 homeless people were given shelter as a result of this action. Water specialists of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, SHA, worked with the local population to clean 600 wells in the Meulaboh region and dug eight 100m deep emergency wells. Further to these emergency measures, projects went underway to restore water distribution in various districts of Aceh province. On 28 March, Indonesia was again shaken by a severe earthquake. The SHA and Swiss Red Cross, SRC, logistics teams distributed relief goods on the island of Nias. 2

3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION Restoration of water supplies in the Aceh region In the severely damaged provincial capital of Banda Aceh, SHA and SRC water experts are working to restore the city s water supply. Experts from Geneva Canton's Industrial Services (SIG) are assisting the team and are responsible for planning the restoration of the largest water purification plant in Banda Aceh. The biggest challenge is not technical but human. The Aceh waterworks, PDAM, lost countless staff members and specialists in the tsunami. The training and integration of new staff into the current project are of decisive importance. Because of this, the collaboration between PDAM and SIG is likely to continue even after the end of the SHA-SRC mission to ensure a sustainable operation of the facility. The plant is once again providing clean water to parts of the city that are intact and to camps for the homeless. Goals: Ensure access to safe drinking water for the people of the Aceh region affected by the tsunami. (The SDC/HA project is one of several similar projects in the region.) Restoration of water supplies in various districts of Aceh. Training of workers for the Aceh waterworks, PDAM. Beneficiaries: The people of Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar affected by the tsunami. Location: Indonesia, Sumatra, Aceh region. Activities: Restoration of city water supply in the provincial capital Banda Aceh: Work at the Lambaro facility: taking stock, detailed clarification, project development, submissions, clearing work, renovation of raw water tappings (incl. pumps), restoration of basins and renovation of electricity supply. Work at the Siron facility: Because of exposure to the sun the water in the catch basins contain an overgrowth of algae which disrupts the operation and results in high cleaning costs. The construction of a roof and side walls has improved the situation. Training of workers for the Aceh waterworks, PDAM, with other organizations. The SAH made investigations on request of the Indonesian "department for public works" and developed various projects. These are converted in co-operation with the SRC and include: 2 wells (126 and 34m deep) near to schools in Banda Aceh and Seulimeum; Gle Taron pipeline: renovation of the spring tapping; defective water ducts from 1904 were replaced by a 3.74-kilometre-long plastic pipeline with the SRC and the German technical assistance agency THW. Budget : Total cost around CHF 6.5 million financed by public and private funds: CHF 1.5 million SDC/HA funds CHF 5 million Swiss Red Cross SRC and Swiss Solidarity funds. 3

4 Outlook: The project is expected to continue until No other activities are planned in this region in connection with the 2004 tsunami. INDONESIA ONE YEAR AFTER THE TSUNAMI: A LOOK BACK Emergency assistance: Rapid Response Team with medical, logistical and drinking water specialists arrive on the scene for a fact-finding mission and emergency assistance on SHA doctors seconded to the WHO for work in two hospitals in Banda Aceh. Distribution of 160 tonnes of tents, cooking sets, medicines, cooking stoves and oil lamps. Operation SUMA : 50 soldiers and three Super Puma helicopters support UNHCR transport logistics. The SHA provides logistical support. The "Cash for Host Families project delivers CHF 120 each for three months to 7,500 families for providing shelter to homeless tsunami victims. Cleaning of 600 drinking water wells in the Meulaboh region. Eight emergency wells drilled in the Meulaboh region. Three SHA logistics experts distribute emergency material for three weeks after the earthquake on the island of Nias. Reconstruction: Restoration of three water purification plants for city water supply (Siron 1 and 2; Gle Taron). Training of workers for the Aceh waterworks (underway). Construction of roof for Siron (underway). Reconstruction of waster purification plant Lambaro (underway). Installation of 3.74-kilometre-long plastic waster pipeline. The cooperation office of the SDC/HA in Banda Aceh offers interested Swiss NGOs support in the identification and planning of reconstruction projects. Staff: To date 43 SDC/HA experts have been assigned to Indonesia. Three HA experts are currently on mission. Costs : Total costs of all SDC/HA actions in Indonesia after the tsunami, around CHF 13 million: CHF million SDC CHF 300,000 through private donations, enterprises and organizations Emergency aid CHF 5,405,000 Emergency aid Nias CHF 25,000 Multilateral activities (IFRC, ICRC, WFP, OCHA, UNICEF, WHO, IOM) CHF 5,050,000 Cash for Host Families CHF 1,000,000 Water supply Banda Aceh CHF 1,500,000 Rural water supply, well cleaning CHF 20,000 Total costs CHF 13,000,000 4

5 CONTACT Manuel Etter, programme representative Jean-Philippe Jutzi, media spokesman Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC Humanitarian aid Sägestrasse 77 / Köniz CH Bern Telephone Fax hh@deza.admin.ch Situation as of 30 November 2005 Fotos: Alain Wicht SDC, Hans Keller SDC, DDPS Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC Humanitarian aid Freiburgstrasse 130 CH Bern Telephone Fax jean-philippe.jutzi@deza.admin.ch Andreas Stauffer, Mediensprecher Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit DEZA Freiburgstrasse 130 CH Bern Telefon Fax andreas.stauffer@deza.admin.ch 5

6 PHOTOS Banda Aceh - Cleaning of sand filters at the Lambaro plant. Drilling of a new well in Meulaboh region. Restoration of water plant in Banda Aceh Banda Aceh - Water is tested by an SDC specialist Seulimeum - Drilling of a well near to a school Seulimeum - Restoration of a drainage canal. Emergency water supplies in a displaced persons camp.. 6