PACIFIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NETWORK (PDMIN)
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Asia-Pacific Daily Report
December 29, 2004
Asia
Death toll in Asia from Sunday’s massive earthquake and subsequent
tsunamis exceeds 85,000 people
The death toll
from Sunday’s
(December
26) massive
tsunamis
triggered by
an undersea
earthquake
measuring 9.0
on the Richter
scale off the
west coast of
Indonesia’s
northern Sumatra Island, has now reportedly climbed to more than 85,000. As of
today, tsunami-related deaths have been reported in 12 countries that include Sri
Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Seychelles,
Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. The loss of life has been particularly
more severe in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. According to the
Indonesian Health Ministry, the death toll has now climbed to over 45,268, with
1,240 missing in the northern province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra, which is
close to the epicenter of the earthquake. Just in the town of Meulaboh alone,
some 10,000 people accounting for one quarter (25%) of the town’s population
are dead. The death toll in Sri Lanka and India has also climbed to in excess of
22,400 and 14,000 deaths respectively. India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands as
well as the southern state of Tamil Nadu have been the worst hit areas where
deaths have been in excess of 7,000 and 7,000 respectively. The death toll in
Thailand’s resort islands of Phuket and Phi Phi is also nearing 2,000. Millions of
people have been reportedly displaced. In Indonesia an estimated 1 million
people are either displaced or homeless. However, at this stage of the crisis the
actual extent of displacement remains unclear, particularly in the case of affected
island groups where people may not have many options to move elsewhere. The
extent of displacement would not be known until field assessments have been
completed. UN experts are warning of possible epidemics within days if health
systems were not brought up to speed. According to the UN, water, sanitation,
food, shelter and health are priority sectors to stem any disease outbreaks. Due
to the contamination of drinking water sources, the risk of water-borne disease
such as cholera, dysentery, malaria and dengue fever, remains very high. Food
and medicine in many areas are in short supply. Health experts at the UN and
International Committee of the Red Cross warn that the overall death toll could
surpass 100,000. Country representatives from the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in affected countries are working with other UN
agencies to coordinate their relief efforts and to assess the food situation. FAO is
carrying out food/crop assessments in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia in
conjunction with the governments of those countries. The UN is preparing to
launch a flash appeal to fund aid to all the affected countries. The United States,
Australia, Japan and India have reportedly formed a "core group” to help
coordinate relief efforts. However, it remains unclear if this group’s activities
would be independent of the United Nations coordinating efforts. German
insurance giant Munich Re estimates the cost of damage to buildings and
foundations in the affected regions to exceed US$13.6 billion.
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India
India’s death toll reaches 14,000, as nearly 7,000 estimated killed in
Andaman and Nicobar islands, aftershocks continue
According to reports, at
least 14,000 people
have now been killed in
India as officials
estimated that more
than 7,000 people were
killed in the three
southern states of
Tamil Nadu,
Pondicherry, Kerala
and Andhra Pradesh,
with at least 6,000
confirmed dead in
Tamil Nadu alone from
earthquake-triggered
tsunamis over the
weekend. According to
the Hindustan Times, at
least 7,000 are believed
to have been killed in
the far-flung Nicobar
and Andaman islands,
close to the epicenter of
the earthquake off of
western Indonesia. More than 870,000 people have been left homeless in India.
Police and the coastguard said that at least 10,000 people, half the population of
Car Nicobar island, were missing. The air force has reportedly evacuated an
estimated 5,000 survivors in 80 flights from various islands since Sunday
(December 26) to the Andaman capital of Port Blair, while another 1,800 would
be evacuated from Car Nicobar today. Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee said
today that surveys have not yet been completed on many of the 500-plus
Andaman islands, which stretch over 500 miles (800 km), because of vast
distance and communication problems. However, rescue teams headed out
today to the last of the remote islands and said they had made contact with
survivors on most of the three dozen inhabited islands, including tribal inhabitants
on some islands. However, they said about 3,000 people could be stranded. At
least 8 strong aftershocks were felt in the Andaman and Nicobar islands today,
measuring between 5.1 and 6.1 on the Richter scale. According to Mukherjee,
200 tons of relief has been sent to the islands. In worst-affected Nagapattinam
district in Tamil Nadu state, at least 4,900 bodies were recovered and buried.
However, power was restored to most of the district today. In addition, the Red
Cross has reportedly begun carrying out vaccinations in the state as a preventive
measure. Other reports said that more than 65,000 IDPs are being vaccinated by
56 paramedic teams in the state. According to reports, a number of volunteers
from NGOs, including the Red Cross, were helping in relief and rescue, while the
Indian military continued work. UNICEF has also supplied 10,00 blankets and
10,000 cooking materials to the state, but said that clean water remained scarce
in many remote villages in the southern region and on the islands. Although
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the disaster a “national
calamity,” the government said that it has enough funds for long and short-term
relief work in affected areas, and has given US$23 million in aid to Sri Lanka and
the Maldives.
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Indonesia
Deaths in Indonesia could surpass 80,000, UN says
Latest reports say that
the official death toll for
Indonesia is around
45,268, with restive
Aceh province by far
the hardest hit
province, however, a
UN official says that the
death toll could reach
upwards of 80,000
people. “I would say we
are probably talking
about somewhere in
the order of 80,000
people, 50 to 80,000
people, that would be
my educated
guess…it’s a guess
based on the relation
between the numbers
we have so far and our
experience from other
earthquake disasters,”
Michael Elmquist, head
of the UN Office for the
Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs for
Indonesia, said today.
Indonesian Vice
President Jusuf Kalla
says that the number of injured could be as many as 500,000. Aceh province
reportedly accounted for all but 239 of the latest official figure. Elmquist says the
western coastal town of Meulaboh, located in Aceh province on Indonesia’s
Sumatra Island, alone may have had some 40,000 deaths, almost one-third of
the town’s population. He says that Indonesia was hard hit by both the tsunami
and the 9.0 magnitude earthquake, of which the epicenter was located just 90
miles (150 kilometers) from Meulobah. “The other countries were basically hit by
a tidal wave on the beach. What we had here in Aceh is a combination of serious
earthquake and tidal wave,” Elmquist said. In Aceh’s provincial capital, Banda
Aceh, one of the hardest hit areas in the province, it is estimated that as much as
5 percent of the 300,000 population may be dead. Military commander of Aceh
province, Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarna, says that some 75 percent of the west
coast of Sumatra Island is destroyed and some towns were totally wiped out.
Many villages along the west coast have been largely unreachable by land and
sea, but reports say that survivors who have made it to population centers report
massive damages and deaths, the Associated Press reports. In Meulaboh,
communications and regular power sources were reportedly not functioning.
Government officials say that they have no choice but to start burying the dead in
mass graves with few ways to identify the dead. The dead bodies are also being
buried to avoid possible further contamination of the environment, which may
lead to disease outbreaks. The military says that naval ships were headed
towards the coast today (Wednesday, December 29) with tons of food, water,
and medicine. CNN reports that rescue teams have not been able to visit large
parts of Aceh province, particularly along the west coast. Some 100 Indonesian
doctors have begun arriving in Banda Aceh and said they would begin setting up
at least 4 hospitals across Aceh. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the
government has simplified procedures for international humanitarian workers to
obtain a visa upon arrival for a one-month stay. The Jakarta Post reports that
dozens of foreign aid workers have already arrived in Aceh. The province had
been closed to foreigners as the military had mounted a huge military operation
against the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in May 2003 and the province
was still under a state of civil emergency. Earlier this week, both the government
and GAM announced ceasefires so that aid could be brought to those affected by
the disaster. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works has dispatched some 45
heavy equipment vehicles to Aceh as well as dozens of other emergency
vehicles, including water and sanitation vehicles, and tents for emergency
shelters and portable kitchens.
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South Asia
India and Pakistan Foreign Secretary talks end round of dialogue;
Continuing violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir (IcK) claims 8
Two-day talks between Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and his
Indian counterpart, Shyam Saran, ended yesterday in Islamabad with no major
breakthroughs. The talks were the culmination of several rounds of confidencebuilding measure (CBM) talks between the two sides, which began in early
December. In a joint statement, the two sides said that they have narrowed some
differences and have agreed to a rough schedule for the slow-moving peace
process. However, there was no mention of major progress on their most
important dispute, the issue of Kashmir. It also said that meetings on six issues,
including border disputes, counter-terrorism and drug trafficking, and economic
cooperation would be held on agreed-upon dates between April and June next
year. They also agreed that talks on trade, border security and CBMs on their
nuclear and conventional arsenals would be held between January and June.
They also confirmed that their foreign and prime ministers would meet at the
South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit next month,
and that Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh would visit Islamabad in February.
The foreign secretaries plan to meet again in July and August to review the
overall peace progress. The current round of dialogue is the second since India
and Pakistan agreed to hold CBM talks in a major landmark agreement in
January this year. Although some progress was made in some talks, such as the
survey of disputed borders outside Kashmir, both sides failed to complete an
agreement to notify each other of missile tests and a bus service between Indian
and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (IcK). Meanwhile, violence continued in Indiancontrolled Kashmir (IcK) today when 2 women and another civilian were killed in
a shootout between soldiers and rebels at a checkpoint. Farooq Zargar, a leader
of the state’s opposition National Conference party was shot dead by suspected
rebels. Two soldiers and 3 suspected rebels were killed in separate incidents. At
least 66,000 people have been killed since the insurgency began in 1989.
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Sri Lanka
Death toll in Sri Lanka now at 22,493, government reports
Sri Lanka’s president’s office said today (Wednesday, December 29) that at least
22,493 people were killed in Sri Lanka from tsunamis that destroyed more than
three-quarters of the island nation’s coast. Thousands of others have also been
reported missing. Officials say they are trying to identify the dead as quickly as
they can so that the bodies could be buried to avoid possible further
contamination of the environment, which may lead to disease outbreaks. The
BBC reports that there are already reports of outbreaks of measles, diarrhea and
other diseases. However, widespread outbreaks have not yet been reported. The
disaster management unit at President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s office said that
there was an additional 500,000 displaced. Yesterday it was reported that some
1.5 million people were displaced in government-controlled areas of the country
while some 500,000 were displaced in Tamil Tiger rebel-controlled areas in the
north and east. Today, some reports put the total number displaced at upwards
of 3 million. The Sri Lankan government has set up a National Relief Operations
Unit (NROU) today to aid relief activities by government and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) in Sri Lanka. President Chandrika Kumaratunga says that
the new body will be chaired by the secretary to the president. The NROU’s
headquarters, based at the Presidential Secretariat, has started coordinating with
the UN, according to the Xinhua news agency. The UN’s World Food Program
(WFP) says that it is providing food aid for some 500,000 people for two weeks.
The UN’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will bring in medical supplies for some
150,000 people for three months. The World Health Organization (WHO) is
shipping emergency health kits to support some 40,000 people for three months.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that it is initially
distributing some US$380,000 worth of supplies. The UNHCR says that it will
also open up its local relief stockpiles in Sri Lanka for immediate delivery of relief
to victims of the disaster. “Our supplies are usually for displaced people, but this
is an emergency and the local population needs help right now,” UNHCR chief
Ruud Lubbers says. UNHCR has seven offices across the country. Additionally,
the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) is
coordinating an airlift from its Humanitarian Response Depot in Brindisi, Italy.
The BBC reports that a UN team has reportedly arrived in the country to begin
assessing the disaster. Aid distribution will most likely be difficult as damages to
communications and transport in affected areas are already hampering relief
efforts. Meanwhile, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who control
areas in the north and east of the island have accused the Colombo government
of diverting aid away from Tamil-dominated areas, an accusation which the
government denies. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse promised that aid will
reach all areas of the country and President Kumaratunga has called for national
unity. The LTTE has made a separate appeal to the UN and international
community for some US$2 million in assistance. The continuing rift between the
government and Tamil Tigers in the face of this calamity will only serve to
complicate relief efforts in parts of the devastated country.
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Thailand
Military troops ordered to stay in insurgency-hit areas in southern
Thailand; Continuing violence claims 5
The Bangkok Post reported today that about 15,000 troops deployed to the
insurgency-hit south will not participate in rescue operations for tsunami-hit
provinces on the southwestern coast due to continuing violence in Pattani, Yala,
and Narathiwat. However, troops from the upper South, including Nakhon Si
Thammarat and Chumphon provinces, have been deployed to take part in the
rescue operations. Meanwhile, violence continued in Thailand’s south this week,
claiming 5 lives since yesterday. A policeman was shot dead by motorcycle
assailants in Pattani province, while a newspaper agent was shot dead by a
gunman posing as a customer in his grocery shop. A female schoolteacher and a
volunteer worker were shot and injured in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces
respectively. Another elderly retired schoolteacher was stabbed and seriously
injured by assailants while grazing his cows. A policeman and a solider were also
injured in a gunfight today when a man at a checkpoint reportedly opened fire.
Yesterday, 3 border policemen were killed in Pattani, while an assistant village
headman was seriously injured by motorcycle assailants in Pattani and
Narathiwat. Meanwhile, 3 security commanders were found responsible for the
deaths of 78 Muslim protestors who died after being crammed into military trucks
following a riot in Tak Bai town, Narathiwat in October this year, by a
government-sponsored independent committee investigating the incident. The
incident reportedly drew fire domestically and abroad. Those held responsible
included Lt. General Pisarn Wattanawongkeeri, former army chief commander of
the south. Meanwhile, teachers in Yala province today said that all schools in the
province would remain closed until the security situation normalized. Previously,
teachers said that classes would be suspended until January 4, after attackers
recently shot dead a schoolteacher. At least 580 people have been killed since
the insurgency violence began in January this year. Many of the victims have
included public schoolteachers, who have been targeted for being symbols of
Bangkok’s authority, however, women have rarely been targeted in the past year.
Locals seen to be working with authorities have also been killed.
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At least 1,800 confirmed dead, 5,288 missing in aftermath of tsunamis in
southern Thailand
According to the
Department of Disaster
Prevention and
Mitigation, the official
death toll from
Sunday’s (December
26) tsunamis on the
southwestern coast of
Thailand rose to at
least 1,800 today (up
from 1,500 yesterday),
with 9,754 injured and
5,288 reported missing,
almost half of them
foreign tourists. The
deaths were reported in
the six affected
provinces of Phang
Nga (which was worsthit), Phuket, Ranong,
Krabi, Trang and Satun.
Officials today said that
the final death toll from
Khao Lak resort in
Phang Nga, where
nearly all of its 50
crowded hotels were
destroyed, may reach
3,000 as 1,200 bodies
have already been
recovered. Nationals of
more than 40 countries
were vacationing in the
region. More than
20,000 Thai families
from villages along the
coast in the provinces
were affected, including 5,262 families in Phang Na, 4,962 in Satun and 1,463 in
Phuket. In Phang Nga, about 5,000 residents were homeless, another 3,000
were in Krabi, and 1,200 were in Trang. Officials reported that entire villages
were swept away. In addition, about 800 Myanmar boat workers are believed to
have been killed in Phang Nga. Officials today were concerned about freshwater
shortages caused by the contamination of seawater in underground and surface
water sources. Officials said that freshwater ponds would be established in
unaffected areas. Workers today also focused on clearing hazardous debris in
the region, which attracts more than 40% of Thailand’s tourist arrivals. The
Ministry of Health also has declared the six provinces disease-control areas, and
additional medical teams were sent today to prevent the spread of disease.
Agencies at the scene included the Defense, Interior and Transport Ministries,
the police, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Royal Fisheries department, as well as
private foundations. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today divided up
cabinet members to take charge of the six provinces. The police and military
were one of the first to deploy on Sunday, while additional military rescuers were
deployed from nearby provinces the next day. Shinawatra has said that although
there were sufficient personnel, there was a lack of equipment. Authorities have
sent 10 refrigerated containers to ease pressure on morgues, but facilities were
reportedly overwhelmed and forensic experts struggled to identify bodies.
Authorities also struggled with looters attempting to steal belongings among the
debris. More than 13,000 rescuers and volunteers from the country and abroad
are currently working in the affected areas. The Nation reported today that UN
agencies have pledged about 90 million baht (US$2.3 million) in aid to Thailand.
Japan has sent a search and rescue team, while the Philippines and Hong Kong
have sent relief teams. French and Australian jets today also arrived with relief
supplies. Singapore said today that it would increase aid for Thailand, while
China has donated US$300,000 to the Thai government.
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