The Recovery Effort and Way Forward
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ACEH AND NIAS ONE YEAR AFTER THE TSUNAMI The Recovery Effort and Way Forward A Joint Report of The BRR and International Partners, December 2005 2 December 2005 Report Aceh and Nias One Year After The Tsunami Advance Release Version FOREWORD PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA ON THE REPORT OF THE ACEH-NIAS REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION AGENCY Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Fellow countrymen, Ladies and Gentlemen, This report marks the passing of one year since the devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004 and the earthquake of 28 March 2005. The massive loss of life and tremendous destruction were tragic. The grief they brought the people of Aceh and Nias and the wider Indonesian nation were beyond words. Yet from this great tragedy there came an impressive outpouring of support from around the world for which I offer my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of our nation. The resilience and courage of the survivors have been equally impressive. Their dignity, forbearance and discipline have been clearly seen during the passing of the first Ramadan since the disaster. The peace accord brokered in Helsinki and the subsequent cooperation all round in the peace process are major achievements that bode well for a successful recovery program. I admire and thank all involved. We are now into the hard yards of the recovery process. The journey ahead will be long and hard. I trust and hope it will also be rewarding as we work together in rebuilding and strengthening the affected communities and infrastructure as well as the government and economic capacity on which they all depend for prosperity and success. I have taken a close personal interest in the work of the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency over the past several months since I established it. The Agency has given strong and effective professional leadership to the national and international recovery effort. I will continue to monitor its progress and maintain my support for its excellent work. I trust in it to deliver not just an effective reconstruction program but also a model of reform and development of which we can all be proud. My best wishes and thanks also go to all who have been involved in helping the people of Aceh and Nias. Your contributions to the rehabilitation and reconstruction program are welcome and admired. To the people in the affected communities, I also wish you well. I will continue to do all I can through the Aceh- Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Executing Agency to give you the support you need in the difficulties you face. We have now built a strong platform for delivering sustainable recovery. I urge all to continue in good faith as we all strive to overcome the many great challenges that lie before us. Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Jakarta, 14 December 2005 PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA DR. H. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO 3 United Nations Nations Unies Office of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery From the United Nations Special Envoy, President William J. Clinton: In the course of my three visits to Aceh since the devastating events of December 26, 2004, I have been moved by the extraordinary strength of the Acehnese people. Their courage and de- termination to rebuild their lives and communities after this devastating natural disaster inspires and motivates the rest of us to do better and to do more. As we approach the anniversary of this terrible event, we have much to be proud of. Great strides have been made in protecting the lives and livelihoods of tsunami survivors. Temporary schools, shelters, and health clinics are filling interim needs while more permanent structures are built. Cash-for-work programs, food distribution, and vocational training programs are helping to protect standards of living while efforts are made to revive businesses, agriculture, and fisher- ies. We have a long way to go to build Aceh back better, but the process is well underway. Kuntoro and his team at the BRR deserve much of the credit for this progress. The agency has played a vital role in coordinating the recovery effort and ensuring that the process is led by Indonesians. President Yudhoyono’s decision to create a specialized agency for this massive task, with Kuntoro at the helm, was an inspired one. It will be judged well by history, particularly as the large-scale reconstruction gets underway. The international friends of the Acehnese people have also played critical roles in the recovery effort. This has been an extraordinary partnership, including the military contingents who flew in water and food in the first weeks, the international NGOs -- large and small -- that provided help to entire communities, and the United Nations and international financial institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Foreign governments have made much of this pos- sible, through their generous financing of the recovery process. Private citizens from around our world have also played a crucial role, on a scale unprecedented in the history of private giving. The scale of the task and the sheer number of actors involved has made it at times difficult to get a clear picture of what is needed and who is helping to meet these needs. This report will clarify the situation, and I am confident it will make an important contribution to guiding the recovery effort. I will continue to do my part to promote Aceh’s recovery. We must sustain the same levels of commitment and effort for as long as it takes to build back better in Aceh and Nias, ensuring that communities are left on a safer and sounder development path. One United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 USA 4 December 2005 Report Aceh and Nias One Year After The Tsunami Advance Release Version Palang Merah Indonesia By Sunday evening, 26 December 2004, I was in Banda Aceh. Within 15 minutes of my arrival at the airport, I was standing with our first Satgana disaster response volunteers who were al- ready evacuating cadavers and the injured from the surrounding area. The team had begun its first assessment of conditions, and fortunately I was able to receive a first-hand report on this unprecedented catastrophe. The scope of this disaster was far beyond my expectations. Never before could I have imagined nor prepared myself physically and mentally, in my capacity as Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, to cope with this grievous calamity. However, the activities going on around me by our Satgana volunteers energized me to deal with the critical nature of the situation. In responding to this most tragic event, PMI, the International Federation, ICRC and dozens of Red Cross and Red Crescent national society staff and volunteers from all over the world worked hand-in-hand to provide relief according to our universal mandate. This massive emer- gency response operation is a success story, with first tribute going to all volunteers who were actively involved. Now, one year later, there are many lessons to be learned, especially that an early warning system must be built with a holistic and community-based approach. We do recognize that the rehabilitation and reconstruction is a difficult and complex challenge. The recovery process necessary to re-build communities in Aceh and Nias is a seminal task. We must reaffirm our long-term commitment and take real action based on the needs and aspirations of the com- munities that require our help. I am confident that all stakeholders will fulfill their commitments for the benefit of those affected; that is our primary responsibility. An effective revitalization of civil society in Aceh and Nias will create even more resilient communities in that region of our country. Mar’ie Muhammad Chairman, Indonesian Red Cross Society 5 THE WORLD BANK December, 2005 PAUL WOLFOWITZ President The December 26, 2004 tsunami caused unimaginable devastation to Aceh and Nias. Only three months later, another major earthquake struck, causing additional heavy damage mainly to Nias. The magnitude of these events triggered an amazing outpouring of compassion and generosity from around the world. Private citizens provided huge amounts of support, and donors pledged generously to help survivors But reconstruction involves more than rebuilding roads, homes, schools and health clinics. It is also about re- building people’s lives—so that they can regain their livelihoods and institutions, and heal the emotional wounds that linger in their minds. Aceh and Nias were already poor prior to the disasters, and recovery is further com- plicated by the backdrop of the decades-long conflict in Aceh. I was impressed by the courage and resilience of the people of Aceh during my visit there earlier this year. Indo- nesians were eager to play an active role in the re-development of their communities. Emergency relief needs were met in the months following the disasters, and serious outbreak of disease and malnutrition were averted. Progress was also made in 2005 on understanding local needs, addressing planning and policy issues, and strengthening capacity for large scale reconstruction. BRR, Indonesia’s reconstruction agency, is building its capacity for coordinating actors, monitoring programs, and trying to ensure that the needs of communities are recog nized and addressed. It is important that they continue to strengthen and adapt their capacity as needed to ensure the sustainability of the investments being made. Yet one year after the tsunami disaster, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are still at the beginning of a complex reconstruction and recovery process. Delays in getting funds flowing, establishing a brand new agency to manage recovery, and trying to coordinate the hundreds of players trying to help have meant that physical reconstruction has been slow to start.