Situation Report #08/2004 Effects of Tsunami on 26 December 2004

Date: 3 January 2005 (8 days after disaster) Prepared by UN Country Team, Male’, Maldives

I. SITUATION

Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs to Tsunami affected countries visited Male’ and met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government Task Force for Disaster Response (including Minister of Defence as Chair, Minister of Finance as focal point for international assistance, Minister of Planning and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs). The Special Coordinator also undertook a field visit to the island of Meemu – one of the badly affected islands. In a press conference before her departure she emphasized that the extensive impact of the disaster in the Maldives necessitates a commensurate, urgent and coordinated international response.

II. UPDATE BY SECTOR

Effects on population: Total Deaths: 82 Total Missing: 26 Total Homeless: 13,311 Total Displaced: 8,352 Source: President’s Office website www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv

Water and Sanitation: Severely affected atolls and islands continue to report contamination of water and/or salinity in water. Almost all of them also report blocked or broken sewage systems. The atolls are: Thaa, Dhaalu, Meemu, Vaavu, Gaafu Alifu and Laamu.

Economy: The backbone of the economy is tourism and fishing with tourism constituting over 34% of GDP. Twenty percent (19) of resorts have suspended operations for many months to carry out renovation works as a result of the tsunami. The Government is extremely concerned about the medium to long term effects as much as the devastation left by the tsunami across the archipelago. Nine resorts had to be evacuated. 46 of the 87 resorts have suffered damage which is over 52% of the resorts.

Projected evolution/ Secondary threats A lot of the country’a technical expertise is dependent on foreign labour from the neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. Although the biggest portion of the 34,000 strong expatriate labour is in the tourism industry, the majority of teachers and doctors also come from expatriate labour. Teachers and doctors are leaving the country in the aftermath of the disaster and there is concern that the health and education sectors could come to a standstill because of this.

II. NATIONAL RESPONSE

URGENT: The Government’s Crisis Task Force urgently requests that manifests for aid shipments be sent to the Government well in advance to ensure more efficient processing and reduce bottlenecks. There is limited warehouse storage capacity at the airport. Please send manifests in advance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of External Resources: [email protected]; fax: +960 317 592; copied to the Task Force’s Aid Coordination Unit: [email protected] and UNDP’s focal point for logistics: [email protected].

III. COUNTRY-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

Actions of UN Teams

Visit of the Secretary General’s Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance to Tsunami affected countries Ms. Margaret Wahlstrom the Secretary General’s Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance to affected countries has just concluded her visit to the Maldives after visiting the island of Kolhufushi in which was among the worst affected islands. Following the field trip Ms. Wahlstrom talked about the impact of the disaster on a country such as the Maldives where a small population was living in an extremely fragile environment.

Ms. Wahlstrom undertook consultations with senior Government officials, and met with the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) and the UN Country team in the Maldives.

Coordination

The Government Disaster Relief Task Force and the Government as a whole is working very closely with the UNDAC team in support of the UN RC.

Constraints (remains the same) • Population dispersion over 200 islands scattered over 900 kms which means that even small quantities of aid have to be transported to every island by either boat, sea plane or helicopter. • On most islands, access is designed for small boats, thereby restricting the amounts of supplies and equipment that can be delivered at any one time. • Inclement weather (as in the past two days) restricts travel by boat and plane and hampers delivery of aid. • Small groups of residents remain on heavily damaged islands to look for and protect valuables and properties. • As a result of the above the country and its people remain vulnerable to continuing effects of the disaster.

IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

Government requests In order to ensure that appropriate aid and quantities are sent to the country, please consult with the Government’s Crisis Task Force through the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Department of External Resources: [email protected].

Priority needs Transport and logistical coordination continue to remain the main priorities of the government given the dispersion and the difficult conditions to be endured for aid delivery. Aid has to be delivered to each the 200 islands individually and can be done in small boats or using other means of light transport.

V. CHANNELS FOR DELIVERY OF INTERNATIONAL AID

15. Cash contributions The Government has set up bank accounts for cash donations: Ministry of Finance and Treasury Disaster Relief Fund Bank of Maldives Account No (Foreign currency): 7701- 147 900- 002 Account No (Local currency): 7701- 147 900- 001 Bank swift code: MALBMVMV

The Ministry of Finance collection desk has up to now received: USD 2,051458.75 and the Bank of Maldives has up to now received USD 1,634,647.77 bringing the total amount received USD 3,868,106.52

VI. INTERNATIONAL PLEDGES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Total cash amount committed/pledged: US$ 2,164,498 Total value in kind: US$ 1,589,621 Total cash & kind: US$ 3,754,119

VII. OTHER INFORMATIONS

17. Field office contact Aishath Jeelaan, Communications Officer, United Nations Resident Coordinator System, Tel: (960) 324501 ext. 227, mob: (960) 787 987.

18. Expected date of next report: 4th January 2005.

Health Status Update 03 January, 2005

Diarrhea - 336 Injuries - 1313 no more new cases ARI/viral fever - 335 Anxiety/shock - 163 (reported cases as of 03 January 2005)

Infrastructure: Assessments are being conducted to find out need for replacements/renovation of health facilities. But these are rather incomplete, as assessments are being conducted over the phone; MoH acknowledges the need to conduct physical evaluations.

However, this will still not be enough when deciding to rebuild the health facilities as it seems that not all islands will be resettled, there is talk of some islands being abandoned, with the population being moved elsewhere permanently. As this is a high level policy decision which islands will be abandoned may not be known for a while.

As the cold chain has been severely disrupted, UNICEF is in the process of replacing the system for the country.

Water: All affected islands have drinking water, however, the question of the exact amounts/storage capacity is unknown.

Emergency water supplies were sent to all affected islands. Currently there are two mobile desalination plants (one to the North and one to the South) going around the islands, but the problem of storage remains as it is estimated that a large part of the household HDPE tanks that normally store rainwater have been lost or damaged. Islands are being encouraged to store water in jerry cans: 1,000 jerry cans have already been sent, with another 6,000 expected soon. Furthermore, as whole buildings have been demolished, the roofs needed to harvest rainwater are also missing.

A 250m3 desalination plant is expected soon, this will be housed in (South central Maldives), which will process the water for surrounding islands/atolls. Water is being tested for salinity, but water quality is not being tested, as the samples have to brought back to Male’ for this.

Sewerage: Not enough known about the country situation. Information collected is inconsistent, but from the findings so far, the sewerage systems on more than 35 islands need to be replaced.

The two WATSAN engineers sent by HQ survey three islands in on 02 January, (report attached separately).

Nutrition: For the main part there are no islands without food, but 28 islands report some difficulties. Food rations are being sent to all affected islands, with items like baby food/onions/potatoes etc being added to the initial items in the food basket.

MoH would like to have a more systematic assessment of the nutrition situation, but not possible just yet. Currently no such work is being undertaken in a systematic manner, but, the situation of the evacuees on Male’ are being monitored, with the special attention paid to the needs of pregnant women and children under one and five.

WFP is arranging the delivery of 100MT of high energy biscuits, with one MT being delivered every 24 hours.

Reproductive Health: Real situation is unknown. There are an estimated 1500 pregnant women currently in the Maldives, of this 1000 are expected to give birth in the next 6 months. When the islanders were displaced, there is no record of how they were dispersed as people from the affected islands moved to different locations.

UNFPA is working with DPH to procure about six sets each, of : clean delivery kits, midwifery kits, clinical delivery supplies, supplies for treatment of miscarriages, and safe blood transfusion equipment, worth a total of about US$21,000.

UNFPA is also working with WFP to provide vitamin supplements for pregnant women. No systematic assessment of the pregnant women have been carried out by the government yet. There is a report of one woman being taken to a hospital by the rescue services, no other miscarriages/ill effects from pregnant women has been reported.

Health:

The five New Emergency Medical Kits 98 of WHO was received a few days ago, and is now being sent to five atolls – Raa , Meemu Muli, Dhaalu , Thaa , and Laamu .

Chlorine has available on all affected islands, 25 barrels of 50 kg each are left in stock WHO procured 8MT and one MT from Singapore are expected to arrive shortly. All affected islands (health workers) are being advised to chlorinate all drinking water.

MoH does not foresee a need for mass measles vaccination, as the last routine round for EPI was carried out just before 26th December.

No significant change in the disease pattern has been observed so far. However, MoH is vigilant for any outbreaks of dengue, cholera, typhoid, shigelloses, Hepatitis A&E, scrub typhus and Leptospirosis. Malaria is not expected.

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