From Tsunami to Recovery 2008 Report to Supporters Unprecedented devastation, extraordinary generosity It was one of the most devastating natural disasters in memory. On December 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra triggered massive walls of waves tsunamis that smashed into thousands of kilometres of coastline around the Indian Ocean rim. In all, 12 countries were hit. The most devastating damage was done to the Indonesian province of Aceh, Sri Lanka, four states of southern India, the Maldives, Myanmar, and coastal areas of Thailand and Malaysia. Those tsunamis killed more than 225,000 people and impacted millions; many of those affected lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones. Villages and towns, fishing boats and roads were swept away, or buried under wreckage. As the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe unfolded, the world rushed to help. In Canada, the response was extraordinary. Always generous in times of disaster, Canadians stepped up to give in record numbers, and the Canadian Red Cross, with its reputation for delivering effective disaster relief at home and abroad, was the first choice for Canadian donors. Four years later Your generosity has helped individuals, families and communities recover from the worst devastation imaginable. Canadian donations have helped rebuild entire communities. Not just houses tens of thousands of them but roads, schools, sanitation systems and community centres. And these structures have been built better, to withstand future disasters in a region prone to them. In Indonesia, your donations also helped fund an early warning system that will help prevent such great loss from occurring again. Just as importantly, you contributed to rebuilding lives shattered by the tsunami. Survivors received medical and psychosocial support to help them heal. Community groups were forged, and residents given a say in what mattered most to their recovery. In Sri Lanka, you financed new fishing boats and new net mending sheds, allowing survivors to get back to their traditional livelihoods. You also helped us contribute to a wide range of training programs that provide new livelihood skills and micro-credit venture financing for those left most vulnerable by the disaster. While the tsunami has left an indelible mark on the people who live along the Indian Ocean s coast, they are recovering their lives, helped by the remarkable outpouring of concern from Canada and the rest of the world. What began as a devastating tragedy has become a testimony to human dignity and resiliency, and to the power of humanity. This report provides much more detail about Canadian Red Cross ongoing efforts in the tsunami-affected area. More information is available at www.redcross.ca/tsunami. Housing hand-over ceremony in Indonesia: traditional dance (2007)
The World s Largest Humanitarian Network The early days of the emergency International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies Since the tsunami struck, almost 4 million people in the affected areas have received assistance from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Red Cross is working in close partnership with affected communities, government and other aid organizations. That Movement includes the Canadian Red Cross Society, one of 186 National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies that work to help those impacted by disaster and conflict. All National Societies are independent, and strive to meet the needs of communities in their countries. However, each is also a member of the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies (Federation), and part of a worldwide movement that includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). While the Federation spearheads disaster relief, the ICRC works specifically in conflict areas. Together, national societies and international bodies form the largest international humanitarian movement in the world. This global network blends the best of local, community-based response with access to international resources and standards of assistance. After the disaster, the priority was on providing emergency relief to millions of survivors as quickly as possible. Immediately upon learning of the disaster, the Canadian Red Cross dispatched highly trained and experienced response workers to help, and began loading shipments of aid material. The Canadian Red Cross sent over one million kilograms of relief items to tsunami-affected countries in the first three months. This included tents, bedding, water containers and purification tablets, hygiene kits, medical supplies and body bags. Getting aid to those who needed it in the earliest days required all the Movement s expertise, and collaboration among multinational partners. Despite the horrific damage to roads, harbours and other distribution channels, aid did get to those who needed it most. Clean water, sanitation and health care were top priorities for many weeks following the tsunami. As the waters receded, emergency responders knew that the continued survival for thousands of people depended on 2 staving off disease and providing the basic necessities. The rapid response of the international aid community, aided by the immediate, immense generosity of donors, ensured greater loss of life could be averted. As it assessed the magnitude of the tsunami destruction, the Canadian Red Cross estimated full recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation would take at least five years, and possibly as many as ten. The Canadian Red Cross works to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world. I ve never been part of an operation that was as impressive, as efficient, or as large as this one... I am confident we will build something that will be better and safer for survivors. But there is no quick fix. This is a marathon and not a sprint. We will do it right and we will do it responsibly. Jean-Pierre Taschereau, who travelled to Indonesia just days after the tsunami to co-ordinate the massive number of air relief shipments arriving in Indonesia; he subsequently served there as a program manager for shelter, health, livelihoods and disaster preparedness programs.
RECOVERY and RECONSTRUCTION While a rapid response is the key to success in the emergency phase, when getting in fast with aid means saving lives, a more measured and consultative process is the key to success in recovery and reconstruction. Despite the enormous geographic and human scope of this disaster, tremendous progress has been made. The Canadian Red Cross has focused its efforts in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives, where it has joint programs with local and international partners and other Red Cross Societies. Much of the success of our recovery programs is due to the committed efforts of over 100 trained and experienced Canadian Red Cross delegates who have gone on missions to the tsunami-affected countries, 49 of whom are currently in the field. Indonesia Building it back better is the big story in the disaster-prone Indonesian province of Aceh, which was hardest hit by the tsunami and has subsequently suffered earthquakes, mudslides and floods. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has put a priority on building sustainable communities that are more resistant to future disasters. Construction Before construction on permanent homes could begin, it was essential to establish temporary, safe and sanitary shelters for those who had been displaced. Roads had to be built or repaired, and the grim task of restoring cemeteries and creating mass graves for the tsunami s victims completed. Through your donations, the Canadian Red Cross was able to support these activities. By December, 2008, Canadian donations to Red Cross had built more than 4,300 homes to house over 21,500 survivors, and another 1,300 homes were under construction. The units are built to meet or exceed construction standards for earthquake zones. These building projects had to overcome many challenges, which included the complete destruction of infrastructure in some areas, a lack of land ownership records and serious environmental concerns. As Indonesia s Aceh province rebuilds, officials are assessing the threat of environmental damage due to deforestation. The reconstruction effort has created a voracious appetite for wood, and the use of illegal timber to meet the demand of building thousands of homes has accelerated the rate of deforestation. This deforestation has been identified as a major factor in the spate of deadly floods and landslides that occurred in 2006. The Canadian Red Cross uses the most environmentally responsible materials, and does not use timber that has been illegally harvested in its projects. Our environmental management program is fully compliant with Indonesian environmental laws and regulations, and considers how resource sustainability can be incorporated into all aspects of our programming. I ve seen up close some of the nearly 6000 houses the Canadian Red Cross is building for tsunami victims here in Indonesia. This is why we are here...this is why so many Canadians have, over the years, chosen to live thousands of kilometers away from their families and loved ones; to help restore some of the communities hardest hit; to see the smiles on moms, dads and kids who are now living in these multi-coloured homes with the distinguishing red roofs. Kathy Mueller, Information & Community Outreach Delegate, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Clean water and sanitation The infrastructure necessary to treat household sanitary waste and wastewater was nonexistent in Aceh prior to the tsunami; drinking water was highly susceptible to contamination. The tsunami contaminated shallow groundwater wells, leaving most households without access to clean drinking water. Since the tsunami, we have provided clean water, drainage and sanitation facilities for 16,000 people, and constructed water and sanitation systems for nine schools, three health centres and a communal ice factory. More than 114 voluntary community health workers, 67 teachers and 8,000 survivors have received hygiene and sanitation training. Solutions must fit the culture of a community, and make sense for those who live with them. The Canadian Red Cross is engaged in continuous dialogue with residents, exploring community composting and solid waste management, and the maintenance of household water and septic systems. The Canadian Red Cross has also been working with the Federation and the American Red Cross to deliver sustainable, long-term water and sanitation solutions on the island of Nias, which suffered a destructive earthquake only months after the tsunami. Early warning system If an effective early warning system had been in place in 2004, countless lives would have been saved. In order to improve the ability of the Indonesian Red Cross Society (PMI) to receive disaster alerts and disseminate them to vulnerable communities and decision makers, the Canadian Red Cross has supported a project to establish a radiobased early warning system in PMI branches throughout the Aceh province and on Nias Island. We constantly look for opportunities to improve, not destroy, Aceh s environment during post-tsunami reconstruction. In Nias, we are building homes made of wood but we are importing legal, sustainable timber to avoid the opportunistic practices that could occur. Recently, we moved from bricks, which require a lot of wood to produce, to cement hollow blocks these are better for the environment. John McKnight, the Environmental Advisor to Canadian Red Cross. 4 The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has built, in total, almost 54,000 transitional and permanent houses for those displaced by the tsunami. More than 15,400 homes are under construction. Done in partnership with the Federation and the Spanish Red Cross, this crucial preparedness project installed a network of radios and enhanced communication systems that will help rapidly alert branch offices, which can then send out the alert in their area. The system will also facilitate better communication and monitoring of situations throughout a disaster. Training of staff and volunteers in the operation and maintenance of radios, emergency warning system procedures, and financial resource mobilization is critical to the effectiveness of such a system. Over 162 individuals have now been trained, with several PMI workers trained to a level where they can train their colleagues. Programs that meet diverse needs These are just a few of the ways that the Canadian Red Cross is helping the residents of Aceh recover. There are numerous other examples that range from working with community-based organizations to designing and planning for the construction of 28 women s and community centres to the distribution of over 6,000 insecticidetreated bed nets to families and construction workers to help prevent malaria. A polio vaccination program trained public health workers and resulted in 483,000 children in Aceh receiving those critical second and third doses of the vaccine. In Aceh, agencies are following the build back better mantra... the work being done by agencies like the Red Cross is going to allow an entire generation to grow up with good habits in a healthy environment. Melody Munz, an Environmental Health Delegate in Aceh whose work is a balance between constructing water and sanitation infrastructure and giving communities information on responsible usage and maintaining a healthy environment. A Restoring Family Links project, working with the ICRC, the Indonesian Red Cross and the Indonesian authorities, has helped address the legal, logistical, social and religious needs of the families of missing people. To help survivors restore hope and begin to return to a normal life, the Canadian Red Cross contributed to celebrations that allowed tens of thousands of villagers in Aceh to take part in traditional Ramadan festivities. The Canadian Red Cross continues to work with community groups to share knowledge and learn what they require to recover after so much loss. These groups are assisted with planning projects and planning grant applications, for which project monitoring and evaluation are key elements to ensure the appropriate use of Canadian donations.
Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, the Canadian Red Cross has also been building homes 470 have been completed, and an additional 453 are currently underway. Our work in this country has also focused on the physical and mental health needs of those affected by the tsunami, and on helping them regain and diversify their livelihoods. Health and wellness In 2005 and 2006, a Canadian surgical team supported the Kilinochchi Hospital in northern Sri Lanka. That hospital was also provided with much-needed medical equipment. Another $3 million was spent to rehabilitate and expand Polonnaruwa General Hospital, Vavuniya General Hospital, Bentota General Hospital and Madampagama Rural Hospital. This included the construction of diagnostic and outpatient facilities, and the installation of vital medical equipment such as oxygen storage tanks. As well, we have implemented a community health and wellness program in the towns of Galle, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, and Colombo, and conducted more than 19,000 home visits. To encourage good health and nutrition, 150 First Aid training sessions have been held, and 1,270 home gardens received seeds to help people grow nutritious foods for their families. Also, 450 wells have been dug, providing 700 families with access to clean water. Canadian delegates with expertise in psychosocial support have trained their Sri Lankan counterparts to help survivors better cope with trauma, grief and loss. It is hoped that this work will build greater resiliency and capacity among Sri Lankans to manage crisis situations in the future. Child protection In the wake of so much despair, instability and turmoil, community workers expressed concerns that all forms of child abuse and domestic violence were increasing. Building on its leadership in abuse prevention education in Canada through its RespectED programs, the Canadian Red Cross worked closely with agencies in Sri Lanka to develop a culturally-appropriate program called Be Safe! The program helps children, youth and adults understand and prevent abuse and seek help if needed. Following the training of community workers and educators, the program launched in the fall of 2008 with the support of the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society and the country s Ministry of Education. Diversified livelihoods The tsunami s terrible legacy goes beyond its impact on individual well-being. As fishing boats and businesses were swept out to sea, and many wage-earners lost, survivors were left struggling to support themselves. With the Canadian Cooperative Association, the Canadian Red Cross has contributed more than $6 million to enhance people s ability to make a living. Sanasa, a highly respected Sri Lankan not-for-profit development bank, is an important partner in this livelihoods project, which involves creating a loan pool for small entrepreneurs to re-build lost businesses, or develop new opportunities. More than 5,000 participants have had training in business development, marketing and skills, and more than 2,000 individuals have received micro-credit loans and leases. The Sri Lanka Project for Rehabilitation through Education and Training is a vocational training program of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) that strives to improve the standard of living for poor, under-employed and unemployed women and youth affected by disaster and conflict. The Canadian Red Cross has funded expansion of the program, helping it grow in tsunami-affected areas. Youth and women gain practical, marketable skills in a variety of Each time you leave on mission, you are torn away from your friends at home. Then at the end of the mission you are torn away from the new friends you made there. It creates a lot of instability in your life. But after so many missions you see the real need in these countries and how you can help. Pauline Soucy, operating theatre nurse who served as part of the surgical team that Canadian Red Cross put in place at Kilinochchi Hospital in northern Sri Lanka. trades. Already, 2,500 students have graduated with a further 2,000 currently being trained. Of the trainees, approximately 40 per cent of whom are female, 70 per cent have found work or started their own businesses, and now have higher incomes than before the tsunami and are able to contribute, on average, half of their total household earnings. This project received $10 million from the Canadian government s CIDA matching fund. Continuing challenges In Sri Lanka, escalating conflict continues to affect activities in the northern and eastern parts of the country. The Canadian Red Cross, along with other members of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, has adjusted programs to respond to the changing situation. 5
India Capacity and resilience In India, the Canadian Red Cross is focusing its recovery program in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is assisting over 12,000 people in 40 villages. Here, we are focused on building the capacity of residents to recover and withstand future disasters. While this is not always as easily quantified and illustrated as building housing units, it is absolutely vital to strengthening a region left reeling after a major disaster. In addition to delivering community health education to entire villages with a particular focus on first aid, the Canadian Red Cross also helped strengthen the Indian Red Cross Society s ability to respond to disasters by training 260 disaster preparedness volunteers in 13 villages. As well, eight existing cyclone shelters were repaired after the tsunami and three new ones built to protect residents. Another project in Tamil Nadu involves implementing an emotional wellness play program in 12 crèches (nursery schools), benefiting more than 600 children. Many of these children suffered both the terror of the tsunami and the long-term effects of turmoil and loss within their families and communities. Sixteen teachers and staff have also received child development training. Fishermen haul their nets up to the Red Cross-funded net mending sheds for repair in time for the next day s rounds. 6 The Secretary and the Treasurer of a Community Development Group in Tamil Nadu. Livelihood initiatives Also working within the communities, we have supported the creation of more than 70 community development groups in Tamil Nadu that are spearheading a variety of projects, including livelihood initiatives. The Canadian Red Cross has funded the building of new fishing boats, as well as five fishing net mending centres that provide a necessary service and employment. About 260 female-headed households have been helped to build incomegenerating activities through vocational training, micro credit and self-help group formation. Local women have organized themselves to deliver fish to local markets in vehicles provided by the Canadian Red Cross. The Maldives The Maldives experienced a greater per capita impact than any other country in the region because the islands that comprise the nation are just two metres above sea level. Massive clean up They came up to me and said, You were just here with us and saw how our lives were, and you can see how it has all changed... I see, when I visit now, that they feel the tsunami is in the past. Their grief is still there, but now they need to get on with things and live as normally as possible. Sherine Xavier commenting on visiting a crèche (nursery school) shortly after the disaster and again in 2007. The country coordinator for Canadian Red Cross in India prior to the tsunami, Sherine managed tsunami recovery programs in the country. The wash from the tsunami contaminated ground water used for drinking, ruined sewage systems, damaged homes and spread 290,000 cubic metres of garbage and debris over many of the 200 inhabited islands. This posed a significant obstacle to recovery, and a dangerous health risk. A massive clean up effort was required. The Canadian Red Cross has helped clear over 76,000 cubic metres of the dangerous debris on 68 tsunamiaffected islands. Through a joint venture with the Australian Red Cross, 79 waste management centres were built to ensure the environmentally safe cleanup of tsunami debris, while also introducing an ongoing solid waste management system for domestic garbage. As well, waste management training sessions were held for more than 1,400 community members to help reduce the incidence of preventable disease. The Canadian Red Cross, which has a presence on over 80 islands in the Maldives, has also helped rebuild community infrastructure and conducted repairs on 30 islands, constructed pre-schools and community centres, and helped rebuild or resurface community sporting facilities. The tsunami forced 29,000 people in the Maldives from their homes, including the 3,600 residents of the island of Kadholhudhoo, which was completely destroyed. Now, those people are being resettled in 600 new homes on the previously-uninhabited Dhuvaafaru Island. This new settlement is being constructed, in partnership with the Maldives government and the Federation, as an environmentally safe island.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION Estimated figures to December 31, 2008, based on actual figures at October 31, 2008 Tsunami Fund $383.3 million $131.2 million in CIDA matching funds* $195 million in donations from generous Canadians $15.1 million from corporations $19.3 million from provincial governments contributions $22.7 million net investment income *The Canadian government committed, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to match donations made by individuals before January 11, 2005. CIDA funds are received as money is spent by Canadian Red Cross on agreed-upon projects. The Canadian Red Cross is eligible for a total of $132.5 million. Canadian Donations in Action Almost $279 million has been spent, and $94.9 million has been committed to fund specific, ongoing recovery projects in the tsunami-affected area in the years ahead. $182 million Indonesia Canadian Red Cross has received about $131.2 million of the CIDA matching funds for which we are eligible. This funding has been used as follows: - - $13.2-million - $1.3-million - $24.8-million $4.2-million - $66-million $9.5-million $12.1-million used to send over one million kilograms of emergency shelter, water and sanitation, medical and other relief supplies to the region in the first three months after the tsunami supported Federation (IFRC) relief activities in the tsunami-affected region covered the deployment of over 100 Canadian Red Cross delegates to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India went to the Federation (IFRC) for emergency and ongoing relief delivery, including stocking relief supplies in Indonesia to maintain the delivery of ongoing humanitarian needs to survivors living in shelters (e.g. 150,000 mosquito nets, 10,000 tents, 115,000 bedsheets, 75,000 blankets, 420,000 hygiene kits) and the purchase and distribution of approximately 20,000 sturdier sturdy, mid-term temporary housing units cleaned up waste in Maldives constructed housing in Indonesia funded WUSC vocational training in Sri Lanka $24.6 million Program support $37.9 million - Support to IFRC for emergency relief/health $10.3 million - Administrative costs (2.8% of total raised) $12.5 million - Support to ICRC for relief in conflict areas $74 million Sri Lanka $18 million - Maldives $5 million - India $5 million - Africa $3.5 million Overall regional activities... the community will prioritize what they need most in their village, whether that is a road, bridge, or more training, and Canadian Red Cross provides grants based on these needs....the community plays an important role in the process; so they are not just receivers but actors in their own development and rehabilitation. Said Samir Amiruddin, Aceh-born Canadian Red Cross Grants Officer on the program known as Puga Gampong, which is Acehnese for rebuilding villages. About 3 per cent of the Tsunami Fund remains unallocated and available to fund emerging recovery and disaster preparedness projects. 7
The Road Ahead Great gains have been made, but there is still much to be done to ensure all those affected by the tsunami live in safe, stable housing, with access to clean water, public health services and the livelihood skills to move forward. From the beginning, the Canadian Red Cross committed to helping in the tsunami affected countries for a minimum of five years. Thanks to the remarkable generosity of Canadians, we are able to continue to help as communities rebuild and people recover in the years ahead. The expertise we have developed and the lessons we have learned will be applied also as we turn our attention to recent major disasters, such as the May, 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China with your help. www.redcross.ca/tsunami e m th nd CEO o r f a u k yo eneral n a Th ar y G r et S ec Dear Friends, The December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia was an extraordinary tragedy. The magnitude of this catastrophe far exceeded any natural disaster in memory. The immediate outpouring of generosity from the Canadian public was equally as extraordinary. Your rapid and immense support financed one of the largest emergency relief efforts ever undertaken, saving lives, staving off a second catastrophe of disease, and providing for the shelter needs of millions of people who lost so much in just a few awful minutes. Over the past four years, the Canadian Red Cross has joined the international community and the survivors of the tsunami in working, day in and day out, to rebuild what was destroyed. This is an enormous undertaking, and one that has required planning, community input at all levels, dedication and sacrifice on the part of many, and strong partnerships. To ensure a lasting recovery, we must go beyond simply rebuilding what was there. We must construct houses, water and sanitation systems, and communities that can withstand the disasters so often seen in this region. We must help the survivors recover their physical and mental strength, learn new skills and develop new livelihoods. Tremendous gains have been made in all these areas, but there is still much to be done. From the beginning, the Canadian Red Cross pledged to stay and work in the region for the years that recovery would take. Our commitment to this is as strong today as it was then and it is made possible by your generosity. On behalf of the Canadian Red Cross and those we serve in our humanitarian mission, thank you. Conrad Sauvé Secretary General and CEO