Recent
reports criticiing governments for the slow delivery of tsunami
aid should be a “call to action” for the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, according
to the Federation’s Special Representative for the tsunami
operation, Johan Schaar. On a visit to the Maldives during February,
he admitted that some of the communities who were already vulnerable
prior to the tsunami were not significantly better off now than
a year ago.
“This is particularly true for communities where there
was already great economic disparity. If these imbalances are
not addressed then there is chance that the most vulnerable
will be further marginalised,” he said. “We have
no room for complacency – these reports are one authentic
expression from some of the most vulnerable people, which call
for us to reflect on what we are doing, and accept that we can
and must ensure better outcomes for those people we are trying
to assist.”
Visiting remote Kudahuvadhoo, where the Federation is building
homes for over 100 families displaced from nearby islands, Mr
Schaar said he was pleased with progress, even though some people
remain in temporary shelters.
“People will be able to move within two months, and we
can be satisfied with that,” he noted. “The logistic
constraints here are enormous. Everything has to be imported
into the capital Male’ and then brought by boat to the
islands, which can add to delays.”
Mr Schaar was quick to point out that tsunami recovery is “not
just about building houses”. He countered the notion that
the process was taking too long, saying “although beneficiaries
are understandably impatient to move to permanent dwellings,
we must strive for quality, sustainable results. We have to
consult communities and ensure they are happy with what is being
provided. If we compromise on that no one benefits. When we
look back in five or ten years a few months will seem less significant.
If the houses we build become functional communities, that is
all that will count.”
His views were backed up by Maldives planning and development
minister, Hamdun Hameed, addressing a Federation country strategy
meeting, also attended by Mr Schaar. He spoke of the high expectations
people had of the Red Cross Red Crescent in effectively delivering
appropriate aid.
“We all recognize the importance of community consultation,”
said the Minister. “It is a critical and sensitive area.”
Mr Hameed also noted that due to the dispersed nature of the
population of the Maldives, “what works on one island
may not work on another. Even within islands, some communities
may want to move and others may not.”
Although the Maldives is best known for luxury tourism, resorts
are located on only about 80 of the 1,200 islands. Some 200
are inhabited by Maldivians, and most of these were hit by waves
ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 metres during the tsunami. In Dhaalu
atoll, some 500 people have been evacuated from the nearby islands
of Vaani and Gemendhoo, and are waiting to move into Federation-built
housing on the island of Kudahuvadhoo.
One of these is Ibrahim Osman, a 33-year-old father of two.
A fisherman, he survives by doing odd jobs during the off season,
which brings in about USD 8 per day. When he’s fishing,
he can double that. “It’s difficult to live like
this,” he says, indicating the outdoor cooking facilities,
and the crowded living conditions. “But I’ve filled
in all the papers I will get a house soon.”
Just across the sandy ground separating one block of temporary
housing from another, we find Ahmad Mussa, who is well into
her 80s, and her neighbour Rashida Zakaria, who is raising 12
children in a two-roomed transitional shelter. Both are looking
forward to the prospect of receiving permanent housing, although
both are still unclear on exactly when this will be.
The Federation is under considerable pressure to show results,
Mr Schaar recognizes, but he is adamant that simply “spending
the money must never be the overriding objective. Those who
put that as the first objective are the ones that will make
the worst mistakes. It’s all a balance, we should do everything
possible to avoid delays, but we can’t compromise the
quality of the results, either. We are rebuilding for these
affected communities so we have to understand the context very
well, not be seen as siding with one party or another in order
to make sure that we are perceived and neutral and humanitarian.”
He recognises that all tsunami-affected countries have factors
which make them unique – in the Maldives it’s the
huge distances that have to be covered by boat, together with
the fragile ecosystem. The Federation is safeguarding this by
installing water and sanitation systems that will be environmentally
friendly and help to protect the essential groundwater resource.
Working in such environments, and finding solutions to problems
that the Federation has never faced before are “incredibly
significant and important for us to find new ways of looking
at ourselves as a Movement,” Mr Schaar believes.
“Together we are very versatile, we have a great diversity
of resources and experiences but we are not always making optimal
use of these. The only way of scaling-up and using all we have
is through finding new ways of collaboration and cooperation.
We are definitely working towards that.”
The Maldives is an example of finding new ways to work within
the Movement and with external actors, as it is one of the only
countries in the world which does not yet have a Red Cross or
Red Crescent Society, although many enthusiastic volunteers
are rapidly creating one.
Schaar sees this process as “very promising. After one
year we have a working group, and we have a process of consultation
already going on the islands. We also have recognition from
the government side that the Red Crescent is very important.
The challenge will be to make the National Society truly representative.
We must try to channel the volunteer spirit that we saw in response
to the tsunami back into the people and experiences which will
shape the Maldives Red Crescent.”
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Visiting
the remote atoll of Kudahuvadhoo, in the Maldives, where
the Federation is building homes for over 100 families
displaced from nearby islands, Johan Schaar, the International
Federation’s Special Representative for the tsunami
operation (left), said he was pleased with progress, though
there is no room for complacency. (p13761)
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Some
of the first 50 houses almost ready for occupation on
Kudahuvadhoo island. (p13762)
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Ahmad
Mussa, who is well into her 80s, and her neighbour Rashida
Zakaria, who is bringing up 12 children in a two-roomed
shelter, were displaced by the tsunami are receiving permanent
accommodation. (p13763)
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