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Reconstruction
is the priority in revised Red Cross Red Crescent tsunami plan of
action for 2005-2010 22 December 2005 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has unveiled its revised plan of action to assist victims of the devastating tsunami which left at least 227,000 people dead and affected more than 2.2 million in countries bordering the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004. With a total budget of nearly 2.4 billion Swiss francs (1.47 billion € / 1.75 billion US$), the five-year plan will concentrate on the reconstruction of housing and rebuilding livelihoods, with 54% of the funds earmarked for these fields. The plan was elaborated after consultations with government authorities, UN agencies and, most importantly, the affected communities themselves. It includes rebuilding or upgrading homes, hospitals and clinics as well as water and sanitation systems, and providing psychosocial support and livelihood support to people. Reconstruction of up to 40,000 permanent houses has commenced in Sri Lanka, in Indonesia (up to 35,000 houses) and in the Maldives (up to 2,200 houses). Because identifying and allocating land is a long process, and because there have been shortages in construction materials, the International Federation has decided to allocate resources to the building of transitional, prefabricated homes in Indonesia. A total of 67,000 people, currently living in tents, will be moved to transitional homes. The plan of action also covers programmes in the areas of health and care (20.8% of the budget), emergency relief (19%), and capacity building of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (3.3%). The planned assistance will cover ten countries, and the funds are being allocated in proportion to where the needs are greatest: in Indonesia (1.17 billion Swiss francs), Sri Lanka (814.4 million Swiss francs) and Maldives (202.6 million Swiss francs). Other projects concern additional training of Red Cross and Red Crescent community-based volunteers in first aid and disaster management and putting in place sustainable and vital disaster preparedness measures, for example, setting up the community-based component of an early warning system for the region, building or renovating cyclone shelters, and re-stocking warehouses. Also included are gender-focussed programmes to address specific needs. For example, in Indonesia, the death toll of women to men was three to one. This has created imbalances within community life and livelihoods which need to be addressed through psychological support and vocational skills retraining programmes. By the end of 2005 the International Federation Secretariat and Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world will have collectively spent 750 million Swiss francs (481 million € / 571 million US$) on the relief effort and initial recovery plans in 10 countries. More than 1.7 million people have been helped to date, receiving relief goods, shelter, and benefiting from health care, water and sanitation services, psychological and livelihood support. To date, the Federation has coordinated the mobilization of some 18,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the tsunami-affected countries. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has mobilized 30,000 volunteers and hundreds of international staff from more than 40 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The full revised Plan of Action for the tsunami-affected countries can be found on our website at www.ifrc.org. For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: For further information, or to set up interviews (ISDN line available in Geneva), please contact: Pete Haydon, Tsunami Media Officer Tel: + 41 79 308 9804 / + 41 22 730 4426 Siân Bowen, Head, Media Service, Tel. + 41 79 217 33 88 Duty phone Tel: + 41 79 416 3881 The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 183 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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