TSUNAMI APPEAL

Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA is joining the international union movement in a broad humanitarian response to the terrible destruction wreaked by the tsunami in South Asia on December 26 2004.

A young boy receives emergency treatment for tetanus at IUF base camp at in Meulabo. Photo: IUF

Unions, union members and supporters are donating to our special fund for the survivors of the tsunami. As the relief efforts shift from emergency needs, APHEDA is shifting our focs toward rebuilding livelihoods, food production, housing, schools, hospitals and roads.

Sharan Burrow, president of the ACTU and of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, said "I urge union members to give generously to a special tsunami donation program put in place by Union Aid Abroad."

Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA, the overseas aid arm of the Australian trade union movement, is heartened by the generosity of many working men and women in Australia to their appeal for the victims of the tsunami in South Asia.

Unions and union members are making a distinctive contribution to our Indian Ocean neighbours, on behalf of the working people of this country.

Update on Appeal

As at 8/2/05 Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA has received over $750,000 in pledges from individuals and trade unions.

As well, unions have assisted by organising a large number of worksites or companies to assist their members to make a payroll donation. At this stage, we are waiting to see how much these will realise in donations.

Where do your donations go

Funds contributed to Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA appeal are going to northern Sri Lanka, southern Sri Lanka and Acheh.

Aceh

Our Executive Officer and another APHEDA staff member went to Indonesia on 7 February to monitor emergency relief efforts and plan for assistance in the reconstruction.

The spelling used by the Achehnese Community of Australia is ACHEH rather than ACEH as is the current Indonesian spelling.

With Trade Unions in Acheh

In Acheh, Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA is assisting a union initiative being undertaken by the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) - one of the 10 Global Union Federations.

A second emergency volunteer team of doctors and engineers from Indonesian affiliates of the International Union of Food Workers (IUF) is now working in Meulaboh, on the west coast of Aceh, with plantation workers and their local communities and organisations. The team continues to provide medical assistance to Tsunami victims in coastal plantation areas and fishing villages, as well as operating a mobile clinic in refugee camps and temporary housing where plantation workers have been relocated.

In addition to the mobile clinic, a water sanitation unit with engineers from hotel unions is undertaking the cleaning of underground wells damaged or polluted as a result of the Tsunami. Faced with the widespread occurrence of dysentery, infection and severe dermatitis (especially among children and the elderly), water sanitation is a crucial need in affected communities.

Both the mobile medical clinic and the water sanitation unit also engage in outreach to plantation workers, contract farmers and their communities, helping to assess their situation and longer-term needs.

The first volunteer team treated over 70 people a day for a range of illnesses and injuries, and conducted on-the-spot surgery. The team also provided vaccination for tetanus - a high risk illness from which more than a dozen people have died in the Meulaboh area since the tsunami. Based on the surveys & assessments conducted by the first team, the second emergency volunteer team is better equipped with appropriate medicine and tools to assist a larger number of affected communities.

The third and fourth IUF emergency volunteer teams have been organised to go to Aceh on February 8 to relieve the second team, and continue its work. The new teams will expand their outreach, including provision of medical assistance and water sanitation work to isolated areas severely affected by the Tsunami, but which have received limited assistance so far

Supporting Indonesian and Achehnese Non-Government Organisations

In the early days of the emergency the Indonesian Forum on the Environment (WALHI) convened an coalition of civil society organisations responding to the catastrophe. Via WLAHI, volunteer efforts are continuing on emergency relief and community empowerment in Aceh and North Sumatera. See http://www.eng.walhi.or.id/tsunami/walhi_continues

Funds from Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA are being used for relief and recovery work on the island of Simeulue. A surviving member organisation of WALHI, called Simeule Lestari Foundation (Yayasan Simeulue Lestari, YSL), has been working since the disaster to track down the survivors in the area and provide support to local communities.

Prior to the disaster, Simeulue Island had 8 subdistricts with 135 villages and approx. 78,000 inhabitants. Due to indigenous knowledge of tsunamis and seaquakes, the population managed to find safety and there were fewer deaths than in other areas. However, as it is located off the western coast of Sumatera, the island was among the worst hit and most of the housing and infrastructures were destroyed. Approx. 20,000 lives are affected by this loss of assets and livelihood resources.

Previously, Simeule Lestari Foundation (Yayasan Simeulue Lestari) worked with the fishing and farming communities by providing support in community organising and organisational building of local/indigenous institutions as well as fishing community cooperatives.

YSL has identified affected communities in 9 villages in 5 subdistricts. As part of the general plan of WALHI Tsunami Recovery, YSL will focus its work area in one subdistrict and it's displaced communities.

WALHI's emergency relief and community empowerment are managed according to the following principles:
· Affected communities should be the primary decision-makers and architects of the recovery and reconstruction of their homes and livelihoods.
· Non-discriminatory distribution of support, tailored to local needs and norms in order to help people help themselves.
· Emergency relief and recovery work designed to achieve a sustainable future, socially, economically and ecologically.

Sri Lanka

Northern Sri Lanka

Following the signing of a Letter of Agreement, Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA has now sent an initial $60,000 to the overseas aid arm of the Norwegian trade union movement, Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) who are assisting badly affected Tamil communities in northern Sri Lanka. NPA is a "sister organisation" to Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA, we have worked together with them on overseas projects in the past, and we are both members of Solidar, the network of European trade union solidarity organisations.

NPA already have considerable infrastructure on the ground in Sri Lanka because of a large project removing land mines since 2002. All their resources such as 600 local staff, trucks, watertanks, etc are now being used to assist during the emergency, and they have undertaken responsibility for assisting two camps of internally displaced people (IDPs).

Phase 1 - emergency

Within hours of the tsunami reaching the shores of Sri Lanka, NPA mobilized a joint relief effort in collaboration with the Humanitarian De-mining Unit (HDU) and the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO). This was possible due to the existing relationship between the organisations and the considerable human and organizational resources available.

In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, a fleet of NPA/HDU vehicles supported the evacuation of survivors and their transportation to welfare centres at Pallai and Mullaittivo. 130 NPA/HDU de-miners provided labour power to assist camp management and to take care of victims. At the same time liaison with teams recovering bodies resulted in NPA providing protective clothing (2,000 rubber gloves and 2,000 face masks), decontamination stores, drinking water and washdown/shower facilities to recovery teams.

NPA in collaboration with German Workers Aid (ASB) coordinated with Task Force Offices at the Internally Displaced People (IDP) welfare centres and used NPA logistics channels to locally procure and deliver tonnes of supplies to address the immediate needs of the survivors. In addition, NPA dispersed relief supplies arriving from overseas using a fleet of NPA/HDU vehicles including trucks, water browsers, four wheel drives and pick-ups that provided clean water, food, shelter and medication to tsunami survivors.

Relief items to the camps included tonnes of rice, oil, and canned food; 20,000 candles, 30,000 items of clothing, 3,000 shoes, 5,000 bedsheets, 5,000, towels, 3,000 mosquito nets, 2,500 buckets and a full container of toys, books and puzzles for children - including orphans of the tsunami. Other items ranged from water filters, water tanks, cooking utensils, plastic sheeting to dustbins. In addition medical supplies were delivered outside of the camps - direct to health authorities supporting local clinics and hospitals.

Further to the support efforts in the Vanni Region in NE Sri Lanka, food supplies were delivered to Galle, Tangolle and Hambandota in the south of the country. Vehicle support was also provided to other organisations such as Oxfam to assist their own relief efforts.

Phase 2 - transit camps
The emergency phase of the relief effort has come to a close and IDPs are now located in temporary holding areas, awaiting transfer to transit camps that are envisaged to accommodate IDPs for a 6-12 month period while reconstruction activities take place in their communities.

NPA and ASB have been allocated four Phase II transit camps to support approximately 450 families:
Maruthankeny (120 families)
Thalaiyady (80 families)
Arasady (135 families)
Vaarividdan (110 families)

In addition, NPA will continue to provide logistical support to other camps and have procured 105 generators, wiring and light bulbs to provide electricity and lighting to all families located in 19 transit camps in Vadamarachi East and a further 13 camps in Mullaittivu District.

Other activities underway include:
· mapping of the extent of the tsunami's destruction using NPA supported HDU mapping teams and utilising GIS facilities incorporated in the IMSMA database at the HDU offices.
· clearance of UXO and landmines in 32 IDP transit camps using battle area clearance teams, explosive ordnance teams and a complement of about 150 men and women
· supply of 8000 metal boxes to be provided to each family to store possessions
· construction of latrines, communal buildings and pre-schools in 4 Phase II camps
· maintenance training for generators at the 32 camps
· procurement of a JCB front loader to assist the clearance of debris in the affected areas ahead of reconstruction initiatives

Southern and Eastern Coasts of Sri Lanka

We also have an agreement with a number of trade unions in southern Sri Lanka and have sent them funds to assist their work. They have organized several thousand volunteers to assist with the distribution of the food, water and medicines, as well as help with clearing away the debris so families can begin to rebuild.

Long-term Rebuilding

As the emergency phase of this disaster passes in the coming weeks, the emphasis will need to turn to the second phase of disaster control, maintaining health and rebuilding of homes and community infrastructure such as schools, health clinics, etc. The third phase, which is rebuilding livelihoods, will also need to be addressed, while the fourth phase of rebuilding communities and civil society structures takes even longer.

Houses will need to be rebuilt, wells, septic systems and water pipes cleaned out or re-dug, and livelihoods re-established, which in many cases for people living so close to the coast, means fishing boats and nets. In tropical coastal areas, basic housing uses local materials and local people have the skills themselves for rebuilding. However, many have lost their basic tools for construction, such as hammers, saws, screwdrivers, spanners, chisels, nails, screws, nuts and bolts. They will need assistance in accessing these items, as well as cement for floors and corrugated iron sheets for roofing. Community buildings such as schools, health clinics, meeting halls and so on will also need to be rebuilt.

Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA has already begun planning for this on-going rebuilding and rehabilitation work with our local trade union partners there.

Efficient and effective delivery of your donation

With very low administrative costs, and using local trade union, community organisations and volunteer structures, Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA is able to ensure that 90% of funds donated to this appeal will get through to people in need in Sri Lanka and Aceh.

The ACTU is asking unions to contribute as a union, or through staff or workplace collections. Australian unions and union members are contributing in a very practical way to the international solidarity of working people in the region in this time of tragedy.

We would encourage your union or workplace to make a donation to assist the victims of this disaster. By donating through your own union aid agency, it can be delivered through volunteer union structures and through an effective international trade union aid alliance in Sri Lanka, and you can be sure your donation will get to those in greatest need.

How can you donate

1. Make a cheque out to APHEDA Inc and post it to us with a note saying it is for the Tsunami Appeal. Our address is Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA, Level 3, 377 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

2. Ring 1800 888 674 (free call) or (02) 9264 9343 between 8:00am and 6:00pm.

3. Please donate to our Tsunami Appeal by clicking here and then selecting Section C: Appeal then Donation to Project in Greatest Need.

At this stage we cannot assist with collections of medical or other supplies, nor by sending volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering internationally please visit the website of Australian Volunteers International www.australianvolunteers.com/home/tsunami/help or phone them on 1800 331 292.

To find out more about the global trade union response please visit the Labourstart site.

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.
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Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Nov-2005 16:05:23 EST
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