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The Asian Tsunami: Five Years On
17 December 2009
Tsunami Aceh devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The response of the international community was one of unprecedented generosity, but it also exposed the disconnect between international structures and local communities.
This gap was one of the impulses for the creation of Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI), which brings together local and international NGOs and networks, both Islamic and Christian.
Five years on, the relief effort's legacy is continued through the work of the local Humanitarian Forum. Their work in helping to streamlining emergency response, creating solid, capable local organisations which can respond quickly and efficiently is proving invaluable in light of the new emergency situation which has recently rocked the country. With climate change promising no let-up in extreme weather conditions, it's more vital than ever that relief response is as effective as possible.
The latest situation
The earthquake which hit West Sumatera on the 30th September 2009 killed 1,117 people and left nearly 3,000 more injured across the province. From the time the disaster struck, HFI has been an integral part of the relief effort, working on coordination and cooperation to ensure duplication of action is minimised and communication is open and efficient.
The emergency response, led by UNOCHA, continues in the area, bringing aid from local, international and government donors into the province. HFI has been producing regular updates on the Padang emergency, communicating some of the innovative approaches to relief work now being taken, and areas where more help is needed.
But no relief effort is without its pitfalls, and HFI is also working to identify issues and problems. In a recent report, HFI noted the lack of local participation in cluster group meetings. Misunderstandings between faith based organisations are still occurring and many beneficiaries are not receiving the aid they were promised. There are also weaknesses of information and leadership in certain areas. Meanwhile, many aid agencies, including the larger international ones have been held up in their delivery of aid, by over-strict checks and bureaucracy. And aid is not reaching all of those in need. One HFI member, YTBI, carried out assessments in and around Padang, and recorded that more than 2,500 households had not received any aid at all, and were in critical need of food, baby care and shelter. YTBI is now coordinating with other organisations to meet these needs, but volunteers are often in short supply and local involvement needs to be boosted.
‘No room for ego'
In a general meeting with government and NGO representatives, HFI recommended greater information sharing between organisations so as to avoid duplication of effort and to spread the available aid and reconstruction work as widely as possible. It was further recommended that volunteers should be sourced from those areas which have been affected, not only to ensure the local voice is heard, but also to empower and develop community participation and to guarantee respect for the beliefs and customs of that region. HFI reports urge that there is no room for ‘ego'; organisations must work together and listen to each other.
Meanwhile, local HFI members are involved in all areas of relief work. Read more details of where and how our partners are involved.
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