4th January, 2005

Chris Piper is chief executive of Australian overseas aid consultancy TorqAid. He spoke with DAVID ADAMS...

What will be the most immediate priorities for humanitarian workers in the affected regions?
“The initial priority is the rescue and immediate treatment of survivors. This phase is currently continuing, with most difficulties now being experienced in Aceh. Another key priority is the establishment of cleared logistical routes into the affected areas. The main modes of transport include road, sea and air transport. As coastal areas are affected by tsunamis, sea transport may be more cost-effective than road/air in some inaccessible places and naval units, including US and Australian ships, are now converging towards the Aceh coastline to offer assistance there. The estimated five million people directly affected by the disaster will require immediate assistance in the form of water, food, emergency shelter and health care. Over time the health needs are likely to move from the treatment of injuries through to the establishment of public health priorities (particularly in concentrations of dislocated people – such as around Banda Aceh) followed by the establishment of ‘normal’ primary health care and other medical services. There may be a need for drinking water, particularly in damaged/destroyed urban areas with large concentrations of people. Local water supplies such as wells and urban water systems will also need to be tested for damage and/or pollution.”

How will this change over the next few weeks and even months ahead?
“The road back to normality will take months and years. In the weeks ahead there will be the need to start the physical reconstruction of society. As well as public infrastructure - such as water supplies, roads, sewage and electricity, this will include the repair and rebuilding of homes as well as the repair of public buildings and private enterprises. The rural economy will also need to start recovery. Inundation of cultivated fields by sea-water will badly affect farmers livelihoods here. Help in the form of grants, loans or insurance payments will be needed to support businesses both large and small. The social recovery of affected populations is equally important, although more difficult to visibly see. Ideally psycho-social support of affected communities is best left to national staff, often drawing upon local faith and coping mechanisms. Psycho-social support may also be needed for care-givers, both national and international.”

Are there any complicating issues involved in delivering aid?
“The situation in Aceh is increasingly becoming the most severe – reflecting the fact that it was closest to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami but also due to this having been an area of insecurity between Indonesian government and insurgency forces (and thus not accessible to outside agencies). The situation in Sri Lanka is also politically complicated in that much of the devastated south-east and north-east of the island is in territory controlled by insurgency forces.”

How should international assistance work with local efforts?
“It is important to recognize that the main stakeholders who respond immediately to disasters are the local communities themselves, supported by national government departments - at various levels - and emergency services. Other stakeholders which support this first line of response include local civil society organizations (such as religious groups and Rotary) and national non-government agencies (such as the Red Cross). They in turn are supported by the international community – particularly United Nations agencies, international non-government agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors. It is important that external international assistance be in support of national efforts. The question of coordination will become increasingly complex and there is a danger that the governments of Sri Lanka and Indonesia in particular will lose overall control of strategic planning. The intensity of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami will have created great fear amongst many dislocated people, which will translate into an initial reluctance to return to their earlier homes nearer the coast. In speaking with the Catholic priest in charge at Aitape, Papua New Guinea (the site of the tsunami hit seven years ago), he mentioned that it took communities a year before they felt confident enough in re-locating back closer to the coast. This issue will be a major challenge to address for national governments and other stakeholders.”

What is the best way for Australians to help?
"The most important thing is not to forget. The scenes of devastation will be off our screens in the next few days, and we will perhaps too easily be distracted by events such as the Australian Open tennis; the forthcoming (likely bloody) elections in Iraq; the beginning of the footie season; the promise of a battle royal in the forthcoming Ashes with England and so on. The road for affected people in the tsunami-stricken areas will be a long and difficult one, and the least we can do is not drop them from our conscience. Those with faith can pray for them; many of us can continue to give money to those agencies we feel are most cost-effective; perhaps what is most important is not to lose that compassion in our heart."

How can affected countries now prepare for such a disaster should it happen again?
“Ideally communities need to develop risk reduction strategies which reduce the future likelihood of the impact of future disasters in the future. This can partially be addressed by the development of a “disaster risk management plan” which includes a range of pre-disaster initiatives. Two pre-disaster initiatives which need to be improved as a result of the current disaster are: the establishment if possible of a more effective early warning system across the Indian Ocean; and, an increase in public perceptions of the threat of tsunamis, and what to do in times of initial awareness of untoward events. Some people also argue that risk reduction also involves getting to grips with poverty at grass-roots level – it is often the poorest people who end up living in the most vulnerable locations by the coast, along river banks, or on unstable hilly outcrops.”