Tsunami Disaster Relief Update

6 January 2005 General News

Sumatran Orangutan Society
www.orangutans-sos.org

“We have people in the air, people on land, people on the seas all working at maximum capacity to alleviate the crisis in Aceh.” Quote from Lucy Wisdom, Director Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS). The SOS is a key team member at Aceh Aid at IDEP.

TSUNAMI DISASTER RELIEF UPDATE No. 7 and 8 below press release.

Dear All,

Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Sumatra who are suffering from the after-effects of the tsunami. The trauma of losing family members on such a scale is unimaginable. Although on a different scale, it's especially tragic to have such a devastating event so soon after the November 2003 flash flood at Bohorok.

The world is only now waking up to the magnitude of the disaster in Sumatra. The situation is unprecedented in recorded history. Being closest to the epicentre we knew early on that Indonesia was severely hit as international media and aid concentrated on more accessible places such as Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

We have been too busy with relief work to get a press release out from Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) with a synopsis with our involvement in the relief effort. SOS has ceased all orangutan work for the time being and has been concentrating on humanitarian aid since December 27th, the day after the tsunami.

SOS involvement is critical, as we have many abilities and opportunities to really help on the level where it is most needed.

SOS has an office operating in Medan, North Sumatra, at the Orangutan Information Centre (SOS-OIC)
We already have a salaried staff and a network of volunteers in Sumatra
We have a good understanding of the geography and culture as it is in our area
We speak the Indonesian language
SOS is partnering with capable, efficient organisations in Indonesia on our relief efforts
We are well informed and up to date and can adapt as priorities change
Our Bali office is already shared with IDEP Foundation, our main partner in this relief initiative

"The worst-hit country, Indonesia, now says that more than 94,000 people have died there alone, as total deaths near 140,000." -BBC World News, January 4, 2005.

Even after nine days, help is still desperately needed in Sumatra, particularly Aceh Province. Due to its isolation, the civil war and the strict policy of the Indonesian government restricting access to foreigners with limited communications for the first 48 hours, Sumatra received relatively little attention from the media and aid agencies in the days immediately after the disaster. The string of islands off the south-west coast of Sumatra has also suffered terrible damage. Some of the remoter places have not yet been reached or assessed. The Indonesian government has stated that the final death toll may never be known and without immediate aid, the death toll will rise significantly. The crisis continues, as there still are not enough people with medical skills active in the affected areas. Clean water and fuel are in severe short supply (causing major distribution problems).

As this email is being written, a boat called “ A New Source of Luck” {Sumber Rejeki Baru) containing medical supplies and food is traveling from Padang to Nias Island, a popular surfing destination close to the epicentre of the quake. This is one area that has not had supplies due to difficult access. The crew includes SOS, IDEP, Surf Aid and others. We wish them well on their journey and await further reports.

SOS is an essential member of a team working with other organizations in the relief effort ‘Aceh Aid at IDEP’ (AAAI). This partnership includes organizations from the conservation and surf communities, thus activating field operations by land and sea. At this point we are filling a gap where the needs on the ground are overwhelming, but many larger relief organizations are only slowly responding due to institutional frameworks with intricate bureaucracies. Direct support from international NGOs is progressing and has in the last 48 hours started to become effective.

Aceh Aid at IDEP is focusing on fast action for immediate relief aid and channels of effective distribution (i.e. triage, aid logistics, basic survival needs), while sending the maximum survival value per kilo per person into the field. At the moment we have people from AAAI in three key entry points in Sumatra (Medan, Padang and Banda Aceh).

“More than 1.8 million in the disaster region need food aid, and an estimated 5 million people have been made homeless.” -BBC World News, January 4, 2005

2 days after the earthquake, SOS-OIC successfully initiated the deployment of 2 trucks of supplies for Aceh and our convoy was amongst the first to actually distribute aid in Aceh. We organised, paid for and promptly delivered this aid. Two further convoys from our group have left Medan since then. Our aid is continually being delivered throughout Aceh and people in the field directly reporting back to us. Field reports are available from the SOS and IDEP websites (www.orangutans-sos.org, www.idepfoundation.org). SOS is thankful our supplies of food and medicine are actually reaching the people in the worst affected areas.

Understandably we have had many enquiries about the orangutans. The earthquake tremors would have been felt in the orangutan areas, which possibly triggered landslides in the mountainous region. It is unlikely that any orangutans would have been harmed. The forests and the Leuser Ecosystem have not really been affected, although resources will undoubtedly be taken from orangutan habitats in the reconstruction of Aceh, as these forests are the nearest source of timber. In the long term, people might say if the Ladia Galaska road network had been built, it would have allowed better access for relief work on the West coast of Sumatra. This is worrying, as this road network will further threaten the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan and its habitat.

We at Aceh Aid at IDEP (AAAI) will release a mission statement very soon, meanwhile below are the most recent reports. I am trying to do this in between aid work and now it is another 2 days later (!!), so apologies where figures are not up to date in SOS Press Release.

Thanks for your support.
Lucy Wisdom Founding Director Sumatran Orangutan Society
www.orangutans-sos.org What you can do: The best way you can help is to send money. We now know (Jan 6th) that aid is bottlenecked, but we know we can still get it out directly, efficiently and quickly to the stricken areas in Sumatra. We are reaching areas that have still not received aid.

Although we realise that many international organisations are collecting relief funds, please consider donating to us as we are getting much needed aid out there as you read this. We can guarantee all financial donations will be used wisely. Further details are available on both the SOS website and the Aceh Aid at IDEP website (www.idepfoundation.org).

Our policy is to purchase supplies in Medan/Padang and load the trucks directly. Local purchasing has several advantages: they are inexpensive, the local economy is supported and recipients get supplies they are familiar with. So cash is the best possible support you can provide us.

All account details further below you can either:
Donate, with no wiring charges, using a credit card via the PayPal system
Transfer to USA SOS account
Transfer to Sweden SOS account
Transfer to SOS New Zealand account
Transfer money to the IDEP Foundation (www.idepfoundation.org) with whom we are working directly.

N.B. All international bank transfers require the Swift Code
N.B. From UK those that do not mind forgoing the tax relief, funds could be sent direct to any of the accounts below.

Online Donations by Credit Card (Tax deductible in US, thanks to the cooperation of Tides Foundation) Click on the donation link at www.idepfoundation.org 1. Or go directly to www.paypal.com 2. If you do not have a PayPal account set up, click "Sign Up" or "Join Now". 3. Follow all of the instructions for signing up with PayPal (they are rather complicated, so be patient). 4. When you are signed up, you are ready to send money. 5. Click "Send Money". 6. Follow instructions to send money, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 7. Note: When you try to make your first payment, you will see beside the "amount" line, that you need to click there to "Verify Credit Limit" first, before you can make a payment.

USA SOS account: Wells Fargo, San Francisco, CA Aba/Routing Number: 121000248 For Credit To: F & M Bank & Trust Account Number: 6400102889 Further Credit To: Sumatran Orangutan Society Account Number: 1082023 SWIFT Code: WFBIUS6S

SOS Sweden account: Account Name: Sumatran Orangutan Society Account Number: post giro: 183 34 15-1 Clearing No: 9960 SWIFT Code: PGSISESS

New Zealand account: Account Name: Sumatran Orangutan Society Account No: 0202-0025767-50 Bank: ANZ , Bank 01, Branch 0297 Bank Address: 126 Queen St, Auckland 1001 SWIFT Code: ANZBN 222

ACEH AID at IDEP account: Account Name: Yayasan IDEP Account No: 034.001229576.003 Bank: BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia), Cabang Ubud, Bali Bank Address: Jl. Raya Ubud, Bali - Indonesia SWIFT Code: BNINIDJA DPS

RECENT REPORTS: ACEH AID at IDEP TSUNAMI DISASTER RELIEF UPDATE No. 7 - January 3, 2005 Emergency funding from Australia enabled Aceh Aid at IDEP (AAAI) today to obtain a 200 ton commercial vessel in Padang to deliver disaster relief as soon as the boat is fully loaded with goods. Ubud, Bali and Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia - Field team members sent to Padang from Ubud, have today chartered a large commercial vessel there to deliver urgent food, supplies and equipment to hard hit locations along the west coast of Sumatra. The ship is scheduled to sail as soon as hull is full, with our team on board. Also slated to sail with this aid mission are Gung Odek a community figure from Ubud, Bali, and Rama Surya, a leading Indonesian photographer from Padang, now resident in Bali who are flying into Padang together with more volunteer team member first thing in the morning. A.A.A.I. field team members helped initiate this remarkable disaster response action, working with the local community, and figures from the surfing, diving, and local ecotourism industries. Very special thanks and Kudos to Chris & Christina who have opened up their home / hotel as the hub for relief aid activities in the area. See: http://www.sumatransurfariis.com/quakeupdatesnew1230.html for details and photos. Synopsis of Telephone Report by Lee Downey, A.A.A.I. Ad Hoc Operations Coordinator, Padang: The boat is being loaded now (3 January), with food and supplies including approximately 700 pre-packed, sealed, 50-liter plastic buckets of supplies, targeted to meet the immediate needs of people on the ground. The concept of this form of assistance was, “one bucket, one family.” Each disaster relief bucket was purchased and packed by volunteers and members of the local and expatriate community in Padang, to meet a variety of needs in one, durable, waterproof, and useful package, which is fast and easy to deploy in the prevailing field conditions in stricken areas. 400 Similar Care Buckets are arriving from Bali soon (thanks to Ary¹s and the Ubud LKMD) sent out by air today from Denpasar airport. Each family bucket contains essential food, health, sanitation, emergency shelter, and personal care items. These are branded goods that local people are familiar with, and can put to use immediately without any intermediation whatsoever. They were purchased in local shops by our volunteers and supporters in the community, locally, and are therefore labeled in the Indonesian language. * One in every five buckets is a “leader pack,” and its contents include a one-inch chisel, a hatchet/hammer, a shovel, a handsaw, a crowbar, nails, and other supplies. * One in every ten buckets is a “heavy leader pack,” which also includes a two-man saw and a sledge hammer. * The aid vessel is also carrying hundreds of 20 liter jerry cans. Synopsis of Telephone Report from Sam Schultz, A.A.A.I. Relief Operations Technician: The boat is also being loaded with two complete kits for drilling wells, and all the equipment need to pump-clear and restore existing wells which are tainted with sea water from the tsunami. These sets of equipment, which include powered and hand pumps, and piping, are sufficient to complete 40 wells almost immediately. Once the A.A.A.I. volunteers have demonstrated the process to members of stricken communities in this way, they will be able to make hundreds of wells themselves, with additional pumps and piping, which the Field Team is working to obtain, at time of writing. Standard 350 liter water tanks for storage and treatment are also included in tomorrow¹s shipment, along with 50 kilos of chlorine. The team is still short of the certain types of water treatment chemicals, which A.A.A.I.¹s team in Bali is tonight arranging to deliver from Singapore, as soon as possible, along with filtering equipment. When Schultz was asked by Petra Schneider, AAAI Director in Bali, “What are the stumbling blocks at this point between you and the stuff you need?” His reply was, succinct. “Money. We need US$10,000 in Singapore, now, for chemicals and specialized filtering equipment.” AAAI¹s office in Bali has volunteers standing by in Singapore to purchase the chlorine and filters, and accompany the cargo to Padang by air, almost immediately. All that is missing is the necessary funds, in Singapore. According to Schultz, while some urgent water supply needs in stricken areas will be met by our relief teams using wells, in other locations they will use groundwater sources. Those will need more intensive treatment with chemicals and filtration. The water obtained from the wells to be cleared, and drilled may require no additional chemical treatment or filtration.

Further aid deliveries planned

Based on reconnaissance by AAAI team members two days ago, using surfing industry boats and private aircraft, they anticipate that the aid shipment will be able to deliver food and supplies via landing piers in certain locations, and by tender, where needed. Additional boats, in Padang, including craft pledged to the effort by industry organizations and businesses in the surfing community, will be loaded with food and supplies, and ready to embark within 48 hours, it is estimated. Simeulue Island, the northernmost large island off the west coast of Sumatra, is their primary target destination for delivering aid. Other destinations are being assessed now, for shipments. All boats are in contact by radio, and will adjust their courses and target landing locations according to advice and data relayed by team members on shore at an ad hoc aid base camp established in Padang, which is being operated jointly by various elements of this extended aid effort by AAAI, the surfing community, and private individuals. Further destinations depending on how supplies last may include the Singkel and Tapaktua areas.

MORE NEWS IN BRIEF

Our most immediate priorities at this moment are delivery of urgently needed food, supplies, tools, and knowledge to affected areas of Sumatra, through reliable channels, to reliable people, and supporting the efforts of our volunteers and partner organizations in the field. Therefore, we are no longer able to publish these updates on a daily basis during this critical phase of the disaster relief process. World Neighbors, an international NGO with a focus on sustainable development, has elected to channel its funding through IDEP for people in need in Sumatra. AID DELIVERED FROM MEDAN IN COOPERATION WITH THE SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN SOCIETY - ORANGUTAN INFORMATION CENTRE (SOS-OIC) The second convoy of trucks was organized on the ground by the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC), and Indonesian Friends of the Earth (WAHLI). It was accompanied by Indonesian Forestry Police and arrived safely in Banda Aceh. SOS and OIC team members on the convoy expect to stay in the Banda Aceh area for another week. They have been collecting bodies with the trucks after delivering aid shipments. Survivors are hitching rides on aid vehicles returning empty from Banda Aceh to Medan, where they have been seen begging in the streets. THIRD TRUCK CONVOY READYING TO DEPART MEDAN. The third two-truck convoy of relief supplies from Medan to Banda Aceh is now being loaded and plans to depart at about 0400 on January 4th, with an OIC volunteer on each truck to facilitate optimal delivery of appropriate aid. No "tent cities" (refugee camps) have been seen by our teams in Medan. ACEH AID AND AUSAID COOPERATION Monday, an AusAid cargo plane carrying emergency supplies was on the point of turning back to Jakarta having failed to identify a suitable location for landing. Upon learning of the situation, Lee Downey contacted the plane and it to land at Padang, where 15 tons of urgently needed supplies were unloaded and transferred to a fleet of private boats. These boats are now fanning out through the islands south of Sumatra.

VOLUNTEERS FROM BALI TO SUMATRA TO DATE

On January 4, seven more volunteers are scheduled to depart from Bali to the established aid delivery and logistics posts in Sumatra. Christine Foster - Logistics Consultant, Medan (SOS office) Ade Andreawan - Coordinator, Medan (SOS office) Sylvius Bufferne - Trauma Relief Counseling, Padang Jack McNaught - Finance, Padang Stefan Zawada - Medic, Padang Gung Odek - Aid Delivery, Padang Chris Gentry - Medic, Padang Rama Surya - Photographer, Padang will join the group to help with documentation. Our volunteer coordination desk in Ubud is accepting applications for skilled field volunteers -- doctors, triage specialists, SAR techs, engineers, sanitation experts, and others for possible postings in the field in Sumatra. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The information provided here was accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Conditions change rapidly. We will provide as much information as we can, as often as we can. 24 HOUR PRESS ENQUIRY LINE (IN INDONESIA) 08133 8468073 OUTSIDE OF INDONESIA +62 8123 665 669

ACEH AID at IDEP (AAAI) TSUNAMI DISASTER RELIEF UPDATE No. 8 - January 5, 2005

Aceh Aid at IDEP is a two-pronged initiative to bring appropriate aid directly to affected communities in Sumatra. IDEP, in cooperation with Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) / Orangutan Information Centre (OIC), is helping mobilize emergency supplies in Medan for delivery in Aceh Province. In cooperation with the Indonesian surfing community, IDEP is mobilizing and delivering aid to the hard-hit, remote islands south and west of Padang. On January 4, a fully loaded 200 ton cargo vessel leased by AUSaid and supplied by AAAI departed Padang. It is offloading carefully selected supplies including specially packed buckets designed to help survivors build simple shelters and stay in their communities. The boat also carries equipment to make communities self sufficient in water supplies. These supplies are being offloaded to smaller craft and then handed directly to the survivors of small, isolated communities. As of January 5, AAAI has channeled about Rp 600,000,000 in donor funding into this initiative. Financial specialists on the ground in Medan and Bali are consolidating data to ensure full transparency. The Ferry is now at the island of Nias networking with smaller vessels to ferry aid and technical support back and forth to the areas in most need. In many coastal fishing towns, most of the men were killed while working on the beach or on their boats; only women and children survive. Needs on the ground change on a daily basis. Severe nutritional deficiency is already an issue after 10 days. Now we are responding to reports of serious nutritional deficiencies, and AAAI is focusing on buying fresh fruit and vegetables for rapid delivery to affected communities on the Sumatra coast and islands. Lee our Project Coordinator is leaving Padang on the 7th and working together with IDEP’s community programs coordinator Samantha Sinclair who cut her Christmas vacation short and has arrived from Australia to take over his coordinative role on the ground in Padang. Robert Wilson from Rip Curl is arriving in Padang today to assist with coordinating the flow of support and activities as well. Aid is being delivered as follows: Each family bucket contains essential food, health, sanitation, emergency shelter, and personal care items. These are branded goods which local people are familiar with, and can put to use immediately without any intermediation whatsoever. They were purchased in local shops by our volunteers and supporters in the community, locally, and are therefore labeled in the Indonesian language. One in every five buckets is a "leader pack," and its contents include a one-inch chisel, a hatchet/hammer, a shovel, a handsaw, a crowbar, nails, and other supplies. One in every ten buckets is a "heavy leader pack," which also includes a two-man saw and a sledge hammer. The aid vessel is also carrying hundreds of 20 liter jerry cans. The boat is also carrying two complete kits for drilling wells, and all the equipment need to pump-clear and restore existing wells which are tainted with sea water from the tsunami. These sets of equipment, which include powered and hand pumps, and piping, are being used in local villages to repair and complete wells. Once the A.A.A.I. volunteers have demonstrated the process to members of stricken communities in this way, they will be able to make hundreds of wells themselves. Standard 350 liter water tanks for storage and treatment have been delivered, along with 50 kilos of chlorine. The team is still short of the certain types of water treatment chemicals, which we were not able to arrange to deliver from Singapore, due to depletion of funds and priority allocations as described above.

MORE NEWS IN BRIEF

VOLUNTEERS TO SUMATRA

Bali AAAI Headquarters is working hard to match a flood of international volunteer applications with stated needs from the field. Christine and Ade our logistics and coordination team has now landed in Medan and has begun assisting with coordination and brought some new energy to the team on the ground, who are truly exhausted. More purchasing of much needed supplies is planned for tomorrow. Our volunteers coordination desk in Ubud is accepting applications for skilled field volunteers -- doctors, triage specialists, SAR techs, engineers, sanitation experts, and others – for possible postings in the field in Sumatra. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

COMMUNITY-BASED CRISIS RESPONSE KIT

Following the Bali bombing, USAid funded IDEP to develop a fully integrated community-based crisis response kit. This includes a workbook covering all stages of disaster management from an Indonesian grassroots perspective such as mitigation, response and short-term recovery. Draft copies of this book have been sent to Medan and Padang where they have been immediately integrated into AAAI initiatives. In Padang, a program of training of trainers for public sanitation based on the manual is already underway. In Medan, components of the manual are being distributed. The information provided here was accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Conditions change rapidly. We will provide as much information as we can, as often as we can.

24 HOUR PRESS ENQUIRY LINE (IN INDONESIA) 08133 8468073 OUTSIDE OF INDONESIA +62 8123 665 669