Tsunami - Six Months On

26 June 2005

June 26, 2005 marks six months since the Indian Ocean tsunami struck, killing many thousands of people. Tragically 25 Australians also lost their lives in Thailand and Sri Lanka.

In total, over $75 million in relief and rehabilitation assistance provided by Australia has already been effectively spent in tsunami affected countries in the region.

This includes $60 million for the initial emergency response, an additional $8 million for Sri Lanka delivered through international agencies, and approximately $7 million for new Australia Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) rehabilitation projects in Aceh and North Sumatra.












Over $40 million of this has gone to fund relief and rehabilitation projects in Indonesia's devastated Aceh and North Sumatra provinces, to re-establish medical services and essential pharmaceutical supplies, restore water and sanitation, re-equip schools and repair essential infrastructure.

For example, hospital water supply and waste systems have been repaired, nursing academies have been refurbished and over 80 tonnes of school equipment has been delivered to 46 schools.

Now that the emergency phase is over and people's immediate humanitarian needs are being met, preparations are being made for rebuilding.

The focus in this transition phase is on the restoration of vital community services such as village halls, and transport infrastructure, such as restoring port facilities, in order to accelerate the reconstruction process.

Of Australia's $1 billion aid package to Indonesia (the AIPRD) over $175 million worth of funding has already been allocated and work has started on several major activities.

This includes $50 million for the Aceh Rehabilitation Program to restore health, hospital and education services, a $50 million program of support for governance reform, a $62 million postgraduate scholarship scheme for 600 new students, and $15 million for disaster preparedness and responses to other recent disasters in Indonesia.

However, reconstruction won't happen overnight. What is important is that rebuilding of communities is well planned and promotes their longer-term recovery.