|
The Guardian, London
Tsunami cost Aceh a generation and $4.4bn
UN assessment focuses on lost children and lost livelihoods Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Saturday January 22, 2005
The Guardian The first comprehensive study of the damage caused by the tsunami in
Indonesia reveals a devastated society and a staggering number children
killed and orphaned. The study by the World Bank and Indonesian government estimates the
total bill for the destruction of property and businesses at more than
$4.4bn (�.34bn). About 700,000 people are homeless, and farmers, fishermen and others
with small businesses have lost their liveli hoods and cannot rebuild
because they have no income. "The scale of the damages to the local economy, infrastructure, and
administration were unprecedented. In an instant, the livelihoods and
security of hundreds of thousands of the survivors were ruined," the
joint report says. It concludes that only a massive international effort can rebuild the
devastated areas. The biggest story of the disaster, says the report, is not the damage
to the national economy, which was substantial, but the suffering of
hundreds of thousands of individuals who have lost everything: members
of their families, their homes, and any hope of making a living. In some places the whole structure of society has changed. In Alu Naga
village it was reported that all the children had died. Drawn to
flapping fish on the beach as the sea receded, many were killed as the
wave followed. It was a lost generation for the foreseeable future. The report - which uses the total death figure on January 14 of 110,229
- estimates that 37% of the casualties were under 18. Up to 12,160 of
those who died, about 13%, were infants. As many as 7,722 children lost
both parents and 32,735 lost one parent.
Advertiser links
Which? Report on Plasma Televisions Which? Online gives unbiased advice and information on a...
trial.which.co.uk
Save on Plasma Television at ShopGenie Save on plasma televisions at ShopGenie, the shopping search...
shopgenie.co.uk
Visit Dell for Plasma Televisions Visit Dell for incredible offers on LCD TVs. Get 15% off...
dell.co.uk Because Aceh is a conflict area the number of female- headed households
was already high, at one in five. Since the disaster that number has
increased significantly. About 30% of those killed worked in agriculture and a further 10% were
fishermen. In some areas the tsunami reached more than three miles inland,
destroying crops and killing livestock as well as sweeping through
houses and poisoning thousands of wells. "It may take years for the land to become fertile again, if it has not
suffered permanent loss because of missing top soil, and in some cases
subsidence means the land has disappeared altogether." Housing and shelter are the priority and in many areas account for the
largest portion of the damage - about �.4bn. The report says survivors need properly planned and good quality
construction and sanitation. One of the main problems is the single parent families without assets
or jobs.The report suggested that they should be employed in cleaning
and reconstruction to provide income, but says the jobs are not likely
to last as long as the damage. The fishermen were in a tenuous situation before the disaster because
overfishing was reducing their income and many were in debt to
moneylenders. Coral reef destruction, the loss of fish stocks, and destruction of
boats and nets will make it impossible for many to return to fishing. The biggest damage and losses in financial terms are in trade and
industry: 80,000 small businesses have been destroyed which provided
income to 140,000 people. In Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, "several sources pointed to a
particular feeling of hopelessness, since the extent of the damage and
debris is so great." The report, covering Aceh and North Sumatra and presented to the world
conference on disaster reduction in Kobe, Japan, estimates the
environmental damage to the region to be $675m. Guardian Unlimited �Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 | 
IP卡
发表于 2005-1-17 00:27:35
提升卡
变色卡
显身卡
发表于 2005-1-18 17:18:32
