The participants of the forum would like to extend their gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all individuals, communities, national and international groups, parties and organizations for the help and aid they have provided for the individuals and communities affected by the Tsunami of December 26th 2004. We hope that they will continue to give us unwavering support during the remaining task of long-term rehabilitation. The Tsunami has left Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives and other countries with devastated coasts, shattered communities, economies and hundreds of thousands of people in need of support. This destruction was, however, only the initial direct impact of the Tsunami disaster. The ensuing aid efforts were part of just the first phase of Tsunami rehabilitation.
Nine months have now passed since the Tsunami and in most affected areas treatment has been delivered to the wounded and basic shelter is available for the surviving victims; in many cases the boats and fishing gear needed for livelihood restoration of the fisher folk have been provided; the remaining tasks are ready to be overseen by restored community structures and local administrations. The situation can, thus, in most instances be described as approaching stability. However, it is a far cry from being normal.
The Tsunami recovery now enters a second phase of transformation that is the recovery from a disaster into a more permanent and functioning economic and social setup, i.e. the mitigation of the secondary Tsunami impact. While the aid to rehabilitate from the initial direct impact of the Tsunami was characterized by speed and efficiency, the recovery support effort needed for the indirect impact recovery must strive for long-term effectiveness and sustainability. Taking into account livelihood, economic recovery, disaster management, issues of land and housing for the displaced, the landless, women, children, gender issues as well as migrant labor problems. In order to achieve this, a number of measures are urgently needed. Based on past aid delivery experience we therefore ask the international community and supporting NGO’s and GO’s to mobilize all available resources to:
• Ensure that the long-term rehabilitation of the Tsunami affected area is based on definitions of fairness, justice, sustainability and stability as perceived and defined by the Tsunami affected communities and individuals;
• Develop the secondary Tsunami recovery support into an
opportunity to address and solve pre-Tsunami problems that have been worsened and/or exposed by the disaster;
• Deliver assistance and support in an accountable and transparent form that ensures participation of those affected in planning, implementation and execution of long-term rehabilitation programs;
• Establish – a vitally important point- a proper, honest and
forward-looking information system and database on the Tsunami disaster for the use and to the benefit of its affected individuals and communities, independent of nationality, race or religion;
• Initiate an aid-tracking system / mechanism to avoid the misuse of aid-resources or its appropriation for something other than aid purposes;
• Ensure that the remaining rehabilitation becomes a stepping stone for further development of the affected areas leading to better conditions than before the Tsunami disaster.
If the international community, governments and civil societies help to continue with the Tsunami recovery support based on the conditions given above, the Tsunami disaster itself can be turned into an opportunity for development that is in line with sustainability needs and economic progress of all mankind. We believe in the in the strength of cooperation, coordination, openness and solidarity in times of need.
