Washington, D.C. 26 Jan 2005 - IRC health director Dr. Richard Brennan addressed the House International Relations Committee today about current relief efforts and future challenges for reconstruction following the December 26 earthquake and tsunami that devastated much of south and south-east Asia and east Africa.
Dr. Brennan, who returned this week from directing the IRC’s emergency health response in Indonesia, focused his remarks on Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra [map], where the IRC has been working for the past five years as part of the CARDI consortium of refugee agencies.
The IRC has deployed five emergency teams throughout Aceh in response to the disaster, Brennan told the committee. Some 40 international staff members are now working alongside 100 Indonesian staff members and local partners to meet urgent needs in the areas of water, sanitation, basic medical care, child protection and livelihoods.
While there have been no reports of epidemics or elevations in mortality since the disaster, several major threats to public health persist, Brennan said. “The most significant among these is poor access to clean water and sanitation, and the resultant risk of diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid. The number one priority is infectious disease control.”
Brennan noted that an important guiding principle for the IRC during the emergency has been to address urgent unmet public health needs and to avoid duplication of effort with other agencies. IRC emergency response teams have responded in underserved areas with a range of interventions, including water and sanitation services, measles vaccination, clinics and drug distributions.
Post-Emergency Challenges
Brennan outlined four challenges to the post-tsunami reconstruction in Aceh in his testimony:
• Logistics: The widespread destruction of roads and bridges, as well as the remoteness of many areas, has made access to affected populations difficult.
• Relocation: The Indonesian government plans to move many of the more than 400,000 displaced Acehnese to relocation camps. Past experience suggests that camps are generally not the best solution. Also, given the recent conflict in Aceh, there may be political as well as humanitarian motives for establishing the camps.
• Delivering Aid: The people of Aceh must lead both the relief and reconstruction efforts. The international agencies must actively encourage community participation, partner with local organizations, and build local capacity. Through such processes, we can empower communities and help lay the foundations for them to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
• Disaster Response in a Wider Context: It is important to not forget other major crises in other countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is suffering the deadliest conflict since World War II. Yet world leaders and the media have largely ignored the crises and the international response remains out of proportion to the humanitarian need.
Brennan closed his remarks to the committee by saying, "let us also remember that when the media spotlight turns away from Aceh and other areas impacted by the tsunami that we have a responsibility to continue to assist the survivors in the long process of rebuilding their lives and their livelihoods."
