Tsunami in Aceh: Regional tragedy, global solution

B. Lynn Pascoe, Jakarta

Images of the tsunami tragedy have faded from the news in many parts of the world, but 10-year-old Nevin Rae of Solesbury, Pennsylvania, U.S., has not forgotten. This elementary school student raised US$17,000 from his fellow townsmen for tsunami relief. Millions of Americans have done likewise, reaching into their pockets to contribute more than $1.2 billion to show their continuing concern. As President George W. Bush said, "The United States is committed to helping the people who suffer. We're committed today and we will be committed tomorrow."

As a sign of this U.S. commitment, and of our close relationship with Indonesia, President George W. Bush will welcome President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Washington on May 25 for talks on tsunami relief and reconstruction. The two presidents will hold bilateral talks at the White House in search of ways to further strengthen our cooperation and emphasize that our partnership with Indonesia extends far beyond the certainly important work that we have in the aftermath of the tsunami and earthquake.

In addition to working closely with the government of Indonesia, the U.S. is working with partners in the international development community -- from the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank to the Red Cross/Red Crescent and international NGOs -- to rebuild infrastructure, restart economies, improve livelihoods, and revive the hopes of disaster victims. Significant efforts are already underway.

One example was the recent visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick to the Acehnese village of Lhoknga where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for $15 million in U.S. funding for the first phase of the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road, much of what was destroyed during the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami. Assistance from the U.S. Government, through USAID, will help rebuild this essential infrastructure and the lives of thousands of people who lost their homes and livelihoods. To date, USAID has provided $53.3 million in emergency food assistance, relief supplies, temporary shelter, water and sanitation, health, livelihoods and other support for affected communities in Aceh and North Sumatra.

At President Bush's request, Congress approved $656 million for the tsunami relief and reconstruction fund. Of that amount, more than half will go to rebuilding the infrastructure of the affected economies while other funds will help victims return to their communities through programs aimed at recreating livelihoods, rebuilding homes, and providing other transitional support. Funds will also be used to improve international and U.S. tsunami early warning systems so that people in this region will be forewarned of pending disasters.

Many of the grants to U.S. government partners and local NGOs were for an initial three to six months and focused significant resources on developing cash-for-work and micro-enterprise activities to generate employment for those affected. More than $6.3 million in grants have been made to support cash-for-work programs. In Indonesia, for example, cash for work programs employed more than 35,000 beneficiaries, providing $2.9 million directly to workers.

U.S. government assistance, however, is more than matched by the contributions of U.S. businesses, religious organizations, academic institutions, and individuals that have provided financial and personnel resources quickly and directly to affected communities. Over 130 U.S. companies each provided at least $1,000,000 in cash, products and services including water purification systems, transport, and basic food, water and shelter to local and international relief agencies.

Equally impressive are the ongoing efforts by individual Americans and NGOs. For example, Habitat for Humanity organized volunteer teams of construction specialists that will help 30- 35,000 families rebuild their homes. The "Kids Tsunami Relief Fund" in New York City is raising money to help rebuild a school in Pottuvil, Sri Lanka, and a medical clinic in nearby Kirinda.

In order to ensure governments and institutions maintain the momentum of international support that is so crucial to Indonesia and the region's long-term tsunami reconstruction and recovery, co-chairs of the U.S. Private Sector Tsunami Relief, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, engaged government officials from the hardest hit countries, corporate representatives, philanthropists, financial institutions and NGOs to participate in a focused dialogue on the necessities, priorities and challenges of the reconstruction phase.

Also in attendance at the one-day "private sector summit on post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction" in Washington, DC was Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of National Development Planning, who said it is vital to make sure a credible, coordinated system is established among donors, governments and other involved parties. She was joined by Azwar Abubakar, Acting Governor of Aceh and Vice Chairman of the Executing Agency for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias.

Not long after the tsunami struck, an Indonesian poet from devastated Aceh province wrote: "Never ask where Meulaboh is. Never ask where Bireuen is...their maps have crumbled. Their maps have been washed away." Today volunteers from the American Friends Service Committee are helping figuratively to redraw the maps of Meulaboh and Bireuen, using more than $4 million in donations to meet medical needs and rebuild a wounded society.

These are but a few of the ways in which Americans are showing solidarity with friends in need. Through the continued efforts of our leaders and citizens, the United States pledges to work closely with the United Nations and the international community to ensure a transparent and sustainable reconstruction process, most of all, to guarantee that the people devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami are not forgotten.

The writer is U.S. Ambassador for Indonesia.