ActionAid and Disaster Emergency Committee press release 

Three years after the 2005 Boxing Day tsunami – one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters – ActionAid is continuing to help people rebuild their lives with money raised under the Disasters Emergency Committee national appeal and from its own resources.

By giving material support, psychological care and legal advice, ActionAid has helped ensure that survivors stand up for their rights to a home, an education, a livelihood and life free from discrimination and violence.

As a result, some of the most marginalised groups, including stateless boat people, women displaced by war as well as the tsunami, landless tribal communities, Dalits facing decades of discrimination, female fish workers and children out of school now have a stronger voice and a more secure future than they did before the disaster. They are better equipped to deal with the challenges ahead.

Jane Moyo, ActionAid UK spokesperson said: “ActionAid, and all the other major aid agencies were entrusted with huge amounts of public money and we have worked hard to ensure it has been well used and well spent.

“Whilst a chapter is closing now that DEC funding is being wrapped up, ActionAid has plans to continue monitoring and intervening in the state of affairs surrounding land and shelter, which by the nature of the challenges faced requires a longer period to put right."

The scale of the re-building challenge far outstripped the ability of local industry to cope: in the year before the tsunami, Sri Lanka built 5,000 new homes. Tsunami destruction required the construction of over 70,000 homes. There have also been well documented cases around ownership and land-grabbing following the destruction of local administration records.

ENDS

Further information : Jane Moyo, ActionAid on 020 7561 7614 / 07734 023347

 

Notes to editors

ActionAid’s figures go up to 30 September 2007 when we had spent 75% of our 2007 yearly allocation. Final quarter figures available in the New Year. ActionAid will have spent all DEC monies by deadline.

ActionAid helped approx 570,000 in 2005. In 2006, out of the total of 389,985 persons, around 351,000 were new, the others were also helped during the previous year. In 2007, the number of new people we reached out to were 75% of 412,000, i.e. 309,000 persons.

We are looking to complete 3,041 new homes in 2007. ActionAid decided not to re-house people away from their livelihoods – the sea. State governments in India refuse to support any housing within 1km of highest High Tide Line on grounds of safety. ActionAid says that removing people from their original habitation will make their situation worse: it negatively impacts their livelihoods and safety can be addressed by better early warning systems and other disaster risk reduction measures. We continue to work on this issue with other funding.