Thailand Field Report

Source : Relief Web

Situation

The latest figures released by the Government as of 1200 hrs local time today are:

- 4,541 dead (Thai: 2,128, Foreigners: 2,230, Unidentified: 183)

- 10,469 injured (Thai: 5,042, Foreigners:1,510, Unidentified: 3,917)

- 6,479 missing (Thai: 4,582, Foreigners:1,663, Unidentified: 234)

Recovery and identification of human remains is still ongoing. The forensic capacity is improving with specialised teams from many countries in place working along with the Thai police. There seems to be a problem in distributing formalin and body bags to all the temples used as morgues.

Although many countries are air-lifting injured foreigners, the capacities of the hospitals in the affected area still extremely stretched due to the vast amount of people injured. There have been no reports of outbreaks of diseases.

The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team has fielded two assessment missions to the disaster-affected areas. The team has been reinforced by the OCHA Regional Disaster Response Advisor for Asia.

Requirements

Needs and requirements as indicated by the Government are as follows: 1) Metal caskets/coffins (for international transportation), 2) Medical supplies (such as first aid kits, dressing sets, gauze and bandages), 3) Medicines (especially anti-diarrhea, anti-biotic and anti-septic), 4) Rubber gloves, masks, 5) Tents and office supplies, 6) Blankets, clothes, shoes, sandals, underwear, pants and sanitary napkins, 7) Heavy equipment (such as excavators and bulldozers), 8) Power generators, 9) Water purifiers, 10) Forensic pathologists, 11) Freezer containers for storing bodies, 12) Communications equipment, and 13) Dried or canned food and rice.

International Response

Representatives from 37 embassies are presently in Phuket to give assistance to the victims, focusing on recovery and identification on human remains. A daily coordination meeting on forensic work takes place at the police headquarter in Phuket. Airlift for forensic teams to the three main areas of work is now available. A joint information collection centre will be established at the Phuket town hall for gathering information from relatives.

Several needs assessments are currently being conducted. The immediate needs seem to be met in most places through emergency assistance from many European countries, countries in Asia and other parts of the world and UN agencies. However, there is an increasing need for preventive infectious disease control measures.

Andamans Field Report

Source: AIDIndia Website

SEEDS, Port Blair. 31 December 2004. 1800 hrs IST

The SEEDS field assessment team reached Tamil Nadu on 27 December. We realised that there are some credible NGOs extending aid there. Meanwhile the toll in Andaman and Nicobar was rising and no assistance had reached there due to logistics problems.

As such, we moved to the Andamans on 28 December and started relief operations here. Our update is below.

1. We are continuing our relief activities in the two relief camps in Port Blair where evacuees from three locations - Hutbay, Campbell bay, Nancowrie and Car Nicobar Island are being given shelter. These relief camps are being run in Nirmala school and School Line, both in Port Blair, where we have more than 1300 people in the camps right now and more keep coming in. People in the relief camps are being provided shelter, food, toilets and basic cleanliness and sanitation services.

2. Nicobar area is worst hit. The people were washed out, and these being islands in the middle of the ocean, many bodies did not wash back ashore. From back calculations (by counting heads and assuming missing persons as dead), the rough estimates of casualties are about 15,000 in this group of islands alone. Most of the evacuees from these islands are coconut farmers or run piggeries back on their islands.

3. The administration is still evacuating people from vulnerable areas and bringing them to Port Blair under fear of another tsunami. A false alert caused great panic yesterday.

4. There is still no other NGO doing relief work in Andaman and Nicobar. Some NGOs have come for reconnaissance work. There are two more camps being run in Port Blair, both by the administration. Only the administration and some small local groups are working. They are grossly inadequate.

5. There is damage in Port Blair in terms of infrastructure. The administration is busy with putting things back in place. These are primarily facilities that have been damaged, like communications, roads, airport and jetty.

There are another 14 points and a list of proposed goals. Please read the entire update at the AIDIndia website: Andamans Field Report

Find Missing Persons in Sri Lanka

Thanks to Sanjay Senanayake (Morquendi) - one of the many 'Field' Bloggers we have on our team - who's doing an amazing job by reporting through SMS & this blog from Sri Lanka for this bit of information:

Here is a good missing persons database run by the University of Moratuwa over here:

http://www.findthem.lk/dataentry.htm - The Missing Persons Database of
the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Tamil Tigers grapple with disaster in Sri Lanka

BBC News Reporter Jeremy Bowen reports from Mullaitivu about how the LTTE held areas are grappling with the disaster:

Excerpts:

Little information has emerged from parts of Sri Lanka controlled by the rebel Tamil Tigers following Sunday's tsunami.

The BBC gained access to the village of Mullaitivu in the north-east of the island.

Tamil Tiger rebels here say that more than 3,000 people died in Mullaitivu - that is out of a population of more than 5,000

More here.