| Indonesia
The Asian Tsunami was one of the worst
natural disasters in Indonesia’s history, when
giant waves struck the country’s coast and devastated
whole communities along its Aceh and North Sumatra Provinces.
With over 110,000
people killed, 12,000 missing and 700,000 displaced,
the Asian
Tsunami did more harm in Indonesia than anywhere
else.
The
total damage was estimated at Rupiah 41.4 trillion
(US $ 4.45 billion). With families torn apart, homes
in ruins and dead bodies scattered throughout the coasts,
many tsunami survivors were left shocked and traumatised
for months to come.
To make matters worse, the Aseh province
had had more than its share of troubles even before
the tsunami struck. Two decades of continuous conflict
had already claimed over 10,000 lives, aggravated poverty
and displaced about 35,000 people —some of who
were affected by the tsunami.
The Indonesian public responded quickly
and resolutely. They donated large amounts of money,
goods and supplies, contributed their professional talents
and launched hundreds of voluntary relief campaigns
throughout the country.
And as with other affected nations,
international generosity played a key role in this recovery
process. By the first week after the disaster, large-scale
rescue and relief operations were launched. Rescue workers
and others from over a dozen countries flew in to provide
labour, transportation and medical facilities to the
affected areas.
The UN
allocated US$ 474 million from donations gathered by
its flash appeal. Of the US$ 5 billion pledged by governments
worldwide in response to the tsunami, roughly half is
likely to be allocated to Indonesia.
Death, injury and property loss were
not the only challenges the relief workers faced. The
vast amounts of waste and debris the tsunami deposited
are difficult to clear, and can cause many complications.
In addition to oil leakage and loss
of sanitary facilities, the Aceh Province with its many
shallow waterways was also in threat of water contamination.
Institutions that upheld law and order were weakened,
and civilian security was in jeopardy.
Indonesia still has a long way to
go to make a full recovery. In addition to the rebuilding
process, it needs to improve tsunami warning systems
to respond to future threats.
For BBC Country Profile on Indonesia,
see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-
pacific/country_profiles/1260544.stm
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