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This fortnight's themeEmergencies Issue 117
 
 


From Emergency Relief to Rehabilitation

The past twelve months have been exceptionally tragic in relation to natural disasters. Our global community has been at the mercy of Mother Nature in so many devastating instances, all of them creating emergency situations for the victims involved. Most recently we have watched The United States experience one of their worst natural disasters in Hurricane Katrina. In this case human misbehaviour added to the enormous devastation. There were also other smaller disasters such as the earthquake in Zarand, Iran, which left over 500 people dead and the earthquake in Nias, Indonesia that killed over 1000 people. Famine has also killed and continues to kill and destroy the lives of millions of people in our global community. At present nearly 3 million people are suffering starvation from the famine in Niger, Africa.

Young Boy

While all of these are disastrous, the most destructive of the natural disasters has been the tsunami that ripped through Asia on December 26, 2004. It was the deadliest tsunami in world history. It was triggered by an enormous earthquake in the Indian Ocean. More than 226,000 died and twelve countries felt the devastation. Hardest hit were Indonesia (particularly the province of Aceh), Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and the Maldives. Millions were left homeless.

What is exceptional and overwhelming about the tsunami compared to the other natural disasters this year and indeed in world history has been the global response to the tragedy. A report entitled ‘Caritas Australia’s Response to the Indian Ocean Disaster’ commented that “The response of the public and donor countries following the tsunami disaster has been unique in that for once there is adequate funding to ensure an effective and comprehensive response”. Caritas Australia received over 22 Million dollars in donations from the Australian public.

It has been nearly 10 months since the tsunami hit. The time has come to start evaluating what has been done with the donations so far and where to go from here.

What Caritas Australia has done so far

With the help of many partner organisations Caritas Australia has been instrumental in providing emergency relief and rehabilitation. Some of the programs and initiatives Caritas has been involved in include:

  • Providing immediate emergency relief in the form of food

  • Health care

  • Hygiene kits

  • Providing immediate shelter, in the form of temporary tents

  • Meeting places built

  • Temporary prayer centres built

  • Latrines and shelters built

  • Help establish community housing committees

  • Starting up emergency centres for education

  • Supplying education facilities

  • Providing transportation

  • Providing agricultural resources such as seeds

  • Cash grants

  • Vaccinations

  • Distribution of water purifiers

  • Provide boats

  • Provide equipment to help people gain work such as fishing nets

  • Training of teachers and religious leaders to provide grief counselling

  • Cleaning wells and ponds

  • Building water storage units

  • Provide psycho-social counselling

Where to from here

The work that Caritas and other aid and development agencies have been able to do since December 26 th is phenomenal. However the work is far from over. It is very important that the global community remains engaged with the Indian Ocean disaster. The countries involved are moving from an ‘emergency relief’ mentality to one of ‘rehabilitation’. The Caritas Internationalis network of partners has recognised that a concrete reconstruction and rehabilitation program needs to be in place. At present a 5 year plan is being developed, the plan will cost more than US$200 million dollars and focuses on long term rehabilitation. Some of the programs in this plan include:

  • Construction of community infrastructure

  • Construction of shelters

  • Provision of permanent water and sanitation supplies

  • Livelihood restoration

  • Resettlement relief

  • Education

  • Development Programs

  • Psycho-social support

  • Reconstruction

In the activities that follow you will investigate in detail some of these plans as well as the programmes that continue in the tsunami affected regions.

Young men

 

    

Teaching and Learning Activities

Activities across the Curriculum

1) Sphere is a global project that was launched as a response to conflicts and natural disasters that affect our global community. Caritas Australia is a member of Sphere. Go to the following site and find out about the project by completing the activities which follow:

www.sphereproject.org/index.htm

  • What are the 2 core beliefs that Sphere is based on?
  • What are the 3 things that make up Sphere?
  • The Sphere handbook sets out an humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response. It clarifies for the first time what people affected by disasters have a right to expect from humanitarian assistance. Click on the icon for the handbook and write an overview of what is in it. Include the title of the handbook, the aim of the handbook and the key areas within it (chapters).
  • Choose one chapter from the left hand column and scroll through. Find 10 useful recommendations for dealing with a natural disaster and record them.
  • Think about the recent tsunami. Write a paragraph on the ways that the handbook could have been (and was) a useful tool for those affected by the tsunami and the aid and development workers that were involved.

2) Go to the following site and watch the 10 minute video on Caritas Australia’s response to the tsunami in Sri Lanka.
www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/
earthquake_video.htm.

Write a report on the response. In your report include:

  • Effects of the tsunami (include facts)
  • Caritas responses to the tsunami. Include details on the specific things Caritas has provided in the area. Your report should have a paragraph on the following initiatives: shelter, medical provisions, income generating programmes, education, and trauma counselling.

There are additional teaching and learning activities for primary and secondary students at:

www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/
earthquake_resources.htm

HSIE/SOSE

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, with approximately 63% of the population living below the poverty line. Niger is in the middle of a terrible natural disaster. The country is experiencing a devastating famine. Caritas has been heavily involved in the emergency relief for the famine. Write a report on the famine in Niger and Caritas’s response using the sites below. In your report include the following subheadings:

  • Introduction
  • Background to Niger
  • Facts about the famine
  • Effects of the famine
  • What Caritas is doing in Niger

www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/
Niger_sitreport20050801.htm

www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/
niger_update20050726.htm

English

Britt Barry is Caritas Australia’s Pacific and Emergency Officer. She was in Tamil Nadu in June, 6 months after the Tsunami. Go to the following site and read Britt Barry’s report by clicking on the icon ‘read article’ under the heading ‘ Joint field visit to Tamil Nadu, India - 16-21 June’: www.caritas.org.au/newsroom/
news_from_field.htm

Imagine you have been asked to speak to a group of people who made donations to Caritas Australia in the tsunami appeal. The purpose of your speech is to communicate the positive initiatives that their money has helped to support. Write a 200 word speech to address the donors. Make sure you use convincing and persuasive language.

Science

Natural disasters are unstoppable natural occurrences. There are many types of natural disasters other than tsunamis and hurricanes. Go to the website below and complete the activities which follow. www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0775896.html

* You will need Acrobat reader to view the PDF file. Click here for your free download.

 

Parish/Community/Social Justice Groups

The following questions relate to Hurricane Katrina which reeked havoc in New Orleans, USA in August and September. As a consequence of the hurricane 80% of the historic town was flooded, and as many as 125,000 (largely the elderly and poor) were trapped in a city without food, power, or water.

  • Hurricane Katrina received a great deal of media coverage. Can you think why it was so well documented in the news?

  • Caritas Australia expresses our concern and sympathy for those affected by Hurricane Katrina – particularly the poor and vulnerable. Caritas Australia is not accepting donations for those affected by Hurricane Katrina at this time. This is because we believe that the US is adequately financially resourced to respond to this emergency and our mandate requires us to respond to those countries where there aren’t the resources to meet critical humanitarian needs For more information visit: www.caritas.org.au/newsroom/
    2005/20050905.htm     Caritas received over 22 million dollars for the Tsunami Appeal. In what ways are the 2 natural disasters similar and different? Do you agree or disagree with the reasons Caritas gives for not accepting donations for Katrina? Provide reasons for your answer.

  • One focus of Caritas’ emergency appeals at the moment is the famine in
    Niger. Go to the following link www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/
    niger_update20050726.htm     and read about Caritas’ response in Niger.

  • To make a donation to the Niger Emergency Appeal call 1800 024 413 or go to the following link: www.caritas.org.au/
    howtohelp/donate_online.htm

 

Other Useful Links

www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/
doc100?OpenForm is the Relief Web site which provides excellent up-to-date information on global natural disasters and humanitarian responses.

www.caritas.org/jumpNews.asp?id
Lang=ENG&idChannel=3&idUser=0&idNews=2674 is Caritas Internationalis page on their response to the tsunami

 

  
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