Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Fides Service) - The United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR is involved in aid operations in south east Asia for victims of the December 26 tsunami. UNHCR has started major 6 month plans of intervention in Sri Lanka where it has operated for 20 Years and in Indonesia in the province of Aceh. For UNHCR whose task is to care for refugees, emergency relief work is something new, but the enormity of the need prompted a decision to intervene.
The day after the tsunami, in Sri Lanka, UNHCR started distributing aid in its deposits on the spot: plastic sheeting, cooking kits, and clothing for 100,000 people. In Sri Lanka UNHCR has 7 offices and 113 workers. Being the main UN agency on the spot it is able to manage emergency operations using its pre-existing network .
Before the disaster in Sri Lanka UNHCR assisted 390,000 displaced persons and repatriated refugees. AT the moment displaced persons are estimated to be at least 800,000. The agency is expecting the arrival of more provisions with an air lift via its operative base in Copenhagen, Denmark and other places with resources available.
In Indonesia on January 2 UNHCR started operations to fly 400 tons of supplies from Denmark and Dubai to Indonesia. The transport planes flew to Jakarta where the supplies where loaded on smaller aircraft and flown to the northern part of Sumatra. UNHCR workers present in the provinces of Aceh and Medan eastern Sumatra, are organising aid for most remote areas.
Aid which has already reached Jakarta includes 2,000 bales of blankets, 7 crates of telecommunications equipment, 2,000 tents to house ten people. UNHCR also increased is personnel sending 7 new operators to Jakarta to join a team present in Banda Aceh to help with distribution of emergency aid. These operators are experts in sanitation, water supplies and communications.
UNHCR is concentrating its efforts on providing shelter in remote and inaccessible areas, using its helicopters and boats and another priority is to distribute material for temporary shelters and home repair kits.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 5/1/2004 righe parole)
