Copyright Europe Information Service (EIS).

(25/10/2005)

EU/ASIA:

FURTHER POST-TSUNAMI HUMANITARIAN AID EXPECTED BEFORE YEAR'S END

Another batch of relief aid for victims of last December's Indian Ocean tsunami should be approved before the end of the year by ECHO, the European Commission's humanitarian aid department. It is expected to amount to some euro 20 million for Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India for the period January 2006 to June 2007. The Commission will present its proposal at the beginning of November to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, and a formal decision may be taken by the end of the month. The aid is notably intended to help meet the humanitarian needs of victims suffering as a result of delays in the reconstruction process. In Sri Lanka in particular, the conflict with the Tamil Tigers has resulted in the blocking of much reconstruction aid, a matter of grave concern to the Commission.
(SF)

“There are still humanitarian needs on the ground”, an ECHO representative told a meeting on the post-tsunami situation staged at the European Parliament in October 19. The next ECHO decision will correspond to the final instalment of the euro 123 million in relief aid promised by Commission President José Manuel Barroso in January in Djakarta, following the disaster that hit the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. Whilst primary humanitarian needs have been met, many people are still living in temporary accommodation in camps almost a year after the catastrophe. With the intermediate phase between the emergency response and reconstruction dragging on for longer than had been expected, the aid will focus primarily on improving living conditions for these people. However, it is also likely to be extended beyond areas directly hit by the disaster in order to defuse growing tensions between communities evident on the ground, according to NGOs active in the region. In Indonesia, progress in Aceh following the August 15 peace agreement between GAM rebels and the government in Jakarta should ensure that aid is made accessible to new regions.

Reconstruction delays.

Delays in the reconstruction process are due partly to a desire to take whatever time needed to build better housing and infrastructure, according to those responsible. Planning, the registration of title deeds, discussions between communities and the authorities and a lack of administrative capacity are delaying the process as aid promised at the international level begins to pour into trust funds set up for this purpose. “There is a tension between the need to begin reconstruction as quickly as possible and the importance of adequate planning”, one ECHO representative acknowledged.

In Sri Lanka, however, where the situation is most critical, political tension is the principal factor behind delays. The perennial conflict between the Tamil Tigers and the government in Colombo has prevented the adoption of a fair distribution mechanism for international aid, despite pressure from major donors, not least the EU. Without an agreement, donations paid into the World Bank trust fund, including those from the Commission, cannot be delivered on the ground. The Commission hopes forthcoming elections in November will lead to a resumption of negotiations towards an agreement.

In the event of a persistent deadlock, Commission sources indicate that a 'Plan B' might be considered. Bilateral Commission development aid for Sri Lanka might have to be delivered in an alternative fashion. Programming for 2007-2010 is currently being discussed with the member states. In order to conduct negotiations with the Sri Lankan authorities and strengthen its presence in the country, the Commission has transformed its Colombo Bureau into a Delegation and appointed an Ambassador, Julian Wilson, who won his spurs in Afghanistan.