Tsunami one year after, NGO aid intervention and future ... - VOICE

Chapter One :
Introduction
In the early morning of 26 December 2004, a massive earthquake measuring
9.0 on the Richter scale struck off the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra,
spawning a tsunami that wreaked havoc along much of the rim of the Indian Ocean. In
Asia, the Tsunami caused massive flooding, death and destruction, particularly in India
(Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Indonesia
(provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra) and eastern Sri Lanka. There was also substantial
flooding and loss of life in the Maldives and Thailand, with some lesser flooding and
damage in Malaysia, Bangladesh and Burma/Myanmar. Further afield, there was significant
flooding and casualties in Somalia, with some lesser flooding and damage in the Seychelles.
Estimates are that in total over 275.000 people died as a result of the waves,
tens of thousands more were injured and over one million made homeless, making
the Tsunami one of the worst natural disasters in modern history. (See Annex 2)
Just as the scale of the disaster was unprecedented, so was the scale of the
response, on the part of governments, international organisations and multilateral
donors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals all over the world.
Many NGOs were already working in Tsunami affected areas when the tragedy
struck. They moved immediately to respond to the humanitarian disaster. As the one-year
anniversary of the Tsunami approaches, professional NGOs are looking to take stock of
their response. CONCORD (European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development) and
VOICE (Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies) wish to take this opportunity
to describe how NGOs reacted to the Tsunami, what projects they are implementing and
what lessons they have learned in the extraordinary circumstances of this disaster. They
also wish to put forward some institutional and political recommendations to the European
Union (EU), to ensure a sustainable recovery for the populations affected by the Tsunami.
CONCORD and VOICE are two of the largest Networks of European NGOs, and
represent some thousands of operational NGOs active in humanitarian and development
projects worldwide. As main interlocutors with the EU on emergency, rehabilitation,
development and disaster preparedness, both CONCORD and VOICE involve their
members in information, advocacy, policy and lobbying activities. By combining expertise,
accountability and dialogue with the European Institutions and other civil society
organisations, they are able to pull together know-how and reflections from a very large
number of NGOs. CONCORD, through its national platforms and international networks, is
a confederation representing around 1600 European NGOs, working with millions of people
in need in the developing world. VOICE represents around 90 operational European NGOs
active in humanitarian assistance in man-made and natural disasters all over the world.
NGOs are one of the main civilian actors in humanitarian and development
aid. The NGO sector is immense: the European Commission alone channels over
€1 billion annually to developing countries through NGOs. European NGOs are of course
also funded by governments of EU Member States (MS) and through the generosity
and engagement of European citizens. Over the last two decades, this vibrant NGO
sector has evolved beyond recognition, and is continuously striving to professionalise,
improve the quality of its work, and become more transparent and accountable.
NGO Aid Intervention And Future Challenges
3