Summary
Content
16th FEBRUARY
INDONESIA HIGH PRIORITY
- The emergency relief operation has stabilized in most areas and is beginning to move from air delivery to sea and land delivery for locations on the West coast of the Aceh province.
- There is a need to have a cost effective and efficient coordination among humanitarian actors. Strong coordination will pave the way for an effective rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
- In the east coast, including Lhokseumawe, Aceh Utara, Bireuen and Pidie, over 110,000 IDPs are receiving WFP food. Significant numbers of IDPs are moving back to their home areas and the implementing partners are following them to ensure beneficiaries' access to food. Some GAM - TNI incidents have delayed recent assessment work.
- Personnel in Banda Aceh are being granted serial 15 day visa extensions on 30 day entry visas for up to three months (i.e. as one 15 day extension expires a further extension will be granted up to a total of 3 months in country).
INDONESIA GENERAL
BAKORNAS reported (10/02/05) that the latest figure on the human toll for the disaster for Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province indicate 116,891 bodies have been buried; 114,897 people are missing and 412,438 are displaced.
As of 9 February WFP's beneficiary coverage has increased by 20% as compared to its coverage at the end of January (from 339,000 to 425,000).
A "Plan of Action" for the current and potential assistance options to provide the sectoral working groups with a basis for strategic planning in coordination with the GoI is under discussion. This working paper can be obtained from OCHA in Banda Aceh.
Many of the agencies involved in the relief phase are also participating in ten task force groups established by the National Planning and Development Agency to undertake a recovery needs assessment. This assessment will be used as the basis for a 2-5 year Government recovery and reconstruction plan for Aceh, which will be prepared by 20 March. To support this plan, the UN system in Indonesia has begun to prepare a 3-5 year UN joint programme for Aceh, which will be included in UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
INDONESIA TRANSITION FROM MILITARY TO CIVIL OPERATIONS
General Bambang (commander of the TNI response to the tsunami) mentioned that "26 Mar 05 is the end for the Emergency phase. Military operations are to transfer to civilian operations during the coming months." He also noted that effective 26/03 the TNI will be in support of the civilian effort. He stressed the need to reduce the reliance on heli lift although it was agreed that UNHAS helicopters can continue flying food beyond 15 Feb 05, but this should be limited to, for the most part, short flights from the coast to isolated inland settlements. The GoI and TNI expect the humanitarian community to be shipping the majority of their West coast bound aid down the West coast from Banda Aceh.
SRI LANKA CUSTOMS CLEARANCE AIRPORT WAREHOUSE
- UN agencies and NGOs are still experiencing significant delays in obtaining customs clearance for items arriving at Colombo International airport. This is being addressed with the relevant government authorities. However, some progress was made when World Vision´s 31 tons of tents were cleared from the BIA warehouse for humanitarian commodities.
SRI LANKA GENERAL
- The Government of Sri Lanka has developed a plan of constructing about 30,000 transitional accommodations over the next six months. The complexity of the issue was discussed in two rounds of talks between the TAFOR Chief and UN RC/HC, UNHCR, IOM, UNJLC and NGOs last week.
- A working group of TAFOR, UNHCR, IOM, OCHA and JLC is addressing logistical and coordination aspects. Other related issues like land allocation, import of construction materials, etc. will be discussed at general coordination meetings.
- On 11 February, Parliament voted in favor of a package of "Emergency Regulations". Allegedly, emergency laws had been enforced from 18 January to 11 February without a valid national state of Emergency, as required by the Sri Lankan Constitution. These regulations will be utilized to provide facilities and essential services to the affected, according to the Government.
- Initially set for sometime in the future, damages created by the tsunami have encouraged the SL Government to speed up the work of building a new port in Hambantota. Projected at a cost of USD $50 million and expected to take one year to complete, the groundbreaking is now planned to commence in less than two months. It was decided that Colombo Harbour has reached its maximum capacity and will embark on the construction of a breakwater enabling ships entrance to the Port of Hambantota. The entire three-year project will involve the creation of jetties, terminals, docks and administrative buildings at a total cost of USD $1.5 billion.
9th FEBRUARY, 2005
INDONESIA HIGH PRIORITY
- The GoI has determined that the emergency phase of the relief effort is almost at an end, according to the Coordinating Minister of Peoples' Welfare, Mr. Alwi Shihab. This has implications for customs clearance process and procedures as well as the Bakornas, POSKO, SATKORLAK and SATLAK processes and procedures.
- UNJLC discussions with BAKORNAS (and the provincial equivalents) and between UNJLC Jakarta and the Customs department are underway. It is anticipated that clarification on these processes will be detailed and published asap. A special meeting of the DMC has been called by the Vice president.
- Arrangements for warehousing of relief aid and the commodity tracking procedures in Medan are under discussion with the GoI in Medan.
- Unicef has a chartered 747 flying Dubai-Subang on the 22nd February with freight capacity available for the humanitarian community. Please reply before Thursday 10th February PM. Contact: pmolinaro@unicef.org.
- The GoI has indicated Mr Baharuddin, Secretary ORARI as the designate for obtaining amateur radio frequency licensing. He can be contacted at: Jalan Dokter Mansur, No.9B. Tel no: +62811613410.
- The GoI has prepared a fleet of 20x 80MT small sea vessels in Banda Aceh to be used for humanitarian relief. Prioritisation and tasking of these vessels has yet to be announced. The GoI will use the services of these vessels to reduce the reliance on airops and reduce trans-Sumatra land traffic. This is particularly vital as the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases are beginning and a huge amount of additional freight will require forwarding.
- A Medivac SOP DRAFT and checklist had been forwarded to the Security officers at the airport for finalisation and distribution.
INDONESIA GENERAL
"900 burials per day over the past 10 days according to BAKORNAS figures (7 February)"
- BAKORNAS Figures
- Total Dead: 113,915
- Missing people: 127,773 (127,749 NAD and 24 NS respectively)
- Displaced persons: 469,000 people at 37 location points in NAD and some 4000 in Nias-NS (Number of IDPs remains variable, however, as reported previously, BAKORNAS will reassess the figure by middle of February 05.)
- WFP report current case load as at January 31 at 379,000 and it is estimated that total number of relief recipients will reach 528,000 by the end of February. The demand for air cargo has begun to drop, especially out of Banda Aceh.
- The IDP registration process being conducted by the GoI is expected to result in an official increase and hence WFP estimates its case load will increase to 790,000 within the coming six month period.
INDONESIA STRATEGIC LOGISTICS
Generally, the logistics situation has remained stable over the past week with few interruptions to relief operations. Cargo and passenger numbers have been well catered for by the existing assets. Infrastructure has held up to increased traffic volumes and weather conditions have not deteriorated to the point of disrupting flow of freight. Increased passenger seats on commercial flights have eased the humanitarian demand for military support and UNHAS services for passenger transport.
As foreign military support for the humanitarian effort is deliberately reduced, the transition to and concurrent up-scaling of civil relief operations is proceeding smoothly. Indicative of the military's impending withdrawal of non-essential support are the following reductions in military support;
- US C-130 flights out of Halim ceased last week;
- USS Abraham Lincoln ceased operations off Banda Aceh and North Sumatra on the 31st January;
- Only one NZ military aircraft at Halim (1x C130);
- Australian aircraft coming through Halim from Butterworth will make capacity available for relief effort on request;
- UK helicopters are ceasing operations from 7/02/05;
- The number of Australian helicopters operating has been reduced by two prior to a full withdrawal from Banda Aceh to Sabang by the 15th February;
- There have been no passengers on military flights out of Banda Aceh for the past two weeks;
- And, Combined Support Group quantities delivered by helo on February 4th were the lowest since 3rd January.
Further indications of reducing need for military support is indicated by the freight uplift from Medan over the past two weeks which shows a significant reduction in volumes carried. With the ramping up of the road and sea routes for relief supplies, a commensurate reduction in the demand of air cargo has begun to be noticed. There has been a doubling in the road freight capacity as indicated by the large truck fleets of IOM and WFP plying the Jakarta-Medan-Banda Aceh and Medan-Meulaboh routes.
Restricted air movement for non-scheduled fixed wing craft has been imposed at Banda Aceh in compliance with the wishes of the GoI. In short, Banda Aceh Air Port is not accepting any fixed wing aircraft after 16.30hrs except the UNHAS Twin Otters. Regular scheduled domestic flights continue as normal. Partly this is due the reduced cargo handling capacity as a result of the withdrawal of military assets, but it also reflects a reduction in air cargo.
The freight routing has become more reliant on the sea routes as evidenced by the stationing of the WFP warehouse ship of the West coast of Sumatra which is being unloaded using two landing craft (400Mt each) along the western coast. Simultaneously, military sea assets including those from Singapore, Germany, Malaysia and Mexico have been on the decline; those that remain and are operating sea assets are Japan, Australia and France.
The GoI has indicated its plans to provide (sic) 20 smaller vessels for sea operations: details on size, timing and stationing are pending. This data further attests to the sustainability of the planned reliance on the sea and land route to service the large number of IDPs (according to Bakornas 31 January Bulletin 469,000 IDPs). Untested however, remains the sustainability of the routes under the additional load associated with the GoI and international partners' planned rehabilitation and reconstruction programs. UNJLC is carefully monitoring the programs of the various actors and assessing impact upon the route system currently in place, planning mitigating alternatives, actions, and repairs.
UNJLC civil engineers are currently assessing roads /ports for serviceability and reliability. Mindful of the seasonal changes (next three months) in sea conditions along the western coast of Sumatra as well as the questionable sustainability of some road routes, UNJLC views wisely the decision to retain some excess air capacity in Medan, Meulaboh and Banda Aceh: should circumstances dictate a ramping up of air support, the assets are available to quickly respond.
The establishment of warehousing facilities along the west coast in such places as Teunom, Calang, and Meulaboh is easing the pace with which future relief supplies need to be dispatched.
The fuel supply situation appears to have stabilised, UNJLC has repeated its request for agencies and NGOs to provide visibility on their projected requirements. Airserv has noted a significant increase in price for fuel from 37c per litre to 41 cents per litre over a week. The fuel storage facility at the Banda Aceh airport is currently storing 300,000 litres of Jet A-1 in underground storage tanks. These fuel tanks are used to refuel all aircraft (military and commercial) at Banda Aceh airport and represent a potential source of fuel for deliveries along the west coast.
UNJLC in Banda Aceh is continuing to compile information on program plans of the agencies, along with humanitarian aid cargo sent out to date. It is anticipated that a complete database of all cargo sent out by air will be consolidated in the next week, based on information collected by the UNJLC air cell (heli lift data for Banda Aceh) and other actors. This will contribute to the greater GoI goal of gaining visibility on the source, route and destination of all relief aid. Together with the POSKO in Banda Aceh and Medan, the UNJLC is assisting with the introduction of the IBM sponsored commodity tracking system.
SRI LANKA CNO HANDOVER OF FUNCTIONS
- As of Friday 4 February the Centre for National Operations (CNO) was dissolved and some functions pertaining to relief operations handed over to the Task Force for Relief Operations (TAFOR) headed by Mr Thilak Ranaviraja, the Commissioner General for Essential Services. Another task force, Task Force for the Reconstruction of the Nation (TAFREN) has been given a long-standing Government approval. It will be responsible for spearheading the reconstruction, assess the damage and come up with a master plan to rebuild infrastructure and its future development. It will also coordinate and implement the plan after its approval through state and private organizations as well as local government bodies.
- TAFOR will be based and managed from the Ministry of Defense. It will set up a unit on shelter consisting of experts tasked with coordinating Government and agency shelter installations. The shelter unit should be operational by 14 February.
- Some of the previous tasks performed by CNO will be handed over to Line Ministries. Food relief will be channeled through the Ministry of RRR together with the Commissioner General of Essential Services. Similarly, health care for affected families and the relevant Line Ministries will undertake education services. The responsibilities connected to the IDPs, Transit Camps, liaison with the District Secretariats, will be the task of the CGES.
4 February, 2005
GENERAL
- A meeting between UNJLC and the Government of Indonesia (GoI) Customs Technical Director drew attention to the Director General of Customs and Excise letter S16/BC/2005, dated 07 January 2005 (posted at www.unjlc.org). Of particular interest is reference to paragraph 7, which states the Coordinating Minister for Peoples' Welfare had instructed all departments to assist in al possible ways with the relief effort. Further reference was drawn to the Director General's letter s-823/BC/2004 dated 29th December 2004 that states that all materials for the relief effort sanctioned by the authority of either the Coordinating Minister for Peoples' Welfare OR the Minister for Social Affairs (Mr. Bachtiar Hamizan) (OR their delegates) are granted exclusive rights to authorize and permit the passage of relief goods expeditiously through the customs and excise entry ports. The Director assured the intention of the POSKO, was not for physical passage of goods but for mandatory reporting of goods granted the clear passage as determined by the GoI decrees above.
- A significant decrease in humanitarian relief moved was observed and reported during the week. These were confirmed by UNJLC, UNHAS as well as by IOM, which are heavily involved in the movement of humanitarian aid using land corridors. NGOs reporting that their warehouses in Medan and Banda Aceh were overloaded were encouraged to contact UNJLC and IOM, in order to reduce warehouse related bottlenecks.
- Very little response is forthcoming from any Agency with regards to cargo requests. The UNJLC air cell does not anticipate an increase in Helicopter capacity, but rather assets will most likely be removed if there are not additional requests received over the next 2-3 weeks.
- UNJLC suggests that the humanitarian community consider making use of TNI troops to offload cargo along the West coast if assistance is required and civilian workers are incapable or unavailable. TNI have approved in principle this ad hoc assistance provision.
- The Customs Procedures provided by the GoI and advised by UNJLC have not been operating as expected. Indonesian customs officials in Banda Aceh do not have the capacity to clear goods on arrival and are instead instructing consignees to take their cargo without following proper clearance procedures. Organisations with a permanent programming presence (e.g. WHO) want to follow these new guidelines but are finding that the Banda Aceh customs officials are following the old methods. Organisations have been advised to maintain complete files and documentation relating to customs clearance matters in anticipation of future auditing/paperwork demands. New guidelines have been issued and UNJLC Banda Aceh is assessing adherence to these new procedures.
- Medan: It is currently taking up to a week to clear customs e.g. OXFAM and WFP. UNJLC met with local customs to clarify situation. It appears that the customs here are following the national agreements for the emergency as well as the standard agreements covering UN, IOs and participating NGOs.
- In Meulaboh, the main concern for the port is lack of warehousing. It is estimated that at least five Rubbhalls are required to cope with the upcoming reconstruction phase.
1 February, 2005
GENERAL
The Government of Indonesia (GoI) has assisted in the collating of procedures for customs clearances for humanitarian aid. The compete procedures can be found on the UNJLC website at http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/28240
From the UN point of view, we are in transition from almost total reliance on military aircraft to almost total self-reliance on chartered aircraft under direct tasking control of UNHAS. (See below for more details.)
UNJLC is liaising with GoI in the affected area regarding IO/UN vehicular access permitting for more remote areas. Current requirements for military escorts for humanitarian aid beyond Medan remain in place, and POSKO Medan discourages foreign aid workers from travelling on some routes.
For those unfamiliar with the current pattern of usage, Medan's Polonia International Airport is used to receive cargo coming in which: either cannot be delivered directly to Banda Aceh; or is destined for locations elsewhere in Northern Sumatra; or for transport by other means. While the Banda Aceh airport is being utilized for air cargo which can be delivered direct to nearby locations by air or surface means. Road convoys of relief aid are also delivered to Banda Aceh airport by road for dispatch by air, in particular to the West Coast of Sumatra. Subang airport in Malaysia remains the UN preferred hub for incoming international aid.
UNJLC seeks input on bottlenecks, obstacles, asset requirements etc., so as to seek appropriate solutions.
SECURITY
- On the 26th January, a WFP staffer was arrested for allegedly stealing from a warehouse at the airport. WFP & UN Security are investigating.
TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN OPERATIONS
- An encouraging meeting was held between UNJLC air cell and Mr. Arudy Satyopurnomo (member of National Coordinating Agency and former VP of Garuda airlines). Mr Arudy is Expert Staff of the Coordinating Minister) tasked with assisting with transition to civilian. Management adviser to Coordinating Minister Shihab to begin planning for civilian take-up of air cargo and passenger movements for the relief effort.
- As the transition to civilian operations proceeds there it has been noted that military aircraft in Banda Aceh have been under utilised over the last few days: reportedly there has been a lack of humanitarian cargo. UNJLC suggests that agencies with cargo for Banda Aceh can avail themselves of this assistance by following the procedures for military assistance with humanitarian assistance procedures on the www.unjlc.org website. NB: Due to the cessation of US military C-130 flights out of Halim, procedures for requesting seats/cargo lift is under review. Clarification expected in the next 48 hours. UNJLC will advise the updated procedures at Halim (Jakarta) via FLASH AIR LOGISTICS NEWS as soon as available.
- Military aircraft are gradually being phased out, subject to operational requirements under UNHAS civilian operations.
- A list of aircraft available to UNHAS with further detail can be found on http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/30280