Summary
Content
23rd MARCH, 2005
INDONESIA
LAND
- The GoI and TNI's collective aim is to open the Banda Aceh - Meulaboh land route by March 26. According to the GoI Coordination Meeting, 90% of repairs on this route are complete.
- The road from Banda Aceh to Lamno has been opened. However around Lamno there is a big river without bridge. To cross this river a pontoon has been provided. TNI are shortly to construct a bridge over this river.
- The road from Lamno to Teunom has been opened. However around Krueng Pudeng(sic) there is a bridge that has not yet been repaired. A raft-pontoon is being used to ferry vehicles. Clarification is being sought.
- The greatest challenge is to open the road between Teunom and Meulaboh: the area is forested and swampy. Landfill along the route is expected to start in the next few days.
- The latest UNJLC-updated land route maps of the West coast, with details of newly opened roads between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh, are available at the HIC and on http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/28438.
SEA
- The Special Feature - Sea Routes from the March 15 Bulletin also contains information relevant to humanitarian actors utilising sea routes. http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/32479
- UNJLC Banda Aceh has just completed a map of the ports, infrastructure, access around Aceh, the west coast of Sumatra and North Sumatra: The high resolution version is available at the UN office in Banda Aceh and UNJLC Medan. A low resolution soft copy of the map is available at the website also.
- UNJLC Banda Aceh has provided a list of the local shipping suppliers and costs. Full details can be found on http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/32680
- Contact Jafar Siddik 0813 60029281, jafar_siddik@yahoo.com.
- In Banda Aceh, UNJLC reports strong support for its proposal for movement of passengers and cargo by sea. This cost effective and safe alternative for transporting both cargo and passengers is under development. It is intended that UNJLC will coordinate and then handover the service to local partners within 3 months: a full version of the proposal will be available on www.unjlc.org shortly.
- As part of this proposal, UNJLC is currently assessing sea transport cargo requirements for non-food items.
- Public Works welcomes this service and hopes that it can be used to transport building materials to west coast area.
- UNJLC has negotiated permission for humanitarian actors to have free container storage in Belawan port. The sample request letter is being prepared by UNJLC Medan.
- The Quarantine Dept. from Belawan Sea Port will prepare a procedural chart to facilitate cargo movements from the sea port.
- WFP vessel movements are reported as follows:
- The L/C Labitra Reulina received spare parts and commenced voyage on 19 March. Mechanical problems have left her in Malahayati, Aceh Besar, since 11 March. She discharged 215MT of food in Lamno on 20 March and sailed for Calang along with 25MT of operational support equipment and supplies.
- The L/C Labitra Hanny discharged 55 MT of various food items in Lamno, and 120 MT of rice in Meulaboh, on 19-20 March respectively. She loaded in Meulaboh cargo for UNICEF Calang. At present she is in Calang for off-loading.
- The M/V Kimtrans is currently in Malahayati, to discharge 1,800 MT of rice and 400 MT of canned fish.
- A new landing craft, Sukese 3, has been chartered and is currently in Belawan to load cargo destined for the west coast.
- Atlas Logistique are operating four (4) 20 MT vessels on full charter, the vessels travel twice a week to the west coast.
- The Red Cross has chartered one (1) LST 150 MT, which conducts
SRI LANKA
COLOMBO PORT
The Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) grants demurrage waiver for consignments which are handed over to the Government for distribution. Whilst UN agencies distribute their own consignments they have to pay the accumulating demurrage charges at the airport and Port of Colombo. UNICEF has been granted waiver on demurrage after sending a request enlisting details of all consignments stored at the port to the Ministry of Finance. The process of acquiring a waiver from the authorities can take up to a week as experienced by UNICEF.
TRANSPORT/TRUCKING
- To meet increased demand for transport assistance IOM leased an additional 20 lorries. At present IOM has a vehicle fleet of 72 lorries each with a cargo capacity of 10 metric tons.
- UNHCR trucking capacity on a space-available basis to any of its eight out-stations: Vavuniya, Mannar (rarely), Jaffna, Kili, Trinco, Batti, Ampara and Matara.
15th MARCH, 2005
INDONESIA
SEA
Please see the UNJLC Special Feature - Sea Routes (attached) and for detailed information on assets and ports refer to http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/28924
LAND
- Updated land route maps of the West coast, with details of newly opened roads between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh, are available at the HIC and on http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/28438.
- The road to Lamno has been open since 5 March, and several organisations such as USAID and Oxfam have made this trip. It takes approximately 6 hours one way in a 4x4. The road is passable for trucks up to 20MT, though the road is difficult, and in many places it is single lane traffic only.
SRI LANKA
TRANSPORT
- IOM has 70 trucks available for the transportation of reconstruction material. To book a transportation of material a 24-hour advance notice is required. The request form is available on the UNJLC website: http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/30878. Requests for non-shelter commodities can be met upon availability of transport.
- UNHCR has observed that there have been requests from field offices for additional relief commodities. In order to ensure as little duplication as possible of items distributed, UNHCR asks UN agencies and I/NGOs to disclose the lists of NFI's they intend to distribute.
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
- The highways Ministry has decided to expedite the construction of the Southern Expressway. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Highways met senior officials in charge of the project and directed them to take swift measures regarding problems holding up the construction. The 131 km Colombo-Matara expressway would be the longest expressway in Sri Lanka. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2006 and the full project, in 2008. At the discussion, the PM analyzed the progress of other expressway projects (Colombo-Kandy and Colombo-Katunayake) and the reconstruction and maintenance activities of the Road Development Authority. He also directed Ministry officials to expedite the long-term reconstruction of highways and bridges damaged by the tsunami disaster.
- The World Bank has pledged Rs 20 million for the improvement of the Colombo-Galle highway affected by the tsunami. The WB and the Ministry of Highways will sign agreements shortly to improve the 115 km highway which runs parallel to the southern coast. Under this project the Galle road will be resurfaced and modernized in order to facilitate faster and safer transport. The highway will also be expanded at certain points depending on the requirements.
09th MARCH, 2005
INDONESIA
LAND
- Banda Aceh - Lamno: TNI reports that the road between Banda Aceh and Lamno is open to vehicles up to 20MT, but advises that security clearance be sought from the TNI before travelling on this route.
- Calang: Recent reconnaissance missions South to Panga and North to Lageun have yielded information as to the status of the routes from Calang. The routes North and South can handle two-lane traffic on most of the coastal road from E 04°43'53.8" N 95°30'27.4" to E 04°32'32.4" N 95°43'02.0" with areas that are reduced to single-lane traffic, which in most cases are small timber bridges that have been recently replaced by the TNI. These bridges are Load Class Maximum 15MT. Bailey bridges are being constructed on the Coastal highway in Panga (E 04°32'32.4" N 95°43'02.0") and at E 04°41'25.8" N 95°31'45.5", but no completion date is known. Although the load class of the Bailey Bridges may be slightly higher, the route restriction will still be 15MT due to the by-passes, and some improvised timber bridges on the route. Details of current route logistics on the roads to the North and South of Calang as well as maps can be found at http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/31930.
- Calang - Teunom: Work is proceeding on damaged sections of the road between Teunom and Calang, which is carrying traffic on some sections. Several bridges have been by-passed on this section and replaced with Bailey Bridges.
- Teunom - Meulaboh: The old single-lane coastal road between Meulaboh and Teunom is open to 6x6 vehicles up to 5MT, but not suitable for 4x4 vehicles without a winch. The section between Meulaboh and Suak Timah is the existing Main Coastal Road and is open to heavy traffic. TNI is discouraging heavy traffic on this route, due to rapid deterioration of the road. Broken-down and stuck vehicles are the most common cause of delays. IFRC has made the trip from Meulaboh to Teunom in 12 hours and back from Teunom to Meulaboh in 7 hours. TNI is cutting a new road in areas where the road is too badly damaged to repair. Meulaboh_teunom road assessment http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/32039.
- Atlas Logistique has established a logistics base in Sigli, including trucks and warehousing, as of 1/3/05. Contact Sebastien: 0813 6023 2050 atlasindonesia@hotmail.fr.
- Please be informed that WFP Lhokseumawe sub-office phone is now operational. The number is: 064 565 3218.
- An IOM form for requesting overland cargo movement has been placed on the UNJLC website.
WAREHOUSING
- WFP has identified storage spaces in the area of Lhokseumawe. Among available options, space in Krueng Geukueh port is being reviewed as it offers about 400 square meters with plenty of open space available for rubbhalls to meet additional storage requirement. Storage space in Lhokseumawe city is also being considered as it offers substantial open space with good access.
- WFP Port warehousing in Malahayati (Aceh Besar) is being improved. An area for 6 wiikhalls has been cleared and 3 wiikhalls have been erected and filled so far.
- 10 additional WFP wiikhalls arrived in Banda Aceh in support of warehousing in Banda Aceh and the west coast.
- WFP has held meetings with the SATLAK (Implementing Units under the government's disaster management centre and POSKO). Positive discussions ensued. WFP's transparent and open coordination was praised. Measures are being established to monitor warehousing and distribution of relief supplies.
- COMPAS, Commodity Processing Analysis System, has been up and running to track the movements of commodities in Medan, Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and Jakarta. Further installment of COMPAS is planned in Lamno and Calang.
- Full details of the recent UNJLC survey of available warehouse space are available at the UNJLC website.
SRI LANKA
PORT STATUS
- Relief commodity containers are moving at a slow pace out of the Colombo Port. According to the Customs Director there are currently 250 containers at the port limiting the space for customs inspectors to examine the shipments. The lack of space has prompted the customs authorities at the port to look for a new examination location and an additional warehouse.
TRANSPORT
UNJLC has conducted a comprehensive assessment of the transport capacity in Sri Lanka. The following includes the summary of the assessment as well as recommendations:
- The main task of the assessment team was to analyze the capacity of the national transport fleet to cater for the three phases of recovery and the normal national transport requirements. The initial concept was to utilize the top down approach in the collection of data in order to produce a comprehensive assessment of the transport capabilities in Sri Lanka.
- Three critical factors will determine the requirement for transport in the rebuilding of Sri Lanka. They are timescale, materials and labor. In order to conduct a statistical assessment it is essential to know the tonnage to be moved and the timescale for repair and reconstruction. These two crucial factors are still not available. It is now generally accepted that the relief and reconstruction will take place over a minimum of three years.
- Individuals or very small companies with less than five trucks own the vast majority of the cargo transport fleet in this country. Without centralized records, it is almost impossible to quantify the national transport fleet. The present cost of transport is acceptable, however it is anticipated that prices will increase as demand for transport increases.
- The total vehicle population figures received from the Dept. of Transport are deemed to be unreliable. A government spokesman confirmed this fact.
- The damage to the road network caused by the recent tsunami was concentrated on the East, South and Northern coasts. Much of this damage has been repaired to allow traffic to flow again. Many of the repairs are of a temporary nature and require upgrading on a permanent basis.
- The general rail infrastructure is in serious need of rehabilitation. The problems faced by Sri Lanka Rail are many, including an insufficient number and poor performance of the rolling stock, decaying and weak rail track, an out-dated centralized traffic control and communications system and poor worker productivity.
- It is essential that maximum use be made of regional ports for the importation of building materials to cater for phases two and three of the National Rebuilding Plan. The concentration of all these goods into Colombo would possibly create a critical situation for the road and rail network due to the limited capacity of both networks. Road congestion and pollution are already at a critical level in Colombo.
- There is also no major problem with storage capacity. In the coastal regions where warehouses were not available rubbhalls and wiikhalls have or are being erected.
- The present road conditions and especially the temporary bridges in particular restrict the use of heavy lift vehicles. Serious consideration should be given to upgrading the roads and bridges prior to utilizing heavy vehicles during the reconstruction phase.
- Detailed analysis and planning is required by a Government Task Force to ensure adequate transport is available to support their Rebuilding Plan. Any shortfall of transport assets must be identified in time. The extended use of sea and rail to distribute cargo must also be considered.
- The age, mechanical condition and configuration of the national commercial transport fleet are matters for concern. The condition of these vehicles would not be acceptable in most European countries. However these vehicles are still operational. Direct donations of vehicles to the government should be considered to increase and modernize the transport fleet. Soft loans, tax incentives and other mechanisms could be introduced to encourage the private transport sector to update their vehicles and increase their fleet size.
- Generally, no shortage of transport was noted in the country. Approximately 50% of the cargo transport fleet was fully utilized prior to the tsunami. Since then the usage has only increased by a small percentage and there is still excess capacity. In conclusion, the slow response from Government and the absence of urgency to deal with the Tsunami damage may result in a prolonged recovery phase. It is generally accepted that the current transport fleet, with minor adjustments and natural replacements will be capable of supporting the National Rebuilding Plan.
03th MARCH, 2005
INDONESIA
ROUTING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
- Ideally, significant amounts of relief aid will remain sea routed thereby freeing up the land routes for the reconstruction effort. However, given the changeable sea conditions (seasonal), land-based delivery of relief aid has to be a viable alternative. The reverse situation also applies in case of road failure, whereby deliveries can still be carried out by sea if the routes and infrastructure for sea deliveries along the coast are well established. These modes of transports, if well resourced in terms of infrastructure, represent the most efficacious use of resources for all involved in the relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts.
- UNJLC has also been active in liaising between the GoI, TNI and donor agencies regarding bridging requirements for emergency road repairs. UNJLC's comprehensive assessment of the main road route Medan-Meulaboh-Banda Aceh indicates the total requirements. UNJLC hosted a meeting with donor country agencies on February 28 to assess donor capacity to fulfil this substantial infrastructural requirement. Effectively, bridging repairs on the Medan Meulaboh route will raise the freight capacity of the route to 20MT. Thereby throughput on this road will be increased to cater for the increased reconstruction cargo in the coming months while maintaining the current throughput associated with the relief effort. The section Meulaboh to Banda Aceh will likely remain as a '6-wheel' stretch given the complexity of the terrain and the number of bridges washed away, or, in poor condition.
LAND
- There was an incident which took place on 24 Feb at the Port of Belawan: the 10 WFP trucks missed a TNI escort convoy and decided to drive to Banda Aceh from Medan's Port Belawan on their own without escort. They were subsequently stopped at a TNI check point and inspected. The inspection and other delays resulted in the convoy being held up until the next day. The TNI advised that without TNI escort, check points are entitled to stop and inspect convoys for illegal goods and weapons.
Medan - Meulaboh - Banda Aceh Road
- The UNJLC's engineering officers have completed a comprehensive assessment of this route. The report presents estimated quantities of repair materials that would be required to open the road, not to restore the road to its pre-tsunami conditions. Complete details are available at http://www.unjlc.org/content/index.phtml/itemId/29527
Highlights include:
- Of the 90 bridges from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh, 37 have been destroyed while others have been damaged to various degrees.
- In this report UNJLC refers to the TNI system for sections of the road as outlined below. This report provides a description of the TNI repairs completed to date as per the section data below.
- The provincial border to Ujung Karang, Meulaboh (Ujung Karang is the port at Meulaboh) - 446 km.
- Ujung karang to Arongnan lambelek - 37 km is referred to as Sector IV of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Arongan Lambelek to Cot Trap - 22 km. This section is referred to as Sector III of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Cot Trap to Teunom - 7 km. This section is referred to as Sector II of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Teunom to Keudepanga (about 20 km to the south east Calang) - 17 km. This section is referred to as Sector I of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Keudepanga to Lageun - 34 km. This section is referred to as Satgas Marinir of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Lageun to Babah Nipah (about 10 km south of Lho Kruet) - 16 km. This section is referred to as Zipur 5 of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Babah Nipah to Lamno - 43 km. This section is referred to as Zipur 3 of the TNI project to repair or relocate west coast roads.
- Lamno to Banda Aceh - 82 km. This section is currently under repair and reconstruction by TNI with an expected open date of 26 March 2005.
- The road from Medan is passable by ten-wheel 20 ton trucks to Bakongan (about 335 km from Meulaboh) but from there to Meulaboh only six-wheel 8 ton trucks may be used. The constraint on higher loads is one bridge located between Bakongan and Rantau Sialang. The bridge is of 15 m span and 5.5 m width. If this bridge was repaired or replaced then 20 ton trucks would be able to travel from Medan to Meulaboh. It is recommended that the damaged 15 m span bridge between Bakongan and Rantau Sialang be strengthened or replaced to enable 20 ton trucks to cross, thus allowing greatly increased truck capacity from Medan to Meulaboh.
- TNI are confident that the road between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh will be open by March 26, 2005. Heavy equipment (4 x bulldozers and 4 x excavators) has been donated by Kuwait to assist TNI in meeting this deadline.
- In Calang the road North is open to Riba (approx 8 km north), where there is a bridge out, and to the south to Kreung Sabe (approx 7 km south), where there is a bridge out. TNI is currently working on the bridges and roads improvements.
- UNJLC will be focusing on collecting more detailed information on road conditions around major centers on the West coast. As an adjunct to this, hard copies of a satellite image road map of Meulaboh will be available at the Banda Aceh, Medan, Meulaboh and Jakarta UNJLC offices in the coming week.
- Due to road erosion, caused by heavy traffic, deliveries from Meulaboh to Arogan are slow, and to Teunom impossible. Meanwhile the road further north to Lhong is now open to limited truck traffic and the condition of this road continues to improve.