Picking up the pieces after the disaster

Inoke Bainimarama
With the National Disaster Council’s Technical Advisory Team (NDCTAT) now working on the transition from response to recovery in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands, the United Nations Resident Coordinator Richard Dictus, says for a good recovery phase to happen, there needs to be further in-depth assessments of the affected areas.

Site inspection... UNDP’s Richard Dictus inspecting the extent of the damage caused by the tsunami in Gizo.

Dictus is also the UN Humanitarian Coordinator responsible for the Solomon Islands and nine other Pacific islands countries,

“The next stage of the operation has to be targeted at the most vulnerable—those people who have lost everything—to make sure they can quickly get back to normal life,” Dictus says.

The earthquake struck at 7.40 am local time on April 2 (2007) with the tsunami that followed causing significant damage in Gizo, Simbo, Rannonga, Shortlands, Munda, Noro, Vella la Vella, Kolombangara and parts of the Southern coast of Choiseul.

Tasked to head the NDCTAT, Jane Wa’etara, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Planning and Aid Coordination, said: “Whilst we will be addressing specific areas for recovery, we would also be working on compiling data and some detailed assessment in certain sectors that would contribute to the rehabilitation phase.”

Assessment reports compiled before this edition went to press revealed that:

• 52 people confirmed dead (17 April 2007). An estimated 5000 people affected with 1500 people needing relief assistance. Many communities sheltered in the hills forming small informal camps.

For those affected, the consequences included damage or impact to water and sanitation, health, shelter, infrastructure, food and livelihoods, and psychological distress. 

• Aerial surveillance shows that the worst-affected areas are the southern coast of Gizo, Simbo Islands and the central southern coast of Choiseul between Moli and Posarae and Sasamungga
• The earthquake caused a number of geological changes. A report from Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources indicated that while coastal erosion was minimal in areas visited in Western Province, it was notable in Sasamungga in Choiseul Province.
It also confirms that there is an alteration (both in rise and drop) in sea level in many coastal regions.
• An assessment of affected areas found reefs in the mid-west, south-east and mid-east of Ranongga were uplifted. 
• Deaths of fish and other marine organisms were not due to chemical or biological poisoning.
• While there are no heavily populated urban areas in this part of the Solomon Islands, a range of infrastructure significant to the provision of services had been damaged.

Red Cross... ready to help.

The area around Gizo town receives little rain and relies on gravity fed water tanks. Most of these tanks and pipes associated with them were damaged.

This will be a longer term problem.  Gizo hospital also suffered damage and there is concern now about its appropriateness for use.  Roads and bridges have been affected and the landing craft ramp for loading and offloading boats was also damaged.

• In Choiseul, the hospital at Sasamungga has been totally destroyed but basic medical services continue to be provided.

The full picture of the consequences is still being clarified, though it is certain the mid-west coast suffered considerable damage. 

• The fear of further tsunamis is keeping people in the camps set up on the hills. For many of these people, their homes have been undamaged.

But until they return to them they must be catered for in relief provision. It will also be difficult to determine how many households are without homes and livelihoods until they return.

• Camp conditions are basic. Many do not yet have sufficient shelter and although latrines are being built, sanitation is still far from ideal. Cases of diarrhoea have been reported.
• With recent rain and a number of people still to have access to bed nets or situations in which they can be used effectively, conditions for the development of malaria are worrying. 

The Ministry of Health in Solomon Islands is highly aware of this and has taken a range of precautionary measures, including distribution of bed nets and sprays for the inside of tents.

• Fear of future tsunamis which is leading people to discuss rebuilding their houses in new areas.

This is likely to cause conflict with those who own land in higher areas. The presence of an ethnic minority population of Gilbertese should be monitored.

• The impact on the natural environment is yet to be determined. Communities in the region rely heavily on fish as a source of protein and livelihood.
Tourism is also a major revenue earner for this part of the Solomon Islands and is being affected by the disaster.
• Continuing aftershocks cause additional destabilisation of already weakened structures.
• Landslides caused by the earthquake, resulted in injuries and further damage to properties and gardens.

Dictus said the UN has seen tremendous cooperation from all partners and it was a privilege for the UN Disaster Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) team to work together with competent national and international colleagues as well as relief agencies.

At the end of the two-week emergency phase, which is standard in an UNDAC operation, team leader Joanne Laurence said they are very conscious of the extent of the damage and want to ensure islanders are well supported.

Recovery experts from the Suva’s UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are now stationed in Honiara with the NDMO to provide assistance and support during the transition period.

The UNDAC team include Winston Chang from UNOCHA Geneva, Sarah Stuart-Black from the Ministry of Civil Defense & Emergency Management New Zealand, Brett Cowcher from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Melbourne, Peter Muller from UNDP Suva, Antonio Massella from UNOCHA Papua New Guinea, Simon Genin, Siri Ounechay and Mathieu Frappier from Telecom Sans Frontiers.  

Wa’etara says the primary objective of the NDC TAT is the drafting of a Recovery Action Plan. 

“We are aware that data is one area that we need to consolidate and although there is a lot of information around, after our initial discussions we realised that some of the information available, might not be able to give us what we’re looking for because they’re being collated on a generic basis.”

The United Nations and other development agencies will continue to provide technical expertise and support.

“This is not easy as there are many technical issues that need to be looked at and therefore we do hope that over the next few months we will continue to work actively with our partners,” Dictus said.

• Inoke Bainimarama is UNDP’s Communications Associate.