Situation Update
ACT Alliance Response to the Samoa Tsunami
October 7, 2009
Country situation - Samoa
On the morning of September 29, a 5m-high tsunami hit Samoa, killing 137 people in Samoa, with two people still missing. A total of 20 villages are completely destroyed, leaving 3500 people without homes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. The Government of Samoa has indicated a move from relief to early recovery planning. The UN says that early recovery efforts are likely to include health, water and sanitation infrastructure psychological support and agriculture and fishing. The tsunami also hit American Samoa and parts of Tonga.
In some areas, the tsunami travelled 200m inland, destroying houses and property, gardens and fresh water supplies. Most houses made of non-permanent materials and a high percentage of houses made of permanent materials, as well as infrastructure in the villages were destroyed. Trees and the natural environment were flattened. Many families took shelter on higher ground or under temporary tarpaulin.
ACT International member response
Churches associated with ACT International member the Samoan Council of Churches (SCC), have provided extensive and invaluable support to the survivors of the tsunami. Being part of the fabric of Samoan society, churches have been mobilising funds for communities through a radio-athon which has raised over $600,000 from local businesses and individuals, advocating for survivors' rights, and organizing small-scale collections of clothes and money for affected families. SCC is also providing much-needed solidarity and support for affected families through their nine member churches with a constituency of 135,000 people.
Two representatives of the National Council of Churches have been participating in the National Disaster Committee which comprises the Prime Minister, government ministers, NGOs, UN and business leaders. SCC has lobbied for accountability in ensuring that donations and aid are distributed appropriately and to the most needy.
The SCC, as an ecumenical church body, rather than a humanitarian NGO, has strong influence in ecumenical circles and is directly engaging government to support the rights of the affected. It is mobilising the collection of local material aid and donations for affected families, and local volunteers through the churches. Pastors in the churches have been providing counselling to families and organising memorial/burial services for victims. At the same time, the SCC has less capacity and experience for carrying out humanitarian relief operations on the ground. So it is focusing on its strengths.
ACT International response
Australia's ABC television channel reports that the Australian and New Zealand governments and international aid agencies have rushed tonnes of food aid, fresh drinking water and temporary shelters to the devastated islands. The rescue effort now turns into a recovery operation. Fairfax Media New Zealand reports that New Zealanders have rushed to aid Samoa, offering money, resources and volunteer time. Other media report that emergency appeals for tsunami relief have been well-subscribed in many countries. Reliefweb reports that neighbouring countries have assisted in reconnaissance and cleaning of affected areas, repairing damaged buildings, and restoring water supply to affected areas. Financial aid is being facilitated by concerned governments.
After visits were made to Samoa and the SCC, ACT members have chosen not to request a coordinated appeal, at least at this time. Rather, members are advocating to ensure that resources are also available for the recovery and rebuilding process ahead, along with greater investment in community-based disaster risk reduction activities.
The media in Samoa has been critical of the shortcomings of disaster preparedness and response activities. This is an issue being reflected upon already by the affected communities and their leaders at the village level, and by the SCC and its member churches. ACT members around the region are exploring how to draw on the learning from this emergency to strengthen the capacity of the alliance through the local church councils and their member churches for further community-based risk reduction and preparedness and through strengthened regional cooperation. Although disaster risk reduction programmes are not the churches' primary mandate, local leaders play a fundamental role strengthening communities' ability to cope with disaster. The church is at the heart of the communities, and the ACT alliance is ready to support them.
Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently called on member states to use disaster risk reduction for climate change adaptation. He championed disaster risk reduction as a core element of climate change adaptation, and urged governments to give high priority to implementing disaster risk reduction measures.
Disaster risk reduction measures were already helping lower the impact of natural hazards. For example, mangrove planting in Vietnam, and Chinese investment in flood control, have saved lives and avoided significant economic losses.
The Pacific Council of Churches this year released a document, the Moana Declaration, calling for resettlement measures of Pacific people whose lands are becoming inundated by rising sea levels.
ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Survivors collect food from an Indonesian military helicopter in Toboh Ketek in the Padang Pariaman district, a week after a powerful earthquake hit Padang, in Indonesia's West Sumatra province, October 8, ...
