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 In
India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, the final week of the
year was filled with ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of the
tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004, taking the lives of more
than 200,000 people and wiping out countless homes and communities.
Two years after the tsunami, recovery is far from complete, but
survivors continue to rebuild their lives and find hope in the wake
of tragedy.
Thanks to the generous response of our members and supporters, UUSC
and the UUA jointly raised more than $2 million to aid tsunami
survivors. We are working with our local program partners in
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India -- the last in cooperation
with the UUA’s Holdeen India Program -- to aid tsunami survivors who
are marginalized and therefore disadvantaged from getting relief and
assistance in reconstruction. These groups include Dalits in India,
war-torn communities in Aceh, Muslim widows in Sri Lanka, and
Burmese migrants in Thailand.
Aceh, Indonesia
On our last visit to Aceh, we saw new homes dotting what had been a
moonscape on previous visits. In fact, homes and communities are
being rebuilt up and down the coasts of all these countries so badly
hit by the tsunami.
However, as in all disasters, rebuilding happens much more quickly
for some than for others. On the northern coast of Aceh, where
relief efforts were hampered by the civil war until it ended in
August 2005, rebuilding is progressing much more slowly. Many people
were discouraged from returning to their communities because of the
war. UUSC partner Permata works with seven communities where
survivors insisted on returning to rebuild their homes, and now
almost two-thirds of their homes in these communities have been
rebuilt.
Women in Aceh have faced particular challenges since the tsunami,
challenges that are mirrored in other tsunami-affected countries. A
rise in domestic violence, especially in the displaced camps,
increased early marriage for girls, additional burdens on widows,
and fragmentation of communities have all added to women’s
vulnerability.
UUSC partners like Bungoeng Jeumpa, led by young women, work with
tsunami widows to help them claim inheritance and land rights so
that they can have a base from which to rebuild. UUSC is supporting
greater public discussion and action to help women survivors claim
their inheritance rights. We are privileged to accompany those who
are determined to protect human rights as a means to security,
dignity, and prosperity.
Civil war in Sri Lanka
Women survivors in Sri Lanka face the same challenges as their
counterparts in Aceh, but with the added complication of an ongoing
civil war. On the war-torn east coast of Sri Lanka where UUSC works
with our partner Sewalanka, thousands of people uprooted by the
tsunami were working hard to rebuild their lives when the civil war
there escalated in April 2006. The fighting and accompanying terror
has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths and the displacement over
310,000 civilians.
UUSC was working with Sewalanka in communities in Batticaloa and
Trincomalee to help marginalized groups -- including women --
rebuild their livelihoods. The fighting has now forced the tsunami
survivors to flee to new and hastily built displaced camps in safer
zones, leaving behind their hopes of rebuilding their lives in their
communities.
Sewalanka reports poor sanitary conditions in camps, inadequate
security, and lack of sufficient shelter. Women are particularly
vulnerable in these situations. In some communities where survivors
were able to resettle after the tsunami, they are receiving waves of
newly displaced or are once more fleeing to camps.
The rebuilding process in northeast Sri Lanka -- an area that was
profoundly affected by the tsunami -- is hindered by increased
unrest and violence. Aid agencies are unable to access certain areas
and the government is not allowing access for construction materials
for fear they will be used by the insurgency. The latest fighting
and the restriction of movement have added another layer to an
already complex humanitarian crisis.
Burmese migrants in Thailand
On the southwest coast of Thailand, where UUSC works with Burmese
migrants affected by the tsunami, the conflict that affects them is
more subtle. The Burmese are undocumented and were prevented by Thai
authorities from getting relief. Burmese workers were used in
reconstruction but were continually harassed and arrested by the
authorities, often enabling contractors to default on paying their
wages.
Burmese organizations run by Burmese refugees such as UUSC partner
Grassroots Human Rights Education reached out to the Burmese
migrants affected by the tsunami. However, the Burmese staff members
were frequently harassed and detained by the Thai police because
they did not have documents. UUSC helped them get documentation and
supported them in providing legal aid to undocumented migrants.
Focusing on human rights in times of crises, whether caused by war
or natural disaster — and especially when they occur in the same
place at the same time — is essential. In the rush to address
important immediate needs like shelter, food, and health care,
social structures that can influence who gets support and who gets
left out are often ignored. UUSC protects the human rights of the
most marginalized groups, enabling relief and aid to be distributed
more equally, and helping survivors to rebuild their homes and lives
with dignity.
For more information, visit
How your donations
are being used.
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