Asia Tsunami 2004: The Challenges of Disabled Survivors
Photo: Seattle Times
A Special Disability News Ticker feature
On December 26th, 2004 14 countries felt direct effects from an earthquake that took place far below the surface of the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunamis which came ashore have killed, injured and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in these countries.
There were many people with a disability who survived this catastrophe or were unfortunately part of the staggering death toll in these countries where tsunamis came ashore. In addition, for those living with a disability, the already challenging circumstances in which these people live in some areas has just been multiplied by one hundred times.
World Vision Tsunami Response Update – May 5th, 2005 Reuters (INDONESIA) - May 5, 2005:
World Vision has been meeting with local health authorities to explore how our child-focused programming might meet the needs of disabled children in the community.
UNICEF to support US $90 million in rebuilding tsunami affected schools iNewsWire (INTERNATIONAL) - May 4, 2005:
In rebuilding the schools, the Ministry of National Education, UNICEF and the United Nations Office for Project Services ( UNOPS ), as the operational partner, will use and apply a “child friendly” school design with the perspective of “education for all”. Disabled children, for example, will have access to all parts of the school easily.
Tsunami amputees face ordeal StarTribune.com (INDONESIA) - May 1, 2005:
Three months later, much of what the doctors feared has come true. Zaini, bereft and lonely in a friend's house, spends his days mostly indoors. A fisherman all his life, he now gets around by pushing himself along the floor. Navigating to the outdoor toilet and the well for bathing is excruciating on his new crutches.
Of the survivors of the tsunami in Indonesia, amputees face singular hardships. Unlike many developing countries, Indonesia has few facilities that produce artificial limbs. Those it has make old-fashioned expensive prostheses that do not meet international standards, foreign specialists who have tried to help the tsunami amputees said.
"Everything related to disability in the country is behind," said Thierry Agagliate, director of Handicap International, a nongovernmental group that has worked in Aceh since the tsunami. "This must be the only major country without these facilities."
Doctor, wife headed to Sri Lanka to provide care for tsunami victims Missoulian (USA - SRI LANKA) - Apr 22, 2005:
The medical team will visit hospitals in two cities in Sri Lanka, leaving May 28 and returning in mid-June. Browne and his team will perform surgery on victims of the devastating wave. But more importantly, they also will teach the few surgeons trained in orthopedics in hospitals in the two largest cities in Sri Lanka, Colombo and Jaffna, how to use implantable devices to help injured and disabled people regain control over their lives.
Actions undertaken by the Commission in response to the tsunami ReliefWeb (SRI LANKA) - Apr 15, 2005:
Humanitarian assistance to 150,000 families to restore their livelihoods in the fishing and agriculture sectors; mobile health clinics; psychological support; and specific medical treatment for the disabled.
National Council on Disability Calls for Immediate Changes in Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities USNewsWire (USA) - Apr 15, 2005:
The homeland security terrorist event of September 11, 2001, as well as the recent energy blackouts in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest and, more recently, the natural disaster hurricane events in Florida and the tsunami event of December 26, 2004, underscore the need to pay attention to the concerns raised in this report," Frieden concluded.
ILO Jakarta special edition on Indonesia earthquake and tsunamis ReliefWeb (INDONESIA) - Apr 5, 2005:
Overall, the ILO has identified seven major areas in which to support, in an immediate and practical way, the recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Aceh. These are inter-related "entry projects" focusing on restoring the livelihood of families through gainful employment and other income generating activities, and on reducing the vulnerabilities of women, children, youth, and disabled persons within an already vulnerable population of displaced communities.
KLM staff to build center for disabled children in North Sumatra Travel Daily News (INDONESIA) - Mar 31, 2005:
KLM staff will be helping to build a center for disabled children in Medan (North Sumatra) as soon as possible. The center will serve as an established orphanage, providing temporary refuge to disabled children from areas in Banda Aceh affected by the tsunami and acting as a training center for nurses and physiotherapists. The center will act as base for providing care throughout North Sumatra and offering assistance to disabled children from the regions struck by the tsunami.
DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE Raises $18.6 Million In Tsunami Aid Canada NewsWire (CANADA - SOUTH ASIA) - Mar 29, 2005:
Beneficiaries include the elderly, the disabled, traumatized children and
young people, the homeless, and those who have lost their means of earning a
living.
RELIEF MEASURES FOR SOCIALLY BACKWARD PEOPLE IN TSUNAMI HIT AREAS Press Information Bureau (INDIA) - Mar 21, 2005:
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has taken up special relief and rehabilitation measures for persons including inter-alia persons who are socially backward, elderly, disabled, children & women in Tsunami affected areas. A total of 1981 aids and appliances have been distributed to the persons with disabilities in Southern India of which 900 aids & appliances have been distributed in Tamil Nadu. More than 200 aids & appliances have been distributed to persons with disabilities in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
They also got relief Sunday Observer (SRI LANKA) - Mar , 2005:
In addition to this 55,000 workers have become either partly or fully disabled. This group has been categorized by the ILO as a vulnerable group that needed continuous support to uphold their livelihood, he pointed out.
Pupils' choice raises charity cash Epping Forest Guardian (UK - SRI LANKA) - Mar 19, 2005:
The school has linked up with an organisation in Sri Lanka which is enlarging a children's home to take another 50 orphaned children as well as re-equipping a school for disabled children.
Handicap-International - Handicap-International's emergency relief program includes: "Reinforcing the capacities of our local partners, by giving priority of access to services and support to vulnerable populations (disabled people, pregnant women, elderly, orphans, etc.)" This is the first group that I have come across that seems to deal with people with a disability as a primary goal.
AidLankaKids.org - The tragic tsunami disaster created more than 12,000 orphans in Sri Lanka. Many of them have sustained injuries that will leave them with life-long disabilities. Aid Lanka Kids' mission is to build permanent orphanages in Colombo, Galle and Batticoloa. The new infrastructure will offer enduring, professional health care to support the physical and mental well-being of these children.
Unicef - Early reports indicate that approximately one third of the victims of this tragedy are children. Unicef is an organization which will aim to care for the surviving children, many of whom have been orphaned by the loss of their parents or entire family. Children with a disability or those who have sustained a disability from the tsunamis will benefit from the work that Unicef will be doing in the coming weeks and months.
TsunamiHelp.BlogSpot.com - This is an impressive blog that was mobilized immediately after the disaster took place. This blog is being constantly updated with help line phone numbers, links to aid agencies that are helping which you can donate to and also statistics tracking the grim number of lives these tsunamis have claimed.
Help Tsunami Victims - A good page of links to regional groups in your area that you can get in touch with to donate money to.
Tsunami Relief - Google - A page of links to groups that you can make donations to which will help the people in the affected regions.
Asia Tsunami 2004: The Challenges of Disabled Survivors
