Disease and housing biggest long-term problems

AID agencies and governments were yesterday coming to terms with the long-term consequences of the devastating tidal waves which have killed thousands in Asia.

Rescue efforts are being replaced by a massive humanitarian drive to provide for millions made homeless across the region.

Thousands of people are being put up in schools, churches and community centres and over the next few days and weeks, aid agencies and governments will have to ensure people are fed and have access to clean water.

As people attempt to rebuild their lives, help will have to be provided for the reconstruction of homes, businesses and the local infrastructure.

Andrew Sundersing, relief director for World Vision in Sri Lanka, said: “The first concern is waterborne diseases.

“Then there are thousands of people who don’t have homes and need to build them. In the long term, we need to ensure people have permanent structures to live in.”

Oxfam is sending flood experts from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka, one of the countries worst hit.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: “There are a lot of dead bodies lying around and as they start decomposing, the water can easily be contaminated.

“If there isn’t clean drinking water, the very young and very old in particular can be at risk from diarrhoea and cholera.”

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies sent enough medicine to treat 2,000 cases of diarrhoeal disease in relief supplies that left Denmark for Sri Lanka yesterday.

In the longer term, the focus will be on rebuilding homes and lives.

Jayath Vincent, communications manager for World Vision in Chennai (formerly Madras), India, said: “I took a walk down to the beach today, and saw people coming back to pick up what’s left of their lives.

“The beach at Chennai is a well-known picnic spot, and there are lots of family shops and kiosks ... livelihoods for the poor people around that area.

“I saw a merry-go-round which had been tipped over and the family who owned it were trying to salvage what they could.

“Long-term issues will centre on people having to rebuild their houses and the loss of livelihoods, especially fishermen whose boats and nets have been washed away.

British Red Cross chief executive Nick Young said rebuilding was as necessary as short-term relief.

“The emergency response includes medium-term rebuilding and restructuring.

“If that isn’t done, we’re only going to have another disaster a few months down the line.”

He also warned that existing conflicts in Sri Lanka and Indonesia were going to make rebuilding harder.

“Conflict areas tend to be areas which are more needy, where basic health care and basic structures don’t work, and where access is difficult. “I think this is will be with us for a long time,” he said.