This report gives a financial overview of the Oxfam International Tsunami Fund, notes on practical accountability, details of our efforts in the tsunami-affected countries where we work, and key findings in the evaluation and learning about our tsunami response program. Overall we are on track to spend the funds entrusted to us by the public in the way we said we would, within the timeframe we outlined, and largely to the standards we set for ourselves. Oxfam is committed to monitoring its programs to ensure that they are achieving agreed objectives and adapting to changing needs and contexts, writes Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director, Oxfam International, December 2006 at http://www.oxfam.org/.
Click here to download the report.
Forwarded by Mike Theis 201206.

Foreword

From the earliest reports of the terrible devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami on 26 December 2004, it was clear to humanitarian organizations like Oxfam that we would be required to provide emergency response and reconstruction on an unprecedented scale.

The total death toll of 230,000 people told only part of the story. Nearly two million people were forced from their homes. Millions, too, saw their livelihoods wiped out or threatened. Many of those affected were already living in poverty. The people of Aceh, Sri Lanka and Somalia had endured fierce conflict for decades and many of those lived on the margins, making them all the more vulnerable to this catastrophe.

The tsunami caused a hugely complex humanitarian crisis and, nearly two years on, many tough challenges remain: 70% of tsunami-affected people in India are still living in temporary shelter; tens of thousands of survivors in Sri Lanka are being denied help because of renewed conflict; thousands of Acehnese who rented their homes before the tsunami are not entitled to new houses under government regulations; too many people living in temporary shelter do not have access to safe water or health services.  There is still much work to be done, in often difficult conditions.

Despite these and other challenges, it is clear that Oxfam and its partners have made, and continue to make, a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives. Since the tsunami struck, we have assisted an estimated 1.8 million people. Hundreds of thousands of tsunami survivors now have access to safe water and sanitation facilities, or once again have a sustainable livelihood.

We have also worked to strengthen civil society, especially in Aceh, where it was relatively weak. We have worked with communities to improve the status of women and give them a greater say in decisions that affect them. We continue to advocate with the authorities and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to ensure that the rights of vulnerable people are respected. Wherever possible, Oxfam supports the poorest, most marginalized and most vulnerable people, and involves communities in the design and implementation of its programs.

Oxfam’s tsunami response will last four years, but as a result of the differing needs in tsunami-affected communities, we have already concluded some programs. This includes all our work in the Maldives, where we spent some $873,000 on water and sanitation activities, and with some communities in Somalia and on the eastern coast of Aceh. Oxfam seeks to close completed programs in a responsible and sustainable
way, in close consultation with affected communities, local authorities and partners.

Like other humanitarian agencies, we have been legitimately criticized for some of our tsunami programs. Coordination with other agencies and internally could have been better, though this has improved significantly in the second year of the response. Some of the early houses we built in Aceh, in consultation with communities, are now deemed to be not up to standard, largely as a result of new design benchmarks. We are currently in the process of refitting more than 400 houses to bring them up to the new requirements. In March 2006, Oxfam announced a lapse in financial control that led to action being
taken against a number of staff. Although the losses proved to be relatively small, we believe that the huge levels of public trust and support demand that NGOs be very frank in disclosing mistakes and explaining how they have been addressed. Oxfam won widespread support for this heightened level of accountability.

International evaluations of the response, and Oxfam’s own independent internal reviews, have pointed to areas where work in tsunami-affected countries should improve. They also indicate where there are lessons for future disasters, such as accountability to survivors, building local capacity and ensuring that human rights standards are met throughout a humanitarian response.

The media and others have made much of the slow pace of reconstruction, and there is no doubt that mistakes have been made. Yet in view of the complex task that governments, communities and humanitarian agencies faced in the aftermath of the disaster, including rebuilding more than 500,000 homes, a tremendous amount has been achieved in two years. This report outlines Oxfam’s many achievements, the challenges we faced and the sometimes painful lessons we have learned.

Overall we are on track to spend the funds entrusted to us by the public in the way we said we would, within the timeframe we outlined, and largely to the standards we set for ourselves. This is a real tribute to the women and men who have worked as part of Oxfam’s tsunami response, and to our partners and collaborators who continue to implement the programs long after they have disappeared from regular media view.

Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director, Oxfam International
Date of original publication: December 2006

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment!