Tsunami two years on – a great deal achieved but more to be done says Oxfam

Emergencies, Media Releases article written on the 25 Dec 2006

Two years on from the tsunami, international aid agency Oxfam is helping 1.2 million people affected by the disaster.
Oxfam has spent $290m, 95 per cent of the $305m it has received to date, on its tsunami aid work. Over a third of the money has been spent helping people earn a living again; a fifth on public health, water and sanitation; and almost 16 per cent on housing.
Almost 40 per cent of the money has been spent in Indonesia, the country hit hardest by the tsunami. A third was spent in Sri Lanka and over a fifth (22%) in India. The rest of the money was spent in Somalia, the Maldives, Burma and Thailand.
Andrew Hewett, Oxfam Australia’s Executive Director, said: "Great strides have been made over the last two years – lives were saved, hundreds of thousands of tsunami survivors now have access to safe water and sanitation and can once again earn a living. But there is still much work to be done and no one can be satisfied until all those affected are back on their feet, earning a living and living in decent homes."
One of the major challenges to rebuilding homes in Indonesia has been re-establishing land ownership and rights, while in Sri Lanka the escalating conflict has severely hampered the reconstruction efforts in the north and east of the country.
More than 230,000 people were killed by the tsunami, nearly two million people were forced from their homes, and millions saw their livelihoods wiped out.
Media Enquiries:  Marlene McIntyre +61 (0)407 515 559

For more information about Oxfam Australia’s response to the tsunami:
http://www.oxfam.org.au/world/emergencies/asia_tsunami.html