Tsunami Relief: Challenges and Opportunities

This speech was given by the Comptroller General before an International Conference on Managing Tsunami Relief Funds in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 25, 2005. The reason we're here today is because of one of the worst natural disasters in modern times. The earthquake and tsunami that struck on December 26 affected not just a single city or a single province but an entire region, from Indonesia to India and from Sri Lanka to Somalia. So far, nearly 300,000 people are either dead or missing, and we'll probably never know the final number. Another million or more people are believed to be homeless. To put things into perspective, the deadly tidal waves produced by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 are estimated to have killed fewer than 40,000 people. The real issue for this conference is where do we go from here. In my view, the ongoing tsunami relief efforts present national governments, relief organizations, and the international community--including supreme audit institutions--with both challenges and opportunities. Clearly, the main challenges are to deliver the relief aid to its intended recipients, to reconstruct roads, bridges, and other life-sustaining infrastructure, and to assure donors that their money has been well spent. The U.S. government has provided help both in the form of cash pledges and the rapid deployments of U.S. military forces and equipment immediately after the disaster. During a six-week stint, the U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy provided medical assistance to thousands of sick and injured people. At about the same time, the carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, also known as the "grey angel," was sent to the northwestern coast of Sumatra to deliver food, water, and other aid to some of the worst stricken areas. Helicopter crews flew more than 1,700 missions to deliver relief up and down the island. Understandably, much of the tsunami relief so far has targeted the most urgent problems. Right now, aid workers are focused on assessing and repairing damaged buildings and infrastructure, addressing shortages of basic necessities, and combating illness and disease. But the tsunami also produced a number of long-term challenges that must be addressed. For example, some of the heaviest damage occurred at coastal fishing villages. Their residents are among the poorest in the region. With their boats and other equipment destroyed, many of them have no way to earn a living. We're going to have to help get these folks get back on their feet so that they can support themselves and their families. After all, idle hands and minds can also be a source of discontent and instability. We're also going to need to address the tsunami's enormous environmental impact. The surge of saltwater damaged fragile ecosystems, poisoned wells and fields, and destroyed sewage treatment plants. Reversing this damage will take time and money. Partnering for progress across institutional and geographic lines will be essential to better leverage resources that, while significant, are not unlimited. New alliances will be essential to achieving lasting and positive results.