More than 40 families per sweltering tent reinforces the need for not only appropriate temporary shelters but for minimum standards in post-disaster relief efforts.

Date: March 18, 2005

BEHIND-THE-SCENES EFFORTS ENSURE APPROPRIATE RELIEF FOR TSUNAMI SURVIVORS

Cramped quarters - internally displaced people (IDPs) living in a sweltering tent with 40 other families. Idleness - sitting around, literally, all day with little to do, waiting. Grieving - over lost loved ones, lost property and the loss of providing for yourself and your family. Limits - on food, water, activities, places to get away to think or pray. Doubts - about ever getting your life back to normal; about ever coping with the vivid memories of that fateful morning. Constraints - imposed by others about where you will be allowed to rebuild your house and your life.

Such are just a few of the issues survivors of December 2004's tsunami must contemplate. Such are just a few of the issues facing Lutheran World Relief, LWR, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) responding to the unprecedented disaster. Such are just a few of the issues that require a deliberate and coordinated approach to the response.

One organization that is coordinating the global response of churches and their relief and development agencies is Action by Churches Together, ACT. Geneva-based ACT, for the first time in its history, has established a field coordination office in Jakarta , such is the scope of the work ahead of its member organizations in the coming years. With seasoned veterans of post-disaster relief and rebuilding efforts heading its coordination efforts, ACT's presence in Indonesia already is paying off.

"We've uncovered some issues with some of the local partners, and with at least one local church receiving funds from the ACT network," comments Sjord van Schooneveld. van Schooneveld traveled to Jakarta on January 4, 2005 to monitor the immediate activities of ACT members, while more permanent staff are being identified to replace him. "One of the common issues is getting small organizations who may not be aware of them to accept and adhere to globally accepted Sphere Standards," adds van Schooneveld. "Sphere Standards, were drafted to govern the activities of relief and development organizations, and expressly prohibit, for example, denying aid to any deserving group. A pastor in one church in Aceh Province in Sumatra wanted to extend assistance only to Christians in his village, and was so brash as to vocalize his intent. It was obvious that he was not aware of the code that governs relief activities, and when we informed him that this was against our operating guidelines, he quickly changed his stance," van Schooneveld continues.

ACT's presence also has paid off in re-directing inappropriately qualified personnel, as was the case with social workers sent by a European agency, but who were deemed inadequately equipped for the unique requirements of the psycho-social needs at hand in this specific situation. "They obviously were very qualified in their area of expertise," adds ACT's van Schooneveld, "but the fit just wasn't right for the needs at hand here."

ACT plans to maintain a coordinating office in Jakarta for as long as is needed," says Dr. Jaishree Makherjee, who is also working with ACT on evaluating and monitoring implementing partners in Indonesia . "Our funding partners," she continues, "the 146 churches and church agencies around the world that raise the funds to finance the implementation of our activities, will amount to over $40 million dollars, if the appeal we proposed to them is met, which we envision it will be," she adds. "There's a tremendous amount of evaluating, coordination and monitoring that is part of our activities" she concludes. "Our presence here is something ACT is committed to, not only to ensure that services are extended to those who are in the most need of them, but also for accountability to the individual and group donors around the world who support our funding partners."

One funding partner, Lutheran World Relief, LWR, was a founding member of ACT. LWR's president, Kathryn Wolford, just ended her service as chairwoman of ACT's Executive Board.

WHO IS LWR?

 

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