|
3
January 2005
UNHCR
on the ground with more personnel and airlifts on the way
The UN refugee
agency (UNHCR) is on the ground throughout much of the Tsunami-affected
region, where our staff are already distributing relief items.
In Sri Lanka,
UNHCR is the UN's largest operational agency, with a network of
offices throughout the island nation. We're closely coordinating
our efforts with the government and the aid community's overall
relief effort. In the last week UNHCR distributed supplies for 20,000
families in Sri Lanka through our network seven offices.
UNHCR, in coordination
with the Indonesian government and UN partner agencies, is mounting
a major response to the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake disaster
in Aceh Province.
We are currently
airlifting emergency shelter supplies for up to 100,000 people to
Indonesia. Among the items being airlifted from UNHCR's emergency
stockpiles in Denmark and Dubai are 3,500 lightweight tents, 20,000
kitchen sets, plastic sheeting for 20,000 families and 100,000 blankets
along with vital telecommunications equipment. UNHCR has also ordered
50,000 sleeping mats from producers in Indonesia, and more local
procurement is planned. Staff are already on the ground in Aceh,
and more personnel are being shifted from our other worldwide relief
operations, including from our operation in East Timor.
The global delivery
company DHL has offered UNHCR free transit warehousing in Jakarta,
while the express delivery firm TNT will provide the UN refugee
agency with enough trucks to more the 400 metric tons of arriving
aid from Medan airport to Banda Aceh in western Indonesia.
To date, the
UN refugee agency's estimated emergency needs in Sri Lanka are $7.9
million and $7.8 million in Indonesia.
Daily updates
are available at: www.unhcr.org/news
Any cash help
you can give will be most welcome. To make a cash donation online
by going now to: http://www.unhcr.org.uk/donate
Many thanks in advance for whatever you can do!
Peter Kessler
Spokesman/Senior External Affairs Officer
ENDS
UN
refugee agency media contacts in the tsunami-stricken region include:
SRI LANKA
UNHCR Colombo
+94 11 268 3968
Ms. Auravasi Patel: + 94.11.777.377.112
Press Officer Mr. Lyndon Jeffel: +94.11.777.260.825
Press Officer Ms. Vivian Tan: Sat phone: +8821.651.128.524
INDONESIA
UNHCR Jakarta / Aceh
Anita Restu / Robert Ashe / Stephane Jaquemet +62.21.391.2888 /
+62.21.391.2929
Fernando Del Mundo, mobile: +41.79.249.3461 or Mans Nyberg, mobile:
+46.76.888.2561
EAST / HORN
OF AFRICA
UNHCR (Nairobi/regional) - Kitty McKinsey +254.20.422.2750 or +254.
722.592.963 or Emmanuel Nyabera +254.20.423.2120 or +254.733.995.975.
|
