Posted on December 14, 2005

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Tsunami Victims Struggling With Loss of Income, Livelihoods, Survey Finds

Despite a massive relief effort that delivered aid to millions of people, almost a year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, families and individuals throughout the affected region are struggling with reductions in their household incomes and a loss of their livelihoods, a survey by the San Francisco-based Fritz Institute finds.

Recipient Perceptions of Aid Effectiveness: Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation in Tsunami Affected Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka found that 83 percent of affected families in Indonesia had experienced a decrease in their income of more than 50 percent, as had 59 percent and 47 percent of respondents in Sri Lanka and India, respectively. Moreover, the vast majority of affected families — 100 percent in Indonesia, 92 percent in India, and 78 percent in Sri Lanka — remain in temporary shelters or camps. Indonesia and Sri Lanka rated international nongovernmental organizations as first among providers of livelihood programs, and India ranked government slightly above the others. For shelter provision, recipients in Indonesia and Sri Lanka ranked international NGOs highest; the government and international and local NGOs were rated as adequate among Indian respondents. The agencies that ranked highest for service excellence were World Vision in Indonesia; Habitat for Humanity and the Sewalanka Foundation in Sri Lanka; and the government, World Vision, and Social Need Education and Human Awareness in India.

Survey respondents were also asked to rate their satisfaction with different categories of assistance delivered in the first forty-eight hours. Indonesian respondents reported low levels of satisfaction with food, water, clothing, and medical care, while in Sri Lanka respondents rated were generally satisfied with the assistance they received and rated food and medical care above average. In India, respondents reported above-average satisfaction with all services.

"The voice of impacted individuals continues to be an important source in gauging the effectiveness of relief providers and understanding the outstanding needs of aid recipients during the rehabilitative process," said Anisya Thomas, managing director of the Fritz Institute. "This study revealed distinct needs of communities, raised our attention to services not typically considered as top priority in relief planning, and called our attention to the importance of moving from donor-driven aid planning to practices that incorporate the needs of the beneficiaries in a significant way."

“Relief Recipients Say Life Is Far From Normal as One-Year Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Approaches.” Fritz Institute Press Release 12/06/05.

Primary Subject: Tsunami Relief
Secondary Subject(s): International Affairs/Development
Location(s): India, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Sri Lanka

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