'It will take an enormous, concentrated effort to rebuild homes and livelihoods in the affected areas of Banda Ache.'
--Jack Blanchette, director of appropriate construction technologies for Habitat for Humanity's Asia/Pacific office

'Angry Sea' Tales Saved Lives

Images from Indonesia

In every direction, the landscape won't sustain human life
With 105,162* people dead, 127,774* missing and almost half a million displaced, Indonesia suffered the greatest impact from the tsunami that crashed over homes, property and people. (*As of press time)

At the mercy of the waves, automobiles, boats and houses were so battered as to be almost unrecognizable. The loss of private property is beyond calculating; the clean-up will be massive and ongoing, and the environmental impact will be enormous. Survivors hardly know where to begin to move on.

As clean-up efforts continue, tsunami survivors must contend not only with the physical devastation, but also with the threat of disease.

And such "moving on" is not eased by the threat of disease. Standing water and flooded areas are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other insects, while the rainy season increases the danger of malaria and dengue. Despite living conditions that can become dangerous and unhealthy, many survivors find it hard to leave the places and the few people who are the only remnants of their former lives.

Despite the daunting road to recovery, Habitat for Humanity has already begun mending lives for the long-term by working with families and other partners to build houses and establish technical resource centers to empower people in their rebuilding efforts.

The world, Habitat reach out to help
A disaster is an event that takes people beyond their ability to cope. Despite their resilience, the people of Banda Aceh have been overwhelmed by a wave of destruction. The assistance of foreign military personnel and international nongovernmental organizations is necessary for the Indonesian survivors to have a chance to recover.

No Habitat for Humanity homes were lost to the tsunami, but the organization has joined many other groups to begin immediately rebuilding those homes that were destroyed. In light of almost half a million people who were displaced by the tsunami in Indonesia, Habitat's immediate plans have included using donated or discounted materials to build transitional steel housing in centers for displaced families--housing that could be dismantled for reuse once the families can return to their own land.

In longer-term plans, Habitat in Indonesia hopes to establish four disaster response technical centers on the island of Sumatra. These would support thousands of families by providing technical expertise and assistance in building new homes.