HWW Circular 1, January 2005
HWW Circular 1, January 2005
There have been many messages of sympathy and solidarity with people affected by the recent tsunami. HWW has decided to start an email list to circulate information that we receive from people in Asia. We would like to express our solidarity with all those affected and support them
in whatever way we can in rebuilding their lives.
In the UK, we will also start a fund for longer-term support for people affected. Any funds collected will go directly to organisations with whom we are in contact, who are either women’s organisations or directly in contact with people in the affected areas. All money collected will
be sent directly.
We have asked the bank to set up an account in the name: Homeworkers Worldwide Appeal. We are waiting for them to confirm this. Please do not send any cheques until this is confirmed. Jane is going to Tamilnadu on 10th January. If you wish to send a donation with her, please let us have cash or send a cheque in her name.
Tamilnadu, India
We have been in touch with Viji Srinivasan, from Adithi who in turn has been in touch with Mr Ramadass and others from the Read Foundation, based in Pudukkottai, Tamilnadu. Pudukkottai itself is not on the coast but is near the coast.
Members of the Read Foundation have been visiting affected areas and talking to people. We will send more detailed information when this is available. The first news we have is that people have lost everything and the immediate needs were for food, medicine and clothes. The things
that are needed are available locally and there is a big national relief effort underway. The most useful thing to take to Tamilnadu is money.
Sri Lanka
Ishani, who has been working with HWW in the UK, has been in constant touch with people in Sri Lanka when the phone connects. Her immediate family are all all right but everyone has people dead, missing or injured among their family or friends.
We have heard from Kala Peiris, of Siyath Foundation, who work with many rural women, particularly supporting them in the production of coir (coconut fibre) products. She wrote:
“Siyath has been badly hit in the last Tsunami disaster. Number of organizational members and their family members are dead and missing. Two big orders which were ready to be shipped on Monday are completely destroyed. Both the field offices are gone and not only the members from the villages the staff is also on the road.”
Siyath has been working with homebased workers for 18 years and they also wrote that whole villages are destroyed.
I have spoken also with Kumudhini Rosa, who works with GTZ, the German development agency, with rural women. She is fully occupied with relief work. She confirmed that most of the supplies needed are now available in Sri Lanka and the major effort is in distribution, hygience and shelter for people.
Indonesia
We have no direct contacts in Sumatra and you have probably all read or seen the news about the scale of the disaster there.
We have some information from NGOs in Indonesia. The latest information is below:
From: upc
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 11:21 AM
Subject: Latest news on Aceh and North Sumatra This is the latest conditions of Aceh and North Sumatera:
dead: 33.000
missing: 600
dead but have not been evacuated: 400
displaced persons : 150.000
All of the victims are widespread in 20 areas in Aceh:
1. Simeulue
2. Aceh Singkil
3. Aceh Selatan (South Aceh)
4. Aceh Tenggara (South-East ACeh)
5. Aceh Timur (East Aceh)
6. Aceh Tengah (middle Aceh)
7. Aceh Barat (west Aceh)
8. Aceh Besar (great aceh)
9. Pidie
10. Bireuen
11. Aceh utara (north Aceh)
12. ACeh Baratdaya (north-west Aceh)
13. Gayo Luas
14. Aceh Taming
15. Nagan Raya
16. Aceh Jaya
17. Banda Aceh
18. Kota Sabang
19. Kota lingsa
20. Lhokseumawe
and other places in north Sumatera.
Electricity isn't working in Aceh. Several areas such as Meulaboh (Aceh Utara)is isolated since the transportation access is cut off. Communication works only by cellular phone. Celluler phones with satelite connection are urgently needed.
Displaced persons are widspread in district Aceh Timur and district Aceh Utara (Lhokseumawe and Bireun). The condition of district persons are vulnerable of diseases. Doctors and nurses are needed. There are several NGO which are coordinating relief efforts.
UPC Jakarta and Urban Poor Linkage (UPLINK) Indonesia join Walhi (friends of the earth) Indonesia whose focal point is in Medan, North Sumatera (friends of the earth)
North Sumatera.
One of UPC's staff, M. Berkah Gamulya, is on the way to Aceh after coordinating with Walhi (friends of the earth) Medan. He will join with Forum LSM Aceh (Aceh's NGO forum)there.
UPLINK in 12 cities in Indonesia founds information center and collecting aid from urban poor communities in each cities.
Aid will be sent to Aceh directly from each cities. We will also conduct community praying for the victims in each cities. UPLINK will send 30 volunteers from urban communities to Aceh. They will be trained by Walhi (Friends of the Earth Jakarta) before departing. We cooperate with
Indonesia Airforce to distribute aid from Jakarta to Aceh.
Urban Poor linkage Jakarta, as the national secretariat of UPLINK, receive any form of aid to be distributed to Aceh and North Sumatera.
Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
Urban Poor Website: http://www.urbanpoor.or.id/
Jane Tate, January 1st 2005.
Homeworkers Worldwide
Email: hww@homeworkersww.org.uk or info@homeworkersww.org.uk
There have been many messages of sympathy and solidarity with people affected by the recent tsunami. HWW has decided to start an email list to circulate information that we receive from people in Asia. We would like to express our solidarity with all those affected and support them
in whatever way we can in rebuilding their lives.
In the UK, we will also start a fund for longer-term support for people affected. Any funds collected will go directly to organisations with whom we are in contact, who are either women’s organisations or directly in contact with people in the affected areas. All money collected will
be sent directly.
We have asked the bank to set up an account in the name: Homeworkers Worldwide Appeal. We are waiting for them to confirm this. Please do not send any cheques until this is confirmed. Jane is going to Tamilnadu on 10th January. If you wish to send a donation with her, please let us have cash or send a cheque in her name.
Tamilnadu, India
We have been in touch with Viji Srinivasan, from Adithi who in turn has been in touch with Mr Ramadass and others from the Read Foundation, based in Pudukkottai, Tamilnadu. Pudukkottai itself is not on the coast but is near the coast.
Members of the Read Foundation have been visiting affected areas and talking to people. We will send more detailed information when this is available. The first news we have is that people have lost everything and the immediate needs were for food, medicine and clothes. The things
that are needed are available locally and there is a big national relief effort underway. The most useful thing to take to Tamilnadu is money.
Sri Lanka
Ishani, who has been working with HWW in the UK, has been in constant touch with people in Sri Lanka when the phone connects. Her immediate family are all all right but everyone has people dead, missing or injured among their family or friends.
We have heard from Kala Peiris, of Siyath Foundation, who work with many rural women, particularly supporting them in the production of coir (coconut fibre) products. She wrote:
“Siyath has been badly hit in the last Tsunami disaster. Number of organizational members and their family members are dead and missing. Two big orders which were ready to be shipped on Monday are completely destroyed. Both the field offices are gone and not only the members from the villages the staff is also on the road.”
Siyath has been working with homebased workers for 18 years and they also wrote that whole villages are destroyed.
I have spoken also with Kumudhini Rosa, who works with GTZ, the German development agency, with rural women. She is fully occupied with relief work. She confirmed that most of the supplies needed are now available in Sri Lanka and the major effort is in distribution, hygience and shelter for people.
Indonesia
We have no direct contacts in Sumatra and you have probably all read or seen the news about the scale of the disaster there.
We have some information from NGOs in Indonesia. The latest information is below:
From: upc
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 11:21 AM
Subject: Latest news on Aceh and North Sumatra This is the latest conditions of Aceh and North Sumatera:
dead: 33.000
missing: 600
dead but have not been evacuated: 400
displaced persons : 150.000
All of the victims are widespread in 20 areas in Aceh:
1. Simeulue
2. Aceh Singkil
3. Aceh Selatan (South Aceh)
4. Aceh Tenggara (South-East ACeh)
5. Aceh Timur (East Aceh)
6. Aceh Tengah (middle Aceh)
7. Aceh Barat (west Aceh)
8. Aceh Besar (great aceh)
9. Pidie
10. Bireuen
11. Aceh utara (north Aceh)
12. ACeh Baratdaya (north-west Aceh)
13. Gayo Luas
14. Aceh Taming
15. Nagan Raya
16. Aceh Jaya
17. Banda Aceh
18. Kota Sabang
19. Kota lingsa
20. Lhokseumawe
and other places in north Sumatera.
Electricity isn't working in Aceh. Several areas such as Meulaboh (Aceh Utara)is isolated since the transportation access is cut off. Communication works only by cellular phone. Celluler phones with satelite connection are urgently needed.
Displaced persons are widspread in district Aceh Timur and district Aceh Utara (Lhokseumawe and Bireun). The condition of district persons are vulnerable of diseases. Doctors and nurses are needed. There are several NGO which are coordinating relief efforts.
UPC Jakarta and Urban Poor Linkage (UPLINK) Indonesia join Walhi (friends of the earth) Indonesia whose focal point is in Medan, North Sumatera (friends of the earth)
North Sumatera.
One of UPC's staff, M. Berkah Gamulya, is on the way to Aceh after coordinating with Walhi (friends of the earth) Medan. He will join with Forum LSM Aceh (Aceh's NGO forum)there.
UPLINK in 12 cities in Indonesia founds information center and collecting aid from urban poor communities in each cities.
Aid will be sent to Aceh directly from each cities. We will also conduct community praying for the victims in each cities. UPLINK will send 30 volunteers from urban communities to Aceh. They will be trained by Walhi (Friends of the Earth Jakarta) before departing. We cooperate with
Indonesia Airforce to distribute aid from Jakarta to Aceh.
Urban Poor linkage Jakarta, as the national secretariat of UPLINK, receive any form of aid to be distributed to Aceh and North Sumatera.
Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
Urban Poor Website: http://www.urbanpoor.or.id/
Jane Tate, January 1st 2005.
Homeworkers Worldwide
Email: hww@homeworkersww.org.uk or info@homeworkersww.org.uk
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