NZAID

NZAID's bilateral programme in Indonesia and relief, reconstruction, and development work in Aceh and Nias

The response to the Asian Tsunami has now moved from the relief phase to a longer term reconstruction and rehabilitation effort. Four years on this work continues with a focus for NZAID solely on Aceh and Nias in Indonesia.


The Indonesian Government estimates that the tsunami caused damage in Indonesia in excess of US$4.5 billion. Approximately 680,000 people were displaced or lost their homes. More than 160,000 people lost their lives, with at least 30,000 still listed as missing. As many as 560,000 people were left without employment or livelihoods.


In addition to the extreme hardships caused by the earthquakes and tsunami, Aceh had endured more than 30 years of recurrent civil conflict between the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka/GAM) and the Government of Indonesia. This had seriously hampered development efforts. Nias was also relatively underdeveloped; a situation accentuated by its isolation.


The Indonesia Official Development Assistance Programme

  • The Indonesia programme is NZAID’s largest bilateral programme in Southeast Asia. The annual allocation is $14 million in 2008/09.

  • The Indonesia programme is targeted largely to the eastern islands and gives priority to basic education, sustainable rural livelihoods, conflict prevention and peace-building, and governance, in accordance with the agreed bilateral strategy. As a result of the Boxing Day Tsunami, a new programme was developed to support the Aceh/Nias reconstruction plan.

  • NZAID works closely with the Indonesian Government to ensure its programmes are aligned with national development priorities and strategies. NZAID programmes are delivered in close cooperation with national and sub-national government agencies.

  • Support to Indonesia has also been provided from outside NZAID’s bilateral programme, through humanitarian, regional, and NGO programmes, the NZ ODA Government Agencies Contestable Fund, and the Asia Development Assistance Facility (ADAF).


Relief and Reconstruction Programme - Aceh/Nias 2004 onwards

  • Following the earthquake and tsunami in December 2004 and the earthquake in Nias in early 2005, assistance for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh and later Nias was approved by the New Zealand Government, totalling $20 million over five years.

  • The key elements of the NZAID strategy were to work in accordance with the Government of Indonesia’s reconstruction plan in identified priority sectors, preferably with existing, proven partners to deliver effective development to the affected regions.

  • In addition to this $20 million bilateral commitment, NZAID provided a further $20 million for tsunami relief in Asia under non-bilateral programmes (funding to New Zealand NGOs and untied support via the United Nations system). Much of this was spent in Indonesia.

  • Total NZAID expenditure on Indonesia in the five years from July 2002 was $63 million (over $53 million of this bilateral).

  • Immediate NZAID funded responses to the Boxing Day Tsunami in Aceh included:

    • The International Labour Organisation designed and ran reconstruction skills training, assisted women to generate income, and provided capacity strengthening for vocational training ($0.5 million NZAID contribution).

    • The International Organisation for Migration funded housing rehabilitation, and a women’s counter-trafficking programme ($2 million NZAID contribution).

    • The Aceh Police funding supplied training, motorcycles, typewriters and houses to the police. Training continued through to 2008 ($0.2 million NZAID contribution).

    • Technical assistance in natural hazards management: New Zealand hazards specialists worked with the World Bank to map hazard ‘hot spots’, and to train engineers and contractors. A forestry specialist assisted NGOs with the importation of timber ($0.3 million NZAID contribution).

    • SurfAid International helped to deliver emergency supplies and provide medical treatment into remote areas by helicopters after the Nias earthquake ($0.25 million NZAID contribution).

    • UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund) assisted local government to provide full and comprehensive information on demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of the population in Nangore Aceh Darurssalam (NAD). This was aimed at ensuring effective planning and implementation of reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. There were concerns for the safety of a significant numbers of teenage girls who were now heading households ($1.4 million NZAID contribution).

    • The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided support to NGOs to re-establish their offices through a Community Recovery Programme ($0.59 million NZAID contribution).

  • NZAID’s ongoing engagements in Aceh include commitments to:

    • The Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias over four financial years from 2005/06. This fund is managed by the Government of Indonesia and the World Bank. The Multi-Donor Fund supports the reconstruction programmes of the Bureau of Recovery and Reconstruction (BRR) (NZ$12 million NZAID contribution).

    • SurfAid International, an NGO formed by a New Zealand doctor for a community health programme on Nias. SurfAid aims to improve the health of vulnerable coastal communities and reduce child mortality by 30 percent within five years, through improving clean water availability, hygiene and sanitation, and nutrition, reducing malaria, and improving health services ($2 million NZAID contribution). Further support is under consideration at present.

    • Further support to International Labour Organization for livelihoods work and capacity strengthening ($0.6 million NZAID contribution)

    • Head of Mission Funds enabled the Indonesian Institute for Disaster Preparedness to develop a coordinated disaster management plan in Nias.

  • NZAID also made a $50,000 contribution towards the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC) in 2006. This learning and accountability initiative aimed to promote a sector-wide approach to evaluating the tsunami response in order to optimise learning, develop longer-term evaluation procedures and improve public understanding of what was achieved with tsunami donations. Membership included United Nations agencies, donors, NGOs and the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement.

 

Page Last Reviewed: 23 December, 2008

Document URL: http://www.nzaid.govt.nz/asia-tsunami/aceh-and-nias.html