Tsunami Aid Not Going Where It's Needed: Survivors

Tsunami aid not going where it's needed, say survivors

BANGKOK: -- Villagers in Thailand's Andaman region who survived last month's tsunamis today criticized government operations for failing to provide assistance where it was needed.

Speaking at a meeting organized by the Thailand Health Fund and the Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI), villagers spoke of piecemeal assistance and poor coordination between relief agencies.

Typical of the complaints was the observation from Mr. Maitri Jongklaichak, a member of the Baan Nam Khem administrative organization in the country's southern resort province of Phang-nga, that the temporary accommodation being built 4-5 kilometres from the coastline is unsuitable for communities which drew their livelihood from fishing.

"There are 70-80 organizations providing relief work. It's too many. Some days villagers have to fill in four or five different forms. We don't know which are genuine and which are fake", he said.

"What 95 percent of villagers want is for new houses to be built in their original locations near the sea. We're not afraid of waves, but we are afraid of being unable to return to our livelihoods".

The government also came under attack for rushing through with development plans while failing to ensure the participation of local people, with CODI president Somsuk Bunyabancha noting that villagers were rarely being asked what their requirements were.

As a result, assistance was not reaching the places where they were needed, she said.

"There's no need for anyone to have to think for the villagers", she said.

"We need to ask them to ensure their participation," she added.

--TNA 2005-01-20