Bangkok--Feb 7--eTurbo news
The Maldives islands in the Indian Ocean are not getting all the urgent help they need to recover from the Tsunami, according to a United Nations representative. He gave a warning that the disaster is continuing because the plight of the island nation has faded from public attention and media coverage.
"It's the people on the poorest islands who have been affected. Their situation is an unfolding quiet disaster that requires an infusion of support to help get their livelihoods back on track as quickly as possible," said Moez Doraid, the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in the Maldives.
"The international community generally thinks the island paradise escaped harm because the death toll was low," he said.
"Yet ten per cent of the Maldives' inhabited islands were totally destroyed, no structures remain. One third of the population has been severely affected: their homes destroyed or seriously damaged or their food and water supplies cut" he said.
Mr Doraid explained that the poorest people among the population of 270,000 were the hardest hit. "Many of these people lost everything - houses, boats, fishing and the means to process their catches."
The Tsunami damage in the Maldives varied across the country's cluster of islands. There was severe flooding without the high waves experienced by other countries around the Indian Ocean. "On a positive note, the resort islands that play host the Maldives' tourism industry were spared serious damage and the majority are functioning as well as they have always done" said Mr Doraid.
However, the bookings for holidays are down for this time of the year which is a peak season and the resorts are struggling to reach profitability, which has a knock-on effect on the whole economy. The tourism industry makes up 33 per cent of GDP and over 80 per cent of government tax revenues.
The destruction on other islands that are home to Maldivian communities is a continuing cause for grave concern. "While donors have given some funds, basic efforts aimed at providing shelter and capital for people to regain their livelihoods are seriously under-funded" said Mr Doraid.
The Asian Development Bank recently concluded that in proportional terms, the national economy of the Maldives was one of the worst affected as a result of the Tsunami.
In a speech during a debate at the United Nations in New York, the Maldives' permanent representative to the UN, Mr Mohamed Latheef, said the level of destruction was unprecedented in the country's history. "What is often overlooked is the fact that the destruction caused to the Maldives is not localized to one area, but generalized to the entire nation, severely crippling the entire economy and socio-economic infrastructure," he said.
"In the tourism sector, out of the 87 resorts, 19 were damaged and have been closed down for repairs. However, 54 resorts are in full operation, and we are trying hard to prevent cancellations. Nonetheless, in the wake of the disaster, hotel occupancy rate has crashed to less than 30 percent compared to the full occupancy that is typical for this time of the year.
"But we hope that with 54 resorts in full service, and having prevented the outbreak of epidemics, and having successfully dealt with the emergency needs of relief, travellers will find that visiting the Maldives is in itself a major contribution to the country's recovery efforts."
Mr Latheef told the UN General Assembly that the Tsunami damage had plunged the Maldives economy into "deep disarray". He made a plea for pledges and promised aid to materialise. "According to preliminary assessments, the total economic cost to the country would be well over a billion dollars," he said.
A report that had just been issued by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had warned that the absolute poverty level in the Maldives could increase to more than 50 percent of its population as a result of the tsunami damage. "It is imperative that assistance is extended to the Maldives to ensure that we ward off a humanitarian crisis" said Mr Latheef.
"The response of the international community to the Secretary-General's Flash Appeal has been very positive. We are grateful for the help and support that has been extended to us already, and encouraged by the pledges that have been made by donor nations and agencies and international financial institutions."
Mr Latheef said the Maldives government supported moves to establish an early warning system for disasters in the Indian Ocean, but it was not enough. "We need ways to provide safety to our people. In this regard, we are embarking on a Safe Islands Programme, where displaced and exposed communities will be settled in larger and safer islands, with better natural protection, enhanced coastal defence against tidal surges, and greater economic prospects.
"It would make little sense to resettle displaced communities again in islands where there was little environmental security or economic prospect. The programme will usher in a new paradigm of national development, through reduction in unit costs, enhancement of economies of scale, and reinforcement of the environmental resilience. It would also result in a more rational and sustainable development."
"We assure the international community that the assistance we receive for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction will be put to good use to help the country bounce back to the pre-tsunami times," concluded Mr Latheef.
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