February Recovery Highlights

Feb. 28th

During the time period of December 28 - February 28th, OB Indonesia medical and relief teams:

• Treated 41,215 tsunami survivors
• Gave 1,300 patients minor surgery
• Distributed 52,752 family relief packages and 29,250 personal packages

Feb. 21st

Indonesia: Medical teams on the Batavia ship have helped 707 patients along the water ways of Aceh Jaya. The ship has also distributed thousands of emergency relief boxes and food items including apples, noodles, coffee, sugar, biscuits and milk.

OB has trucked in thousands of boxes of clothing and food items including rice, noodles, sardines, cooking oil and sugar to survivors living in Aceh Barat.

January 17 - February 7th, medical teams from OB Indonesia treated 6,964 patients in the Cut Nyak Dhien Hospital in West Aceh.

January 7 - February 4th, OB Indonesia's mobile clinic gave medical aid to 3,246 patients in West Aceh as well as provided counseling services to 120 parents and 73 children.

Feb. 6th

Indonesia: Mobile medical missions and stationary clinic operations continue daily in Banda Aceh, Lhoong, and Meulaboh.

Airborne medical missions and emergency feeding programs utilizing (2) helicopters, a float plane and (2) small aircraft continue seven days a week.

The good ship Batavia is standing offshore serving as base of operations for food and relief supply distribution to remote Aceh coastal areas and islands. Four 20' shuttle boats go back and forth from Batavia to cut-off villages along the coast.

Mosquito control efforts now include the use of 50 fogging machines supplied by OB.

Emergency medical and relief efforts are still necessary in most areas of Aceh. As soon as the need for urgent relief stabilizes we will phase into long range community rebuilding with efforts that include construction of homes, revitalization of fishing industry by providing new boats and gear, construction of landing strips, long-term medical support of clinics and hospitals and counseling.

Totals for OB Aceh efforts to date:

• A total of $19.2 million worth of medicine has been sent to tsunami effected areas ($8.7 to Indonesia; $10.5 to Sri Lanka).
• Over 600 Tons of food and relief supplies delivered to Aceh locations
• 500 metric tons of rice (23 containers) to arrive Sumatra 2/16/05
• Over 25,000 patients treated medically
• Over 50,000 Emergency Care packages delivered to Aceh locations
• 50 mosquito fogging machines being used to help prevent Malaria outbreak
• Over 150 Achenese men employed every day in cash-for-work program
• An additional 350 men to be hired within next 10 days for three month project
• Over 200 locations in Aceh have been served by OB (some multiple times) by air, land and sea
  

Feb. 1st

• Indonesia: In response to pleas from government health officials and local authorities, OB Indonesia has delivered 40 portable fogging machines with support equipment to Aceh Province to aid in mosquito control. An ever-increasing mosquito population endangers tsunami survivors to an outbreak of Malaria and Dengue Fever. Besides providing foggers, we have trained and hired local workers and are spraying schools in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. We are also delivering foggers to cut-off coastal villages via boat, helicopter and float plane, training locals and paying them to spray. We see a huge need for mosquito control and have not seen any other NGOs engaged. We plan to expand this crucial initiative.
  
  We have arranged for import of 500 tons of rice (23 containers) from the recent harvest in Vietnam. Shipment is on the way to OB Indonesia and will arrive Medan, Sumatra next week.
  
  The good ship Batavia is moving up the coast north of Meulaboh. The OB helicopter reconnaissance team, headed by Ron Oates, stays one or two days ahead of the ship finding suitable landing sites and making distribution arrangements with village leaders.
  
  Med missions and feeding programs are in full swing along the north west coast and in Meulaboh, Banda Aceh and Sigli.

• Sri Lanka: A team of eleven doctors and nurses arrived in Colombo on Monday from Mercy Hospital in Calcutta, India. Today they join the OB India team in the Ampara district to work in refugee camp clinics.
  
  Per request of District Minister of Health, fogging machines and supplies were delivered to officials in Kalmunai district to help prevent outbreak of Malaria and Dengue fever.
  
  Discussions to provide small fishing boats and gear for families in Kalmunai district in final stages.

• Thailand: OB provided funds to revitalize the fishing industry in three villages. We have funded construction of 127 new fishing boats, the purchase of 167 new boat engines, the repair of 25 damaged boats, and the purchase of 107 sets of squid traps and nets as well as are providing funds for "cash-for-work" program for fishermen assisting in boat building process.