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Project Goal: Reduce the overall mortality rates in Aceh province.

On 26 December 2004, one of the world’s largest and most destructive tsunamis and earthquakes occurred 150 km off the coast of Indonesia’s Special Territory of Aceh (population 4.3 million), on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Several areas in the capital of the province, Banda Aceh, and the surrounding sub-districts of Aceh Besar have been totally destroyed; others have suffered severe damage to infrastructure, including the hospital, government buildings, and a majority of homes. Helicopter over flights along the western coast point to the devastating extent of the damage, with 75 – 100% of the area’s largely unreachable west coast destroyed.  The tsunami has left behind a band of destruction 3km wide in some places and extends from the tip of Aceh to the border with Sumatra. The few survivors who have made their way to population centers have described massive damage and death.

The latest death toll is at present estimated at 106,500.  Many more people are unaccounted for.  Currently, there are approximately 695,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and a total of 2,000,000 people who have been directly affected by the disaster. Many of the hundreds of thousands of survivors are living in conditions of poor sanitation and lack of resources, making them even more vulnerable to the very serious threat of infectious and water-borne diseases.

While the loss of life resulting from the earthquake and ensuing tsunamis has been the greatest tragedy of recent history, it is imperative that relief operations are immediately initiated to prevent the further loss of life from the second wave of disease outbreak and malnutrition. The need for emergency supplies has never been more urgent. The extent of damage and destruction has meant a complete loss of livelihoods for the majority of people in Aceh.

Therefore, CARE is proposing to distribute emergency hygiene kits to vulnerable populations located in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar, and Aceh Jaya. CARE will utilize the established distribution mechanism for food, non food items (NFI), and safe water systems (SWS ). For Aceh Jaya and Aceh Berat, CARE will start with limited quantities, while assessing the overall needs.  This tripartite strategy will ensure that health, hygiene, and food assistance is provided to meet peoples’ basic needs.

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