Praise for British teams rebuilding after 2004 tsunami

Published on Friday 25 December 2009 20:41

BRITISH aid agencies working in the wake of the Asian tsunami have "left a legacy that is more than just bricks and mortar" according to experts.

But members of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) faced a "steep learning curve", with poor co-ordination and a lack of expertise sometimes leading to costly mistakes and delays.

Development construction specialist Arup says agencies faced an unprecedented and "monumental" challenge after the tsunami struck on Boxing Day 2004.

Its report looked at reconstruction in the devastated Aceh province, on Sumatra.

The disaster saw 167,000 people in Aceh reported dead or missing, more than 500,000 displaced.

The report found: "The tendency in Aceh was for government, donors and the media to focus on the number of houses constructed as a measure of achievement."

It said agencies could have done more for the locals in terms of helping the economy and job opportunities but praised DEC reconstruction products designed to withstand future disasters.

The report continued: "DEC member agencies also engaged with beneficiaries in a way which built trust, ownership and responsibility. Their programmes left a legacy that is more than just bricks and mortar."

Lead author Jo da Silva, who heads Arup's International Development Group, said: "

This was an enormous challenge and aid agencies with little experience of construction on this scale faced an extremely steep learning curve.

"It would be unrealistic to expect they would get everything 100 per cent right first time."