The World Bank, with the ADB, the Government and other partners, is working jointly to assess the reconstruction needs and develop a post-disaster reconstruction plan. A full technical assessment mission is expected to visit Aceh as soon as is practical. The Bank is discussing the following options with the government: - Using existing operations on the ground, including the possibility of making a special contribution to the needs assessment and recovery work by mobilizing the Bank’s network of thousands of local facilitators who are part of the an ongoing community development project, the Kecamatan Development Project. The Bank is already in the process of activating this network which could be up and running in a matter of weeks and greatly strengthen rural coverage.
- Reorienting the Bank’s existing project portfolio, including the use of undisbursed balances without disrupting the momentum or success of the projects involved.
- Complementing projects in the pipeline with specific components for Aceh.
- Providing additional emergency recovery and reconstruction assistance in the form of a specific new emergency operation.
The government of Sri Lanka and World Bank staff in Colombo have been in close dialogue since the crisis. Bank response so far has included: - Releasing resources under ongoing projects for medicines, water purification and storage tanks, pumps and earth moving equipment;
- Reviewing the portfolio of Bank projects to determine additional resources that can be released for the immediate effort, or readied for the longer-term rehabilitation effort. For example, ongoing operations in education, health and housing can readily be adapted for the reconstruction that will be needed over the coming months.
- Readying a Bank team to be in Sri Lanka within the week to begin the work of assessing the reconstruction needs, and preparing an appropriate response. Apart from resources from portfolio restructuring, the rapid processing of an Emergency Recovery Credit is foreseen by end February.
- Agreement with the Asian Development Bank that the organizations will work hand-in-hand to prepare the next stage of the response.
Maldives The government of Maldives asked the World Bank for assistance the day after the disaster and established a Disaster Response and Mitigation Committee and a national center to coordinate the response. The Bank is also setting up a temporary liaison center on the island capital of Male. Bank response to date: - An advance Bank team arriving in Maldives early Tuesday (January 4) to begin reprogramming funds of about $12 million and to launch the medium term needs assessment following the UN’s initial assessment just completed.
- The Bank and the ADB agreed with the Government that the two multilateral banks should form a joint team which begins work in Maldives this week.
- The Bank’s private sector affiliate, the International Finance Corporation, which has supported the tourism sector on the island nation, is also likely to contribute staff to assist in assessing the damage and financing options for the tourism sector. The mission would prepare financing operations and carry out a needs assessment that could be input to the government’s effort to mobilize additional resources.
The World Bank is now mobilizing assessment teams for Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives, and a stand-by team is being identified in the event that additional countries require assistance. While the focus of assistance will be on the immediate recovery, the Bank will review with the Governments ways to enhance the countries’ preparedness for natural disasters and capacity in hazard risk mitigation in the long term. Options for increased regional cooperation, including the feasibility of establishing a regional tsunami warning system will also be assessed. |
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