Earthquake and Tsunami

Tsunami related documents for reference

Rapid Assessment Report of the Impact of the Tsunami In The Maldives

5. Considerations for assistance and response

5.1: Cash and food assistance

The most appropriate and immediate to long-term response for the majority of the affected populations would be through cash based employment, linked to reconstruction. Cash injected into the island economies will boost people’s purchasing power and give flexibility for own prioritization on buying what the household perceives to be essential, will allow the hiring of skilled artisans by others, and promote and stabilize trade and market routes.  

Cash based employment schemes run by the Government, private sector, and national NGO’s supported by international organizations have already begun in most of the islands. For the time that it takes to establish and implement such programmes, and for the initial few months in which people are making some money through these programmes, short term food assistance would be beneficial for some of the vulnerable groups to act as a safety net and alleviate expenditures from limited financial resources (see Annex II – Table 3).

The Government is currently conducting a second free food distribution to a targeted 36,000 people that they have identified as being the most vulnerable, and who also received a free cash benefit earlier in January. Beneficiary figures have been determined by the Ministry of Planning, based on displacement, loss of homes, structural damage to houses, or loss of tools and equipment. A revision of these figures are planned, though no decision has been taken by the Government yet as to whether they will continue with free food or cash distributions in the future. The logistics of getting the assistance to the islands are handled by the National Security Service, and the targeting and distribution of relief is conducted through established island Task Force’s that comprise of members of the community, and who select the most vulnerable people in their islands.

Where food assistance is considered, food for work schemes will not be appropriate for the most part as people need to spend their time in reconstruction and generating income, and food support should be given freely. Such assistance though should be limited in duration, clearly targeted, and phased out according to vulnerability and livelihood profiles once cash based programmes begin. Phase down and phase out strategies should be clearly defined, and beneficiaries receiving such assistance should be informed of the programme to pre-empt any thoughts of expectation or dependency.

5.2: IDP’s

These people should be considered extremely vulnerable to food insecurity and to health risks as a result of overcrowding and poor sanitation conditions. They require an immediate solution to resettlement, shelter, and improvement of living standards. A combination of food and cash assistance would be required for these families, though work schemes focussed on reconstruction should be implemented in their area of settlement, and not in the host communities. This group is likely to require the longest duration of assistance, given the level of destruction in their places of origin, and the high numbers in the same communities that have been displaced.

5.3: The unemployed

People with no remittances should be considered as the extreme vulnerable. Either food and / or cash based assistance for this group would alleviate their dependence on others at this time. If food aid is considered, it would free up limited monetary resources that may have been spent on food, or reducing the in-kind donations required from other families that may also be facing economic hardships given the current situation. If food assistance is to be provided, then it must be limited in duration and linked to reconstruction activities. Prolonged assistance could erode and undermine the existing community support for these families, and could place them at risk in the future. If not already in existence, longer term social welfare solutions must be found for this group.

For those that are already being supported by family members through remittances, free assistance is not required. This group should, however, be monitored as they would be at risk if remittances were to stop.

5.4: Agriculturalists

These people have limited or no other sources of income, no remittances, and in islands where flooding has occurred agricultural land, seeds, tools, and fertilizers will have been lost. Agriculture will start only once water and soil has been desalinated, and income from this activity can only be expected approximately two to three months from the first planting.

Cash-based interventions focussed on reconstruction would provide some income that would go towards rebuilding homes, replacing lost assets, purchasing seeds and tools, and food and non-food essentials.  The distributions of seeds, tools and fertilizers could also be considered and linked to any cash or food based intervention. The access to credit and loans schemes to re-establish agriculture and help to reconstruct homes would be beneficial to this group.

If food assistance is to be given, it will be to alleviate increased household expenditures. Given that people need cash and are also rebuilding homes, food for work activities may not be appropriate, unless they require minimal amounts of time and labour, such as the propagation of seedlings in home nurseries, or in land preparation for future planting.

Assistance must be limited in duration and linked to the time it takes for the first crops to be harvested. Once the first crops are in, an assessment is required to determine whether the agricultural returns are sufficient for the household and whether further support is required.

5.5: Manufacturers

Immediate access to credit, loans, or micro-credit schemes would allow many of these people to replace lost equipment, and capitalize on the boom in work linked to reconstruction in which their skills are most needed. Once people have this equipment, cash-based interventions and employment schemes focussed on reconstruction would allow for loans to be repaid faster.

For the time that it takes for people to acquire tools, food assistance would be required as a safety net for some to ensure that these people are not completely reliant on others for their food needs, and are not placing additional strain on other community members in trying to meet their food needs. In islands that fall into Category 2, the likelihood of most tools and equipment having been lost or damaged is high, and so it would be of benefit for all people in this economic group to be assisted. In islands classified into Category 3, where loss and damage is much lower, approximately half of this group may require some support until livelihoods are re-established.

5.6: Fishermen and fish processors

These two activities would benefit from being addressed simultaneously. Access to credit and loans allow these people to purchase any equipment that has been lost, and begin scaling up economic activities in time to catch the peak fishing seasons. If people have not been able to purchase their tools and equipment through credit and loans, cash-based interventions and employment schemes focussed on reconstruction, including the rehabilitation of fish processing units, would provide the most appropriate response.

During the time that it takes for people to replace equipment and resume these activities, food assistance could be beneficial for approximately three quarters of the families in Category 2 islands that rely on fish processing and who may have lost this equipment, in order to provide basic staples and to alleviate limited or no cash for non-food expenses. In Category 3 islands, it is likely that less fish processing units have been damaged, and as such, a quarter of the families relying on this activity should be considered for food assistance. If this is provided, it must be linked and limited to the time that it takes to rebuild the fish processing units to be rehabilitated or replaced. Once this has been reached, food assistance should be phased out and normal economic activities should be supported through cash for work or other schemes.

5.7: Agriculture, manufacturing, fishing and other

These households rely on either agriculture, manufacturing or fishing, yet have other income sources through small trade and businesses, or receiving remittances from family members away from the island. Although they will be facing the same major constraints as other families from the same economic groupings, they should have the means to generate additional income depending on the secondary activities they are involved in, and how these have been impacted by the tsunami.

5.8: Construction

These families relying on construction activities do not require specialized equipment. Provided that block making moulds, cement, and other materials are available or provided to reconstruct buildings, these people will benefit from the reconstruction. Credit and loans would allow them to replace any lost equipment and purchase building materials. They should be enlisted and targeted through cash for work schemes in reconstruction, which would also assist them in repaying any loans they have taken.

5.9: Traders

This group is reliant on the purchasing power of others for their income. Therefore, it is critical that the purchasing power of the community is increased and cash begins to flow into the island economies.  Any relief assistance provided to affected populations should be sensitive to the fact that it may negatively impact on traders, and as such free assistance must be limited and specifically targeted to the most vulnerable groups in order to not disrupt trade and market systems. The hiring and use of local transport when implementing reconstruction projects or bringing relief assistance, would be beneficial to this group.  Credit and loans would help to rebuild stocks and replace fuel that has been lost during the tsunami.

5.10: Tourism

This group should be closely monitored, particularly from the resorts that have temporarily closed. For those where loss of employment from the resort has occurred, assistance through cash based employment schemes in reconstruction should be done. Self-targeting projects should be able to reach these groups if they are in need of assistance. It is also essential that tourists be encouraged to return to the Maldives.

5.11: Government / public works

These families have full time employment and receive salaries, and as such a steady source of income. Nevertheless, where houses have been destroyed and require rebuilding, these families will face economic hardships. In cases where the income-earner lives away from the property destroyed and there are no family members to ensure that the houses are rebuilt, they would need to employ others to oversee the reconstruction and thus placing even further economic burdens on the household. This group would benefit from loans and credit schemes if needed.

5.12: Other sectors

There are few people in this category, and in the islands with complete structural loss, they can be assisted through self-targeting cash for work schemes together with other groups such as the manufacturers, small business and specialized skilled groups.

6. Conclusions

As far as food assistance is concerned, in those Category 1 islands where mass displacement has occurred, continued food assistance would be beneficial to all groups irrespective of livelihood group until cash based programmes are established. Once this occurs, or where the situation has stabilized, a phase down strategy should be applied, starting with those families that have regular sources of employment, followed by those that can be employed in reconstruction projects, fishermen and fish processors, agriculturalist, and finally the unemployed groups once the community is able to support them. The total number of estimated beneficiaries that fall into this group is reflected in the table below (see Annex III – Table 4 for details against livelihood group):

In those islands that fall into Category 2, short term food assistance would be beneficial to the most vulnerable groups until cash based programmes begin and improvements in household purchasing power, cash flows, trade, and infrastructure become apparent. Food assistance should be targeted to those families that are unemployed and have no family support, agriculturalists, manufacturers, and three quarters of the fish processors. As cash employment begins, a phase down of food assistance should be done, in the reverse order of the livelihood types stated above. The total number of estimated beneficiaries that fall into this category is shown in the table below (see Annex III – Table 5 for details against livelihood group).

Similarly, and for the same reasons as those in Category 2 islands, certain livelihood groups in those islands that fall into Category 3 would benefit from food assistance in the absence of cash based employment, or during the time that it takes to establish them. Vulnerable groups that could benefit from short term food interventions would be the unemployed with no remittances, agriculturalists, half of the manufacturers, and a quarter of the fish processors. Phase down and phase out strategies should be implemented for these groups in the reverse order as listed, and should take place as soon as cash employment programmes begin. The total number of estimated beneficiaries that fall into this group is reflected in the table below (see annex III – Table 6 for details against livelihood group).

Using the extensive communications networks between the island chiefs, atoll chiefs, and the Ministry Offices in Male’, the monitoring of people in the islands listed as Category 4 (in the table below) should be undertaken, particularly for those involved in agriculture, manufacturers, and tourism. This would allow the Government to know if any negative changes to agriculture or tourism is occurring, and allow them to formulate a response for assistance to particular livelihood groups, if required. 

Any food distributions should be conducted through the Government systems, and where possible implemented by the Women’s Development Committee’s. For those islands where part of the population is to be targeted, food vouchers given to beneficiaries to be redeemed by the WDC, traders, or the STO should be considered to reduce logistical costs and problems associated with physical food distributions. 

The issues related to loans and credits needs to be closely reviewed by the Government, and a workable solution found to the benefit of those that have lost assets yet still have outstanding loans, or have no collateral to get a loan.

7. Recommendations for WFP

WFP Maldives should assist the Government in identifying and targeting any food assistance to vulnerable groups in areas identified where food aid would be of benefit to affected populations. This assistance can be provided by the WFP Maldives Programme unit, using WFP standards and beneficiary profiling.

Food distributions would need to be followed through with appropriate monitoring to ensure that the most vulnerable groups are indeed receiving the assistance, and that food assistance is not disrupting or negatively affecting markets and trade. Where this is found to be the case, adjustments in intervention strategies can be made by WFP Maldives. 

WFP Maldives Programme unit should assist the Government in designing a phase down and phase out strategy for food assistance, based on vulnerability profiles and the commencement of cash based employment programmes. In the absence or delay of cash based employment schemes, WFP Maldives should revisit its timing and phase out strategies to ensure that the most vulnerable groups do not unnecessarily suffer food shortages, and to arrest possible nutritional deterioration.

Given the loss of fresh foods from the diet, and the likelihood that there will not be great improvements until agriculture is re-established, the provision of high energy fortified biscuits to schools will help to mitigate against the loss of essential nutrients amongst school children.

During the time that it takes for WFP food stocks to arrive in the country, WFP Maldives should assist the Government in targeting food assistance using their own in-country stocks. WFP should then replace these stocks, and furthermore, should give consideration to replacing some of the Government stocks distributed freely immediately after the tsunami. Given the costs that will faced in the up-coming reconstruction, the alleviation of funds spent through free food distributions by the Government could then be used and be of benefit to the reconstruction efforts.