Aceh, which lies on the northernmost tip of Indonesia, was one of the tsunami's hardest-hit regions.

Survivors in India visit a free medical clinic sponsored by OBI.

KHAO LAK, Thailand - When Yute went to work the morning of December 26, 2004, he had no idea he’d be fighting for his life. He and his friends saw the tsunami approaching the newly-opened resort where they worked, but there was little time to react.

“The water came fast and hard,” said Yute. “I was taken by the water but managed to hold onto a tree. I heard people crying out for help. . . . I could never have imagined seeing so many dead bodies - people lying everywhere, hospitals overwhelmed with injured people.”

Yute, along with his family, managed to escape the fury of the tsunami. But the community had been devastated. One year later, while many parts of Southeast Asia still bear the scars of the devastation, many more bear the marks of progress – as signs of life return to the once-decimated communities.

Responding to the Disaster

Within 48 hours of the tsunami, Operation Blessing targeted the devastated West Coast of Indonesia, deploying disaster relief teams to provide emergency medical care as well as distribute medicine, food and other supplies. Within a week, humanitarian outreaches in the affected areas of Thailand, India and Sri Lanka had also been initiated.

OB Indonesia, based in Jakarta, became a key player in providing medical support and treatment to victims. In 2004, prior to the tsunami, their medical missions alone treated approximately 60,000 residents.

“One of the main things they do is medical missions,” said Bill Horan, President of OBI. “So when the tsunami hit, we were very well-positioned to immediately go in and be effective.”

To date, over 166,000 tsunami survivors have received medical treatment. Other emergency disaster relief measures included mass food distribution, hygiene packages, cooking sets, and the purchase of fogging machines to help minimize the spread of malaria.

By Air and Sea

A chartered barge unloads supplies from OBI and its partner agencies, Habitat for Humanity and Samaritan's Purse.

Over 520 tons of food was delivered by OB Indonesia to residents in Aceh.

In Indonesia, the tidal force of the tsunami not only wiped out entire villages, it took out main roads, leaving much of the West Coast inaccessible except by air or sea. OBI partnered with Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Samaritan’s Purse to provide logistical support and fly personnel and strategic relief supplies to and from coastal communities.

In addition, they teamed up with MAP International to begin construction of several medical clinics to replace the hospitals destroyed by the tsunami.

“It’s an ongoing work,” Horan said.

By far, the largest initiative involves OBI’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build 2,000 new homes for Indonesia’s tent-dwelling survivors. In order to begin construction, however, they had to first build a loading dock to receive supplies by sea. OBI and its partnering agencies then chartered a tug boat to pull a 50-foot by 180-foot barge loaded with thousands of bags of cement, plywood, rebar and enough metal roofing for several hundred houses.

“I was in tent like everybody else,” said Nurmala, a resident of Aceh, Indonesia. “Since my husband was killed in the tsunami, I have tried to provide food for my son by working in the fields.”

Nurmala’s home is one of nearly 600 new homes completed by OBI and Habitat for Humanity.

“Now we have a place to call our own,” she said.

Sri Lanka & India

In Sri Lanka, Operation Blessing coordinated volunteers from Sri Lanka, India and Singapore to establish 150 medical camps and treat over 20,000 residents immediately following the tsunami. OBI purchased 10,000 text books and other supplies for devastated schools in the Ampara district, including bikes for children who had to travel long distances to come to school.

John Tesh and his family joined OBI President Bill Horan in Sri Lanka last January, to view firsthand the medical camps and other relief projects.

“I work with the guys from Operation Blessing,” said Tesh in an online journal. “I’m out here with them . . . and I’ve seen first hand how awesome this relief team is.”

Coordinating closely with Sri Lanka, OB India also provided immediate emergency relief including medical services, feeding programs and hygiene kits. House-building projects have been started in southeast India and a total of 60 houses are expected to be completed by February 2006.

Boats for Thailand

Boat building projects continue in Thailand. Pictured: Khun Rong displays his new boat.

A tsunami survivor in India embraces his son.

In Thailand, OBI came alongside the fishing industry – the main source of income for the communities – and began to build and repair boats. To date, over 300 boats have been built, benefiting nearly 3,000 residents.

“I was so desperate, I didn’t know what to do,” said Nadar, an Aceh fisherman who lost everything to the tsunami. “Now the fishermen in our village can breathe easier, since Operation Blessing has constructed new boats for us. At last, we can work again to support our families.”

In addition to boats, OBI has also funded the Step Ahead Center - a training institute teaching courses in English, German, computers, hospitality and tourism. Here survivors learn practical skills to help further their careers and boost the economic growth of the community.

“It is very important for the workers here to have the relevant knowledge and skills if the tourist industry is going to really flourish again,” said Yute, a student at Step Ahead. “The staff needs to be trained in languages, in serving others and in technical skills. The higher the level of our training, the better we will be able to care for tourists and the more people that will want to come and visit us here.”

Long Term Relief

On both the macro and micro level, OBI has been working to transition the tsunami-affected regions of Southeast Asia into thriving communities.

Quick Relief Tsunami Stats
Medical Services	166,594 treated
Medicine/Supplies	$27 million
Food Distribution	520 tons
Care Packages	136,013 units
Fishing Boats	306 boats
Houses	590 houses
Beneficiaries	855,832 residents

Whether it’s providing text books for school children in Sri Lanka, funding boat-building projects in Thailand, or building homes along the coast of Indonesia, OBI’s disaster relief initiatives are clear: remain in the community until the need no longer exists.

For Indonesia, that means a long-term commitment from OBI of at least another two years.

“We plan on being there all of this year and next,” said Horan, OBI President. “Almost all the non-governmental organizations have long gone home, but we’re still there. And we’ll be there until our money runs out.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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