The Democratic Party of Japan's Interim Response to the Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster 12 January 2005 1. A totally new framework is needed for an unprecedented humanitarian disaster The Indian Ocean tsunami that followed the huge earthquake in Sumatra is an unprecedented and widespread humanitarian disaster never before experienced by the international community. The aftereffects in a wide variety of areas are immeasurable and include the loss of human life and of all kinds of material possessions, the destruction of infrastructure and of the way of life of entire communities, and irreparable damage to the environment. In response to this unheard-of situation, a totally new response and cooperation mechanism that differs from preexisting international frameworks is needed; one that is borderless, politically bipartisan and encompasses both governments and civil society. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami disaster, the Democratic Party of Japan sent messages of sympathy to the heads of state of the afflicted countries, paid condolence calls on their embassies in Japan, and requested Minister of Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura to confirm the whereabouts of missing Japanese nationals, obtain information about the extent of the damage, and actively involve NGOs in relief efforts. We also established a 'Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Strategy Headquarters', chaired by Secretary General Tatsuo Kawabata. We opened a bank account to receive donations, and as well as accepting donations to this account, have started a street-collection campaign. The international community has embarked on reconstruction and relief efforts, with the ASEAN members holding an emergency summit, and the Japanese government has announced that they will provide assistance centered around the three pillars of "financial resources, human resources and knowledge and expertise", contributing $500 million of unconditional financial aid, assisting with building a tsunami early warning mechanism and dispatching an international disaster relief team to the region. However, around half of the unconditional financing is to be in the form of grants to international organisations, and the other half is to take the form of grants to four of the afflicted countries. This is simply throwing money at the problem in the old-style of aid donation. In this case it is difficult for aid to reach people in the afflicted areas, and to carry out verification, and there is a serious risk that Japan's contribution will be one in which our experience and human presence goes unnoticed. At the same time, much of the afflicted region has experienced long periods of conflict, and fighting is still said to be continuing in certain areas, in some cases proving to be a barrier to reconstruction. In addition to reconstruction, peace-building is also an important issue. 2. Our request to the Japanese government The Japanese government is often criticised for their inadequate initial response mechanism. They should respond to circumstances as they unfold, keeping medium and long term assistance in mind, but in the short-term they should also focus on the following points. Damage and needs assessment, rescue of Japanese nationals As access to the affected regions improves, damage assessment should be carried out, and a relief framework constructed to confirm the whereabouts of Japanese nationals, and to assist Japanese nationals who are affected by the disaster and their families. In particular, an ongoing relief framework should be constructed, including psychological care for expected cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, and strategies to protect disaster orphans from human trafficking. Emergency relief efforts Emergency relief should be provided, actively involving various types of medical teams and NGOs with experience in relief efforts. In addition to initial aid such as medical treatment, drinking water, food, sanitation, camps and pre-fabricated housing, measures to prevent secondary disasters, such as steps to halt the spread of infectious diseases, are necessary. At this time, a coordinating mechanism should be constructed to bridge the information gap regarding local needs that exists between national governments and international organisations and NGOs. Project assessment Aid projects should be carried out, taking into consideration assessment reports of damage in the stricken areas, including material damage suffered by victims and damage caused by the collapse of the local social infrastructure. In this process, a mindset that embraces mid-term and long-term measures for dealing with the evolving situation, and sufficient liaison and division of responsibilities between international organisations and domestic and international NGOs is required. In addition, evaluation of aid should be carried out by monitoring projects after implementation. International disaster relief carried out by Self Defense Forces Relief efforts such as search and rescue, transportation, medical support and disease prevention by Self Defense Forces are valuable in disaster areas where access is difficult and social infrastructure has been destroyed, and should be actively carried out, once requests have been received from the countries concerned. Disaster prevention and warning system On this occasion, there is widespread regret regarding the inadequacy of the disaster prevention and warning systems in the various countries, and Japan should play an active role in the construction of international disaster prevention and warning systems, including a tsunami early warning network. 3. Actions to be taken by the Democratic Party of Japan Access to the most hard-hit regions is difficult, and moreover essential lifelines have been cut off, much of those areas are conflict zones where no peace agreement has been achieved, and certain governments have refused to accept aid. In this extremely difficult climate for aid efforts, the biggest contribution that the Democratic Party of Japan can make is to liaise with international organisations and NGOs that have experience and the capability act on the ground, sum up the state of the damage and needs in the afflicted areas, and evolving assistance projects, and make requests of the Japanese government. We will consider taking the following actions in the short-term. We will liaise with various organisations including domestic NPOs, citizens? groups, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, and economic organisations, and take a long-term approach, one that bears in mind the need to prevent conflict in the afflicted areas. As one part of this, we will hold periodic discussions with NGOs and other organisations, gather information on the state of the disaster, needs, projects, and what the NGOs hope for from the Japanese government, and present this information to the government. The UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe is an important conference that was convened following a United Nations resolution. Through exchanges with visiting government officials, international organisations and NGOs, we will aim to formulate a common vision as we work toward the reconstruction and peaceful stabilisation of the stricken areas. We have passed through the initial phase, in which access to the disaster areas was difficult and saving lives the priority, and have now entered the second phase, in which assessment of needs and projects is the prime requirement. We will liaise with NGOs and other organisations, and consider making an on-the-ground assessment that will prove valuable in drawing up policies.

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