Speech

One Year Tsunami Commemoration Remarks

Andrew Natsios, USAID Administrator

Banda Aceh | Monday, December 26, 2005

Acting Governor Abubakar, Mr. Kuntoro, Prof. Dr. Ir. Abdi Abdul Wahab and other distinguished guests, it is a pleasure to be here with you today.

At this time last year, the people of Aceh lived under very different circumstances. Aceh was in a state of emergency and conflict. Few saw peace on the horizon. No one could have predicted that a giant tsunami would shatter their lives. No one could have imagined the world’s generous response in its aftermath.

The tides of history have changed. Billions of dollars have been mobilized to help Aceh rebound, the Government of Indonesia has appointed strong leadership and created the BRR to spearhead reconstruction. A peace agreement has been signed and now paves the way for reconstruction efforts to rebuild the lives, the communities, and the economy for the people of Aceh and for Indonesia as a whole.

We are here today to commemorate the resilience of the Acehenese people and to remember those lost.

We commend the Acehnese people and the Government of Indonesia for harnessing the world’s goodwill with their commitment to persevere through difficult times, and for ensuring a future for Indonesia that is peaceful and prosperous. The U.S. supports Indonesia in achieving its goals.

On December 26 of last year the world responded with speed and compassion to the earthquake and tsunami. The American people, through the U.S. Military and U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, moved quickly to deliver temporary shelter, food, and clean water to those in need. The U.S. remains one of the largest contributors to relief and reconstruction efforts in Indonesia.

Hand in hand with the Indonesian people, NGOs and UN agencies, USAID worked to provide relief, stabilize the humanitarian situation and averted a public health crises and get survivors back on their feet.

Nearly 600,000 people affected by the tsunami have benefited from U.S. relief assistance for everything from temporary shelter, food, water purification, and sanitation to psycho-social and child protection programs.

Projects provided assistance to every affected district in Aceh, targeting both hard-hit urban areas, and hard-to-reach yet equally devastated rural areas.

The U.S. Government is providing $400.1 million in tsunami relief and reconstruction aid to support immediate and long-term recovery in Aceh and North Sumatra.

Our partnership with Indonesia is rebuilding homes, restoring livelihoods, creating jobs, improving health and hygiene, creating education and training opportunities, reconstructing bridges and the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road, and building Aceh back better.

Learn more: Tsunami Reconstruction | About this activity

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