Following the earthquake in the Indian Ocean and subsequent tsunami on 26th December 2004, many agencies and NGOs sent their help missions and aid in shape of Medical teams and metric tons of supplies to the region in support of the victims. The teams arrived in the affected areas within 72 hours of the tsunami hitting. They carried out needs assessments in Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, which resulted in MSF operations in the latter four. Assessments in Myanmar and Malaysia did not reveal any serious unmet medical needs.
In Thailand, MSF donated medical material to several hospitals in the province of Phang Nga and decided to start a program aimed at facilitating access to health care for the badly affected Burmese migrant community. In southern India, MSF set up psychosocial support programs to help survivors cope with the stresses caused by this traumatic experience. In the Indonesian province of Aceh and the coastal areas of Sri Lanka, where the death toll was particularly high and the damage immense, a local aid effort was well underway when MSF teams arrived on the spot. MSF sought to identify unmet medical needs while working alongside various other actors, from national medical staff to foreign armies. Knowledge of the context and a fast deployment of logistical means enabled MSF teams to provide aid to several isolated communities. (MSF, 2005)
Transportation bottlenecks including a shortage of shipping capacity, rough seas and a damaged airport hampered the delivery of relief items in the days immediately following the quake. The arrival more ships and helicopters by the government and international agencies has sped up access to the island. To assist with the distribution of goods once they arrive in Nias, IOM is made available its truck.......
