In the beginning of January,
based on general and incomplete situation reports, the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) made a preliminary estimate that
total jobs and livelihood losses due to the tsunami numbered
about 400,000. With better information becoming available
on a daily basis, this estimate has been regularly updated,
and currently stands at around 276,000. This is still a very
large figure, which unfortunately is unlikely to fall more.
Concerted efforts will be required to address this loss of
employment, and the ILO and World Food Programme have therefore
conducted a survey to find out more about the damage the tsunami
has done to people’s livelihoods in the directly affected
areas, and identify areas in which support will be required.
Around mid-January, some hundred interviewers swarmed out
all over the country to interview more than 1,600 affected
households in 8 of the most affected districts. Displaced
households, in camps or elsewhere, were included. Most of
the interviewers were volunteers from the International Association
of Students of Economics, Commerce and Management.
The damage to houses has been
widely reported and is well-known. The survey confirmed that
nearly all affected households have suffered damage or lost
their houses. In addition, though, 80 percent lost their main
source of income. Most employment was lost in the fisheries
sector, with nearly none of the households now still engaged
in fishing. Also badly affected were micro and small businesses,
like shops, small restaurants, food processing, and handicrafts.
Much employment was lost in tourism and agriculture as well.
Nine out of ten households
that had productive assets saw them destroyed or damaged by
the tsunami, and have therefore lost or reduced their capacity
to generate an income. This includes assets like buildings,
equipment, stocks, and livestock. This will have a longer-term
effect on people’s incomes, as many assets are not easily
replaced.
Not surprisingly, then, half
of the households covered was dependent on public and private
aid, with only slightly more relying on Government assistance
than on private charity. A large majority of the households
had already received food, medicine and clothing, but few
had received cash.
Many have reported on a new
fear of the sea, and have wondered whether those who made
their living on or near to it will return to their previous
occupation. The survey found that in fact 20 percent of households
expect to earn an income in a different way in the future.
This could mean that thousands abandon their traditional way
of life, most of all among fisher folk. A similar percentage
plans to move to another area in order to build a new life.
Such plans could be the result of the search for a new source
of income, but could also be related to the expectation that
households will not be allowed to resettle in close proximity
to the shore.
When asked about their personal
plans, only two-thirds of those interviewed were able to say
how they expect to earn an income in the near future, reflecting
the shock and confusion caused by the disaster. Of those who
did know, the large majority (79 percent) planned to be self-employed
or in business. Many of these were women, including those
who have lost their husbands and have now become their household’s
breadwinner. Nearly all of those who plan to be self-employed
or in business lack the funds for the necessary investments.
Overall, a significant share of those who were affected (14
percent) do not have the skills necessary for the work they
plan to do.
Says Ms. Claudia Coenjaerts,
ILO Area Office Director in Colombo: “The information
obtained through this rapid assessment survey is of key importance
to the planning of a response to the destruction of people’s
livelihoods caused by the tsunami. Many of those have lost
part of their family, and face a situation of displacement
and dependency. We have to make sure that that they are provided
with urgently needed income support while at the same time
advancing them out of dependency and poverty as rapidly as
possible. We know that they prefer to work rather than continuing
to rely on income support. The labour intensive rehabilitation
of community and public infrastructure and the environment,
is one way of creating jobs immediately. But action on reviving
local economies should also not be delayed. Many people are
ready for that. The survey shows that most will need small
loans to be able to become self-employed or start a business.
Some, whose situation is particularly precarious, such as
widows who have become the main breadwinner, may need small
grants. But these people will also need other support, such
as business training and assistance in developing a business
plan. Clearly there is also a need for skill training, given
that many plan to change the way they earn an income. And
many may need guidance and counselling to find an answer to
the question what next”.
The ILO is using the findings
of the survey in its support to the Government’s planning
of its response to the loss of livelihoods. The information
will also be used in the second phase of the UN and donor’s
post-tsunami needs assessment.
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