UN critical of slow pace of tsunami rebuilding

WASHINGTON - Rebuilding from last December's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami has been too slow and frustration is growing among displaced people, a senior UN official says.

UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland urged more cooperation between governments, world bodies such as the United Nations and World Bank, and nongovernmental organisations in pushing the rebuilding ahead.

"We could spend too much time in endless meetings, with no clear leadership and people's frustration exploding. They (displaced people) have heard of billions of dollars being available and they are sitting in tents and saying 'I want my life and community back,"' said Egeland in Washington.

More than 228,000 people were killed or went missing when an undersea earthquake sent huge waves into a dozen Indian Ocean nations from Somalia to Indonesia on December 26. The homes and livelihoods of an estimated 5 million people were affected.

Governments, private organisations and individuals from around the world have pledged or spent more than US$8 billion ($11.10 billion) dollars in the relief effort.

A large amount of this money has not yet been spent while aid groups and governments wait for nations to draw up their "master plans" for reconstruction.

Egeland said Indonesia, the Maldives and India had put together their master plans and Sri Lanka's would be ready in the next few days.

Indonesian Minister of National Development Planning Sri Mulyani Indrawati said her government was aware of the growing impatience and was doing its best to accelerate rebuilding.

"We wanted to ensure that these efforts starting right now would be well-planned, co-ordinated and done in a transparent manner," she said.

Asked about the role of the military, which has been criticized for human rights abuses, Indrawati said it was important the government not grant any special favours to the military.

"We are very aware that the reputation of this implementing agency is at stake and we are committed to ... a high standard of governance and accountability," she said.

Speaking at the same conference, special UN envoy for tsunami relief and former US President Bill Clinton said the post-emergency period was "purgatory" as people tried to put their lives back together and disputes continued over how best to spend the money.

- REUTERS