Maldives: A new nest for tsunami survivors

The British Red Cross has finished constructing 216 houses across four islands in the Maldives after the devastating Boxing Day tsunami.

Ahumad Ali (49) and his family are among 44 families that have recently moved into their new homes in Fonadhoo. He said: 'The house is extremely good, much better than my old house before the tsunami. The house is bigger, stronger and comfortable. And most importantly, if there is another tsunami I am sure there will not be any damage to the structure.'

On the morning of 26 December 2004, after completing some work at the office, Ahumad came home for breakfast. One of his daughters was at the hospital about to give birth to his grandchild and only his son was at home. He came out of the house after he heard a loud noise to see coconut trees swaying and birds flying. 'I thought it was an attack from another country!'

Destruction

He ran to grab his son before running out of the house. Water was up to his waist at this point and it was getting higher and higher. The wall surrounding his house collapsed. His leg got stuck and by mistake he let go of his son's hand. Water was up to his nose and he could see his son about 40 feet away, being swept away with the waves.

Ahumad managed to pull his leg out and swam to his son. Although he tried to swim towards his relatives' house, the current was too strong and they were pushed again towards his house. By then he saw that his house was completely destroyed.

Ahumad had taken a loan of 15,000 Maldives Rufiyaa (about £590) to construct his house and had kept 4,000 MRF (around £160) in his house that was lost with the waves.

Grateful

After several years of reconstruction, Ahumad was very pleased to move into his new home. He said: 'I am very grateful to the British Red Cross. Fonadhoo has seen lots of teams come to do surveys and have heard no more. But the British Red Cross actually did a programme and has given my family a new home.'

As well as constructing houses, the British Red Cross is helping communities rebuild their livelihoods and learn how to be prepared for future disasters.

Source: Relief Web

Maldives: Back to fishing after the tsunami

Forty-eight-year-old Mohamed Saeed's life is all about fishing and taking care of his family.

Like so many others, Boxing Day 2004 is a day the father of seven from the Maldives will never forget.

He had just prepared some salty fish and had laid them out to dry under the strong mid-morning sun when he heard a loud noise. Walking out of his house, he saw big boats coming towards him on the waves. Before long he was chest-high in water.

He remembered: "I caught on to a tree nearby and held on to it tight. I was hoping the water would subside so that I could go and look for my family. As soon as I thought it was safe to let go, something big came and hit me in the chest and once again I went under. Then a hand gripped me and lifted me up on to a higher ground."

Help

Mohamed caught sight of his beloved 25-year-old daughter Fathimath, who was in tears and lying on a wall. She shouted: "Dad, I am dying, please help."

Mohamed was lucky; he was able to help all his children. However, he had lost all his fishing equipment.

Soon after the British Red Cross arrived on Buruni island, Mohamed went to a community meeting where he heard about the Red Cross' programme helping people rebuild their livelihoods by giving cash grants. He applied and was happy to receive 25,000 Maldives Rufiyaa (nearly £1,000) for his group.

Recovery

He explained: "I had received 1,500 MRF (£60) from the government but this was hardly enough to get the business going. Only with the British Red Cross grant did I manage to fully start on the activities."

There were five members in his group and they have been able to make a good living again. In fact, Mohamed makes even more profit now than he did before the tsunami. The group's monthly average income is around 10,000 MRF (£400).

He said: "I am very much appreciative and thankful. The British Red Cross has helped strengthen our livelihoods and we are getting two beautiful houses for my large family of 18."

The British Red Cross livelihoods and disaster management projects in the Maldives have helped more than 1,100 people strengthen their livelihoods.

Source: Relief Web

Maldives and Thailand agree to expand cooperation

The Maldives and Thailand have agreed to expand cooperation in several
fields and to increase the number of flights between the two countries, according to Thai foreign minister Noppadon Pattama.

Mr. Noppadon welcomed Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Shahid upon his visit to Thailand from March 27-29. The Maldivian minister said he was glad to pay an official visit toThailand to exchange information and step up cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides held talks on cooperation in many areas including information exchange and the civil sector, Mr. Noppadon said. The two countries will sign an agreement covering that within this year.

The Maldives called on the Thai government to simplify the visa application procedure for Maldivians and to exempt visa application for persons who carry diplomatic or official passports.

The Maldives asked Thailand to support its candidate to hold a temporary seat in the UN Security Council in 2018 -2019 while Thailand asked Maldives to voice its support for Thailand's bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council in 2017-2018.

Mr. Noppadon said the two countries also discussed trade and investment and planned to increase flights to facilitate Thai tourists travelling to Maldives and Maldivians flying to Thailand for medical treatment.

Source: enews.mcot.net

U.N. human rights body turns to climate change

Climate change could erode the human rights of people living in small island states, coastal areas and parts of the world subjected to drought and floods, the U.N. Human Rights Council said on Friday.

In its first consideration of the issue, the United Nations forum's 47 member states endorsed by consensus a resolution stressing that global warming could threaten the livelihoods and welfare of many of the world's most vulnerable people.

They backed the proposal from the Maldives, Comoros, Tuvalu, Micronesia and other countries for "a detained analytical study of the relationship between climate change and human rights," to be conducted by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"Until now, the global discourse on climate change has tended to focus on the physical or natural impacts of climate change," Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, the Maldives' ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the session.

"The immediate and far-reaching impact of the phenomenon on human beings around the world has been largely neglected," he said. "It is time to redress this imbalance by highlighting the human face of climate change."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made the fight against climate change one of his top priorities, and encouraged all United Nations agencies to incorporate it into their work.

International experts have warned that the expected impacts of climate change -- including rising sea levels and intense storms, droughts and floods -- could strip millions of people from access to housing, food and clean water.

But diplomats at the United Nations have not yet sought to enshrine the right to protection from the effects of climate change in an international treaty, as has been done for other social and economic rights.

Louise Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court justice, has announced she will not seek another term as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights when her tenure ends on June 30. Her successor has not yet been named. (Reporting by Laura MacInnis)

Source: Reuters

Air Maldives files RM140mil counterclaim against MAS

Air Maldives Ltd has filed and served a defence and counterclaim amounting to US$43.62mil (RM140mil) against Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) over a management agreement signed in 1996.

MAS told Bursa Malaysia on Tuesday the countersuit was related to legal action it had taken against Air Maldives on Aug 8 last year. It had then filed an affidavit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court against Air Maldives, claiming US$35.55mil.

The Malaysian carrier had received a letter from the International Court of Arbitration, Paris over Air Maldives’ allegations that it failed to perform its duties under the management agreement signed on Jan 16, 1996.

The notice of arbitration referred to a memorandum of understanding dated July 29, 1994 between the Maldives Government and the then Malaysian Helicopter Services Bhd (MHS).

Also in dispute was a shareholders agreement dated Oct 1, 1994 between the Maldives Government and MHS and a management agreement between Air Maldives and MAS on Jan 16, 1996.

Source: thestar.com.my