Curbing Corruption in Tsunami Relief Operations

Abstract

The Indian Ocean tsunami that hit South and Southeast Asia in December 2004 was one of the worst natural calamities of recent times, the scale of the devastation to coastal communities across the region almost incomprehensible. As befits a disaster of such magnitude, the humanitarian response was massive. In the course of the relief operations, however, Asian governments and donors increasingly expressed the need for measures to prevent corruption amid widespread concern that significant amounts of tsunami aid may be being diverted to unscrupulous hands. In response to growing concerns about corruption, the ADB-OECD Anti- Corruption Initiative for Asia-Pacific and Transparency International organized an experts meeting on corruption prevention in tsunami relief operations hosted by the Government of Indonesia. The meeting, which brought together the six worst-affected countries—India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand—aimed to identify concrete priority measures to be taken by each stakeholder, including governments, donor agencies, civil society and private sector organizations involved in aid delivery and reconstruction work, to prevent and curb corruption in service delivery and procurement related to tsunami relief. This publication synthesizes the meeting’s most important deliberations and conclusions, providing a useful resource for the wide range of individuals and organizations working to ensure equitable tsunami assistance. It assembles the issue papers and the conclusions and framework for action developed as a result of discussions and presentations by experts.

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