"We have the opportunity to accelerate development in Southeast Asia by replacing what was destroyed in the tragedy with better infrastructure and strong community services," said Dave Toycen, president of World Vision Canada. "The generosity of Canadians is making this possible."

World Vision's initial relief response provided food, shelter and healthcare assistance to several hundred thousand people in the worst affected countries, supplied thousands of temporary shelters in India and Indonesia, built child-friendly spaces in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and implemented sanitation and clean water projects throughout the region.

Emergency food and services will be provided through the transition phase. With substantial funding in place for long-term re-building in the region, the Christian international relief and development organization will focus on economic recovery, infrastructure rebuilding and community rehabilitation.

World Vision ensures members of all groups in the community are part of the response: defining community needs, decision-making and choosing reconstruction projects.

"Partnering with those we serve is paramount. When a community has ownership of the development projects, it increases the rate of delivery, decreases costs and it can build peace," said Toycen. "If opposing groups work together to build child care facilities or medical centres it becomes a practical example of peace-building."

To ensure the funds are used wisely, World Vision employs strict audit rules, comprehensive bids are required and contracts from suppliers must detail the material costs and number of people to be employed. World Vision engineers ensure the cost of each item in the contract matches local market rates. They ensure the construction work exceeds international humanitarian standards, and hiring practices are equitable and contribute to building the economic stability of the community.

Asia Tsunami Relief Update

In the month since the tsunami hit, World Vision offices across the globe have mobilised for this unprecedented relief effort.

Here is a brief summary of World Vision's achievements so far in the worst-affected countries of India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka:

Overall

• More than US $200 million secured to-date to address short and long-term needs of affected populations.
• 18 airlifts organized to deliver emergency supplies. These included tents, medicines, survival kits, food, clothing, hygiene items, water, water purification equipment, etc.
• Multi-sector programming is in place to address various needs among the affected population including provision of temporary shelter, distribution of food and non-food items, provision of clean water and hygiene kits, trauma and counseling and child friendly spaces, health assistance and sanitation.
• Creation of (World Vision) Asia Tsunami Response Team at the regional and national levels to ensure an effective coordination of the response and better planning to address long-term needs.

Snapshots per country

• More than 45,000 families assisted in India during the Emergency Response Phase. Rehabilitation programming underway focusing on economic recovery, long-term shelter needs, trauma and counselling, education, micro-finance, child friendly space and health related assistance.
• More than 10,000 families assisted in Indonesia during the Emergency Response Phase. Emergency assistance still ongoing, focusing on health assistance, food and non-food aid distribution, construction and management of transition camps and child-friendly spaces.
• More than 2,000 families assisted in Thailand during the Emergency Response Phase. Rehabilitation programming underway focusing on shelter reconstruction, trauma and counselling, child-friendly spaces, voluntary repatriation of migrant workers and water and sanitation.
• More than 30,000 families assisted during the Emergency Response Phase in Sri Lanka. Rehabilitation programming underway focusing on infrastructure (health clinics and shelters), trauma and counselling and water and sanitation.

World Vision Canada is an international Christian humanitarian relief and development organization working in more than 90 countries assisting over 80 million people each year.