While it was up to the government to formulate a long-term strategy, donors and other institutions involved in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the tsunami-ravaged region also needed to plan their gradual withdrawal.

"We need to start thinking about an exit strategy, or a condition strategy, and that requires a strong local government," he said.

He said that donors, including the Multi Donor Fund (MDF) for Aceh and Nias island, had begun to invest in programs for capacity-building, both at community and local government level.

Donors, Steers said, had also begun to study the comparative advantages of Aceh and Nias to help in developing them later, but admitted that so far there was no plan for their long-term economic development.

"We are not there yet," he said.

The MDF said its projects in Aceh were geared to local capacity-building.

"Strengthening the capacities of local governments, civil society organisations, entrepreneurs and the people of Aceh and Nias to play a productive role in the future of Aceh and Nias, is a key feature of all MDF projects," it said in a document released on the same occasion.

MDF co-chairman and director of the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency for Aceh and Nias, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, said community-driven projects had shown themselves to be a major success.

"Community-driven projects deliver quick and sustainable results, while empowering the local communities," Mangkusubroto said.

The MDF consists of 15 donors, including the European Commission, the United States, Germany, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

On December 26, 2004, the tsunami destroyed more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) of Aceh's coastline, killed some 168,000 people in the province and destroyed infrastructure and houses.

earlier related report
Red Cross Calls For Sustained Aid For Thai Tsunami Survivors
Bangkok (AFP) Dec 14 - The Red Cross called Thursday on Thailand to continue its aid to tsunami survivors along the Andaman coast, saying they are still struggling to put their lives back together after the 2004 disaster. "The Thai government has done an excellent job in recovery programs in terms of houses, infrastructure and utilities," Bhupinder Tomar, head of the group's mission for tsunami recovery program to Thailand, told a news conference.

"But people down there are still suffering and (trying) to get back to their normal lives before the tsunami," said Tomar from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Some 5,400 people were killed in Thailand on December 26, 2004, when the killer waves tore across the Indian Ocean.

Roughly half of the victims in the kingdom were foreign holidaymakers. Tourism, which accounts for six percent of the Thai economy, was badly hit by the disaster, but is now almost back to pre-tsunami levels.

Tomar said the Thai government should continue to support people affected by the tsunami and called on Bangkok to implement job training programs.

"It will take about four to five years for Thailand to completely recover from the big devastation of tsunami and it needs continued and consistent efforts from the government for rehabilitation," he said.

Thailand is to mark the second anniversary of the December 26 tsunami, which killed 220,000 people in a dozen countries.

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