Ambassador Blake's Remarks for the Groundbreaking Ceremony Dhuvaafaru Harbor Tsunami Reconstruction Project

Raa Dhuvaafaru, Maldives
July 14, 2008

Ladies and Gentleman,

I would like to thank each of you and your colleagues for organizing this lovely ceremony and for inviting me for this occasion.  It is truly an honor to be here on Dhuvaafaru on behalf of the American Government and the American people to mark officially the start on construction of the new harbor.

As you may know, this project is part of America’s wider effort to help Maldives rebuild from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.  My government gave Maldives about $12 million dollars for a range of relief and reconstruction efforts. 

When the tsunami hit in 2004, we were saddened by the great loss of life, social disruption, and property damage it caused.  We -- both the U.S. government and the American people -- gave generously to help rebuild, not only in Maldives, but in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India.  The U.S. government gave over $600 million dollars as tsunami assistance.  The American people and NGOs gave even more.   

Here in Maldives, in addition to this harbor and another harbor, we are also supporting

• rehabilitation of power systems on six islands; 
• reconstruction of sewage systems on three islands; 
• creation of community water systems on two islands in Lhaviyani Atoll, not far from here; 
• and modernization of Maldives’ public accounting system, to help keep track or our and other donors’ funding. 

Among all of these projects, we are especially proud to able to contribute to this harbor, since Dhuvaafaru is being developed as a new “safe island.”  This safe island will accommodate 4,000 residents, including many displaced by the tsunami, and will ensure their safety in the future.  The Harbor will of course be a key part in the success of this venture.   

For you, the future residents of Dhuvaafaru, the harbor is the door to the outside world.  You will begin and end your journeys from here, bring in your fish catch, anchor your boats, and greet visiting friends and dignitaries.  So I know you are as eager as I am to see the harbor built and ready to use as soon as possible.

In that respect, I would like to acknowledge the important role of the Ministry of Construction and Public Infrastructure.  You are all, I am sure, aware that prices are rising not just here in Maldives, but around the region and around the world.  The many rebuilding projects following the tsunami have themselves driven up the cost of construction.  As a result, our initial budget for this harbor project proved to be too low to actually cover the full cost of construction. 

That is where the ministry deserves great credit.  Instead of coming back to us or approaching other donors to ask for more funds, the ministry decided immediately that it would contribute half of the total construction cost. 

Of course, it is unfortunate that costs rose like that.  But I appreciate the Ministry’s response, which means that, even more than before, the United States and Maldives are truly partners in this important project. 

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of some colleagues here today. 

Ibrahim Naufal is the very capable engineer with the Ministry of Public Works, who looks after this project. 

Sujeewa Ratnakumara of our USAID mission is helping as a liaison between our side and the line ministries involved in this and our other projects. 

And Farzana Zahir in your Department of External Resources has been my embassy’s contact person for everything from planning this ceremony to keeping us up to date with progress reports on our grant projects.  I thank all of you.

There are many other donor s involved in developing Dhuvaafaru.  I don’t think I could accurately name them all, but I know the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is building houses and other amenities, using donations from the American, Finnish, and German Red Cross societies.  To them and other donors:  We are happy to be your partners in this collective effort.

So, Mr. Minister, let me conclude by saying once again how proud I am to be here for the beginning of construction, and how pleased I am that our governments and the other donors are working together to build this important resource for the people of Maldives.

Thank you.