Tsunami Indonesia

Tsunami Indonesia	The first 2 months
Feb 23 A Letter from the field from Wardah Dear friends , It's been a while since I sent field information from Aceh in early February. Our schedule is very hectic. On one hand, activities with the people in communities along coastal line are happening and are fast, on the other, the working system and mechanism of the team and secretariat are gradually being established. We are working in high pressure condition, but all friends here are very enthusiastic and happy with the work we are all doing as a team. The following are more detailed elaboration of the dynamics in the field, especially Banda Aceh. Reconstruction policy and field work A 'war' is now going on in Jakarta and Banda Aceh over reconstruction Concept and policy. Some time on the second week of Feb, the Department of Public Works has issued a reconstruction concept for Banda Aceh, the basic idea of which is relocation of communities along the coastal lines; 2 kms from the sea line should be free from settlements; a high wall that costs 600 billion IDR (Indonesian rupiah) is going to be constructed along the sea line; 2 new, modern and futuristic cities and 1 central business district are to be constructed outside Banda Aceh (a rush of land buying by local and national govt persons and speculators is now happening already in the planned area). Sandeep and his team from Gujarat (who have been here since around 10 days ago), Andy Siswanto and his team (Jakarta) and us (UPLINK - UPC team) in the field are fighting against the crazy concept. We started our field activities by reaching out to communities who want to go back to their original villages. The communities clear out rubble, ruins and debris from the land, use recycled wood to start building interim shelters and we supply them with zinc roof and nails. Then, the community and us (the architects, information team and COs) draw micro planning of the village layout, the final version is signed by the Geucik/village head; collecting basic data on the community (pre and post tsunami). We are now working with communities in 4 sub-districts, Meuraxa (Lamjabat, Surien, Gampong Baru, Aso Nanggroe, Gampong Pie); Jaya Baru (Ule Pata, Cut Blang); Peukan Bada (Meunasah Tuha, Lam Tengoh, and 5 other ajoining villages); Syah Kuala (Jelingke, Alue Naga). Some villages start with building their Meunasah (Lamjabat, Gampong Baru, Aso Nanggroe), some start with their interim shelters. Both the community and us are excited about the process, there are lots of possibilities and hopes here. The overall idea is to visualize and show government and others the people's idea of reconstruction / people's driven concept. In Jakarta, Andy Siswanto, after visited the field some two weeks ago, and with the assistance of the field architects, and after meeting and listening to the IDPs, develop a counter concept, the main idea of which is to create safety measures (infill escape hill, layers of green belts starting from the coastline to village to sub-district to city, early warning system, and construction of escape roads) so the people can return to and rebuild their original villages, especially those along the coastal lines safely. The concept has been presented to BAPPENAS (Government Coordinating body for the Reconstruction of Aceh), line ministers (Minister of Public Works, Ministry of Housing, and others). Very strong debates are now ensuing, both in Jakarta and Banda Aceh. Our/Andy's concept has received support from many professionals and government people, also from the IDPs. Both activities, room level advocacy (concept construction, presentation, debates, etc) and direct field works(community reconstruction and organising of the people) are closely related and connected. The mass media (local and national daily, national and international TV channels, and radio) have started to come to us and covering our field activities and relate them to the counter concept. Early returnees: As you know, the government has been building temporary barracks for the refugees/IDPs (internally displaced people), and has launched the first entry, where people from tents are moved into the barracks, on 15 February 05. The majority of the IDPs, however, refused to move into the barracks. Aside from the fact that in some barracks the basic facilities such as water and toilets are not available, the major issue has been the gap between the government policy, i.e., to house people in temporary barracks and later relocate them to new residential sites far away from their original settlements, and the people's wish to go back to their original kampungs /settlements as soon as possible. Food and non-food supplies: Problems are now faced by those who refuse to move into government barracks. As you may have known, the bulk of food supply is now in the hands of Satkorlak (government), and non-food supplies are in the hands of the army -- both of which give their priority to IDPs in government barracks, and the army uses military logic instead of humanitarian one in the distribution of the food/non-food supplies. In the case of Calang, for example, where access to the area is only from the sea (8 hours by boat from Banda Aceh), and by air (helicopter). Before, many groups, including the Indonesian Marines dropped supplies from the air. It happened that some food supplies fell in the hands of the GAM (separatist movement). Since the incident, the army prohibits food provision from the air, while the road is still broken. We also found tents of IDPs from different areas along the coastal lines who refuse to move into government barracks who do not receive sufficient food supplies. In the case of IDPs from villages in Peukan Bada Subdistrict, they receive only rice and instant noodle, no clean water. In the case of one tent of those from Aloe Naga area, the distribution coordinator sells the food supply, instead of distributing it to the IDPs. Such incident where IDP's do not receive their food supply due to uneven distribution and corruption occurs in many places. Enough for now. Will keep you all posted of the process and progress here as frequently as possible. Cheers, Wardah Hafidz	Go here for latest updates INDONESIA- On This Page A letter from the field Feb 15 Week 5 Fisher Folk Vs Government Villagers Forced from Camps Aceh and the Land Mafia Aceh as an Investment Field Week 4 Miltary Violence in Camps Local groups plan to go back Week 3 The Situation in Indonesia Plans of Action for the futrue Notes on ACHR visit to Aceh Why the new Camps are not the best option Indian Collaboration Plans Week 2 Earlier News from Indonesia
Week 5 URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER: Media Review 6 February 2005 Lafadl (Yogyakarta) delivers this review in collaboration with Urban Poor Linkage (UP-LINK) and Urban Poor Consortium (UPC A national daily newspaper, Bisnis Indonesia, reported that government would construct a center of relocation for 150,000 tsunami victims. A report from Ministry of Health shows that currently there are 424,563 refugees in Aceh and North Sumatera. Still Denied, Tsunami Victims' Rights of Self Determination over Their Living Place The Fisher Folk and Government Before tsunami, there were 63,000 fisher folks in Aceh. 15,000 of them died because of the disaster (Jakarta Post). Though Minister of Coordinator for People's Welfare told reporters that government would not force refugees to live on barracks and other temporary living shelters, many people already raised rejection to the plan. They demand government to focus more on reconstruction of their houses rather than constructing temporary living shelters. To stay near to seashore where their livelihood belongs, fisher folks in Aceh Besar refuse to move to other areas. Jakarta Post (01/02/05) quoted Ibrahim, a fisherman in Aceh Besar, "I still want to go to the sea. If I was demanded to move, I won't be willing to do that." Muhammad Adli Abdullah, one of their leaders, has taken various efforts to make sure their fisherman fellows continue their livelihood. "But government did not involve us in decision making (over the future of fisher folks), though most of the victims were fisher folks, " he said as quoted by Jakarta Post. Muhammad Adli and other fishermen are not demanding government to do "enormous" things for them. "Rebuild our houses and allow us go to the sea to earn money. Those things will be enough for us," he said. Puuk, Cot Trueng and Blang Glumpang Villages forced to Return Home While other refugees prefer to going home to their home villages based on voluntary decisions, Endonesia.com (01/02/05) reported that 70 households coming from Puuk village of Samudera sub-district were forced to go home by local authorities. Otherwise, as these refugees quoted the local authorities' statement, bulldozers would break down the existing houses. Yati (25), who had been living at refugees' camp in Geudong before finally went home after the instruction, told reporters that local authorities of Geudong issued the instruction on Friday, 21st January. According to Yati, they simply couldn't decline the instruction issued by local authorities, which consists of sub-district head and military officer. Before they moved to their home village, they had been promised some relief for a whole two weeks, as they usually received in refugees' camps. But, as Yati told, they got nothing so far. In Cot Trueng and Blang Glumpang village, refugees coming from Meunasah Sagoe (which belongs to Seunuddon sub-district, North Aceh) also received similar instructions. After the instruction, their names on the camp lists were erased. Ache and the Land Mafia Meanwhile, Republika (Friday, 04 February 2005) reported that the Joint Forum, founded by Acehnese members of national legislative and regional representative bodies, warned the government about the increasing activities of land mafia in tsunami destructed areas. Tsunami made borders of land ownership fade away, let alone some owners died because of the disaster. According to the Forum coordinator, Ahmad Farhan Hamid, land mafia conducted their business through filling in the already blurred land borders with soil to make them more blurred.	On the Ground February Urban Poor Consortium and local friends are today in Bande Aceh working in at least 3 camps with people who wish to return to their land - They are attempting to get people back on their land to build temporary shelters - this will hopefully serve as a demonstration model to other agencies and groups. A workshop with international representatives with a people centered approach is scheduled - with the Ministery of Environment and other government agenceis and UN - for February week 3 Aceh as an Investment Field Tsunami related problems look to be more complex with Aceh's existence as the next huge investment field for reconstruction projects. As announced by Coordinative Body for Capital Investment (Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal/BKPM), national government would provide various facilities for new investors interested in reconstruction projects in Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) and some parts of North Sumatera (Bisnis Indonesia, 04/02/05). Theo F. Toemion, chief of the body, told reporters that among those facilities are dispensation over entry tax, value-added-tax exemption over imported capital goods, and even license issuance for foreign labors, if needed. BKPM reported that foreign capital investment in NAD and some part of North Sumatera amounts to 74 projects with total investment reached US$ 5.6 billion, while domestic capital investment reached Rp 3.3 trillion (about US$ 370 million) in 184 projects. Meanwhile, Joseph E. Flynn, Chief of Staff Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), told that his institution continuously encourages private investors from United States to help reconstruction projects in tsunami-affected countries. OPIC was founded by US government in 1971 to facilitate US business interests in overseas investment. Under Tsunami Reconstruction Finance Initiative, OPIC provides loans which amount to US$ 150 million for those countries (Bisnis Indonesia, 04/02/05). It is widely believed that, among private companies interested in the projects, Artha Graha and Halliburton are on the list. Artha Graha is a domestic company owned by Tomy Winata, a leading businessman who was allegedly involved in the torture against Tempo journalist and allegedly having close ties with military business, while Halliburton is US Company already involved in post-war Iraqi reconstruction. Last week, Kompas (29/01/05) reported that government already appointed Artha Graha as the party in charge of making the blue print of Aceh reconstruction. Information Centre at a camp in Aceh

WEEK 4 5 FEB Dear All, I have been in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh, which is one area worst hit by the tsunami since Feb 1, my second time after the first on 12-15 Janury. Our team has been in the field since the second day, and the bigger team that will work together with the people for the reconstruction process, that consists of community organisers, architects, traditional health practitioners and artists have been in the field since around 10 days ago and are staying for at least three months. As you all know, Aceh is still in the status of military conflict area. The civil society are keen to take the opportunity provided by the disaster to stop military violence and to work things towards reconsiliation and peace for the Acehnese. The people are hoping very badly that the disaster will give them opportunity to be, once again, free from violence, repression, and fear. My observation in the field, though, shows a direction way apart. 1. Last Tuesday evening, 2 persons from the separatist movements (GAM) were accosted by the military. One was shot, the other captured. The latter has 1 wife and 2 children, who are the victims of the tsunami, staying at a camp. On Wednesday, 7 army people came into the camp, while quite a big number of them surrounded the camp. The camp coordinator, a young man, who met them was hit on the face 5 times and twice on his chest just because he was asked if he was the village head, and he said he wasn't (indeed, he was not). After that, everybody in the camp were put under the fierce afternoon sun from 1-3 pm. The captured GAM member was taken to the group, was asked to identify any other GAM member in the group, he said there was none, and was asked to kiss his children goodbye. We did not know as of his fate since then. After, the whole camp was terrified, logistic supplies were stopped. One of our team members and myself went to meet the government and military field coordinator last evening to ask for food to send to them but was declined with the explanation that they will check first and will send the food themselves. 2. The government is very keen in putting all the displaced people, especially those who are in tents, to move to temporary shelters built by govt agencies and private sectors. They are now building some 46 temporary shelter camps all over Aceh, and on February 15, they will organise a launching event. The fact I found in the field, after talking to many of the people, all want to come back to their original village: start the cleaning, build temporary shelters in their kampungs, and gradually build permanent houses. They all refuse to move out or to be relocated. In light the govt plan, in many villages and towns in North Aceh, people are forced to move into the govt temporary shelters, are denied access to their original land and villages, and those who refused to consent to the wish of the military are accused as GAM. In my observation, the military now use food and basic needs to control and enforce their military approach. The arrangement is as follows: food supplies and delivery to tents and camps are in the hands of BULOG (govt bureau of logistic), non-food ones such as tent and others are in the hands of the military. The distribution is done trough the hierarchical bureaucracy of government and the military. The procedure starts with the camp committee reports the need to the village/sub-district head, the latter report it to the area committee who will then have to get the green light from the army. The government is very desperate to show, both to the national watchers/people and international society, that they have done a lot and are achieving. I do not see anything wrong in the intention, except that they way to do it is, in my opinion, very wrong. Within such a context, I believe that now we are in a race as to how to work together with the people to secure their rights to choose (if to come back to their original community or otherwise), to their land, and to the decision as to how they will build their new houses, and to do their economic activities. So far we have already 5 communities who are very keen in going back to their communities. One is going to build tents in the original land this evening, starting the cleaning up tomorrow, and will start to build their small mosque after (this is because the mosque is the centre of the community and community's life). The rest will do the same soon. Meanwhile, we are reaching out 2 more, so the number will be big enough to show what the people really want, for them to negotiate with and to advocate their ideas and rights to the power that be. I would like to appeal for your assistance in this case. Kindly inform the public in your countries and your government and persuade them to hold their donation unless the government/military agrees to put the people at the centre in the reconstruction process, as the primary actors and decision makers, and to use the momentum created by the disaster for peace and welfare of the people. Wardah Hafidz	Donation for Aceh can be sent to: URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER Bank Account Name of Payee: Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota Account number: 230-3000097 Name of Bank: BCA KCU Kalimalang Bank Address: Jl. Tarum Barat Blok E no. 5 JAKARTA Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota Billy Moon Blok H-I/7 Jakarta 13450, Phone: 62 - 21 - 8642915,86902407 Fax: 62.21.86902408. Bande Aceh Aceh devastation
WEEK 3 A Report from the Indonesia group at the ACHR Phuket Regional Meeting 19 -20 Jan 2005 The situation in Indonesia is the worst by far. The counted bodies amount to 114,000 as of a few days ago but there are still many thousands of bodies buried under rubble and swept out to sea. Another 152,000 are counted as missing so there is no problem believing their conservative estimate of 200,000 dead in Indonesia. There are an estimated 600,000 homeless. For the first six days there was only military assistance and they had only three helicopters in working order. The roads were blocked. It took eight days for the first convoy of foreign aid to reach Banda Aceh and ( for NGOs in Jakarta ) it cost $200 in bribes to the military in order for it to get through. The military is very nervous about controlling the situation and they limit the mobility of foreign people. Many people in the area had never seen a foreigner before. An enormous amount of money has been pouring in but it in many cases it is being blocked and misdirected by elements of the military and government. The governor of Banda Aceh had been arrested for corruption so the central government, over a thousand miles away in Jakarta, is directly responsible for handling the situation. The root of the discontent in Aceh stems from the fact that there are some 140 million people in the island of Java as compared to some 30 million in Sumatra, and they are not getting a sufficient say in their own affairs. The 6 million people in resource rich and once independent Aceh have long resented their natural wealth being looted by big business and political interests in Java. So the problem of disaster relief requires that the political problems be addressed also. International organizations such as the UN are doing as much to shore up the problem as they are to resolve it. Too much foreign aid is going to the wrong pockets. Post disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh is severely constrained by the military repression of a separatist movement that has plagued the province for some 30 years. This has limited the scale and confidence of the response by the Indonesian civil society to the emergency and augurs badly for the speedy return of disaster victims to their former villages and urban communities and to their former livelihoods. The Indonesian government/military have restricted international assistance to the two cities and one region in Aceh citing security concerns as the reason. Ironically a few days ago the USA indicated that it is reconsidering resuming arms sales to Indonesia. The army will come out of the disaster stronger than before unless a people approach gains some momentum. For example more than 100 relief camps were put together by the people themselves with assistance from local civil society and foreign NGOs, but now the military is relocating them into their own "barrack style" camps, which are being built under sponsorship by large Indonesian business interests by contractors without any tendering process. Some bilateral agencies from countries like Australia and Germany as well as big international NGOs have also indicated that they would financially support the construction of such camps. The opportunities for corruption abound. There is some government talk about building a "beautiful new city" in a different location, a "dream city" that people cannot relate to and that doesn't fit their needs. People's input as to their needs and aspirations at the local level is sadly lacking. They want to return to their own land. The existing temporary camps are loosely organized within themselves. They each have committees and so on to distribute aid within them, but they are not laterally organized together with one another, so they have no collective voice when it comes to addressing future reconstruction issues. If they did have the military would probably put a stop to it. The government has a three stage plan. The first stage is 1 to 3 years in relief camps, where the people would largely be sitting idle to dwell on their plight. The second stage is a year and a half to get reconstruction started. The third stage is a 5 year reconstruction stage where the people will be offered loans , so business interests again intervene as if the people had any means to make repayment. International pressure is needed to get things working on a more practical level involving the people themselves.	boats piled high at bridges After 3 weeks bodies are still being retrieved and buried in mass graves
PLANS by Indonesian Support Groups at the Meeting The Indonesian groups plan to make the People the main actors concentrating on how to support them getting back to their own land, to enable them to reclaim and rebuild their communities and social cohesion. They will form joint groups of people from outside of Aceh and inside ( because the Achenese speak their local language - and also because there is a resentment against the Javanese as they are seen as the colonisers. International support can also join the teams. They will do surveys, mapping and all kinds of activities to get people organised. They then will start identifying the land where the people were - and if possible start to build temporary shelters on their own land. This over a period of about 3 months. - a very critical period in which to come up with demonstrations and models aimed at influencing the policies and direction of the rehabilitation in the broader context. In the teams we have a variety of people - organisers, architects planners - and environmentalist and if they agree, we may start together with the people planting mangroves Secondly they may organise some large symbolic actions - to have the prominent national Moslem religious leaders - to lead a large mass prayer ceremony in Bande Aech to lift the spirit of the survivors - to ease the trauma. - but this is not easy because we have to become involved with the military and government. We would combine this with a large planting of mangroves - as they did in Kobe anniversary - where for each life lost a tree was planted. The third action will be in terms of Advocacy at the national level. In Sri Lanka the local government is heavily involved - but in Aceh there is no governor as he has been arrested for corruption issues - and the national government has taken over. There is a need to create political space to enable people-centred actions and not be harassed by the military or others. So we will lobby to get an umbrella of political security from the national level. With agreement of the Ministry of Environment ( already ) support groups will organise a small workshop where the ministry will also invite other ministers to come - to hear an input from India, Iran and Japan. May be the military and UN should also be there. We will try to make it in such a way that the organiser will be the government. ( for strategic reasons). The aim of the workshop is to try to influence broader reconstruction policy by government from government / private sector driven people - driven.
Notes from a visit to Aceh by ACHR, UPC and friends 11 - 15 Jan 2005 - the notes form the basis of a presentation given to meetings with National Minister and then UN representatives in Jakarta after our visit to Aceh. For fast, socially and culturally sensitive, quality rehabilitation, it is important to involve the tsunami victims themselves, both families and communities, in all stages of the process. Community led disaster rehabilitation helps to restore communities' self confidence. It also helps the victims to regain their own land and housing and to get back to their former occupations. This helps them to restore control over their lives by being active participants and not passive recipients. In all it delivers better physical rehabilitation coupled with better psycho-social rehabilitation. In contrast to traditional, centrally planned and administered approaches, recent international experiences in post disaster community based housing rehabilitation have shown extremely positive results in terms of speed, quality, scale and affordability. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the Indonesian Government draws on such learning in its efforts to deal with the interim housing needs of the tsunami victims of Aceh. Moreover, this would be in keeping with the enabling role that the Indonesian Government has adopted in its national housing strategy. In view of this, the Government's recent announcement to relocate 30,000 of the tsunami victims to 24 camps across Aceh Province gives cause for grave concern for the following reasons: see right column Guiding Principles for Rehabilitation Process 1. Community Orientation Relief and rehabilitation efforts must start with helping the disaster victims come together and organize themselves to determine their needs and to work with other actors to achieve medium and long-term outcomes suitable to them, the victims. 2. Self Help Approach When the victims engage in looking after themselves and negotiate with external actors to design and build their own temporary and permanent housing and regain their livelihoods, they actively recover control over their lives and restore their identity and self-esteem. 3. Unified and coordinated support of Government and NGOs. Disasters catch all sectors by surprise. This inevitably leads to misunderstandings and institutional stand-offs between them which prevents appropriate help reaching those in need in a timely manner. It is vital that information (on all aspects from numbers of affected families to full details of assistance coming in) is shared and that constructive and transparent arrangements between Government and NGOs are quickly established so all kinds of assistance can efficiently and accountably meets the real needs of all the victims. 4. Positive relationships between Communities, Government and NGOs A community led relief and rehabilitation process has enormous potential to transform relations between the tsunami affected populations in Aceh and the national Government as well as between civil society in Indonesia and the Government. Strategic considerations for the proposed Interim Self Help Housing Construction When families and communities return to rebuild on their original or mutually agreed appropriate alternative sites, they should be supported by Government and NGOs. Use of local material: wood, palm leaves, cement provided in stages to families as they build/get built their Semi Permanent Shelters. Use of local skills: masons, carpenters etc. Cashless support processes minimize potential for malpractices so modalities for this, such as setting up a bank account for each family, have to be initiated promptly. Materials scavenged from their former houses can be reused for permanent structures. Involving local people in reconstruction stimulates the local economy. Reuse/recycling of material helps to reduce debris collection, removal and disposal tasks.	Why the new Camps are not the best option The Indonesian Government's recent announcement to relocate 30,000 of the tsunami victims to 24 camps across Aceh Province gives cause for grave concern for the following reasons: WHY THE NEW CAMPS ARE NOT THE BEST OPTION Locating people in camps undermines community identity, cohesion and leadership structures. Living in camps creates dependency on external support mechanisms and personnel and erodes their sense of purpose and hope. Camp environments adversely affect community initiatives and limits prospects for entrepreneurship. Living passively in camps creates a sense of futility and insecurity about the future and intensifies the potential for deepening trauma. Staying away from original locations jeopardizes and complicates peoples' tenure security in their original locations. Camp life seriously hampers economic recovery of the disaster victims as they have limited employment and business opportunities especially when camps are located far from other settlements. Moving to displaced persons camps only postpones final rehabilitation to the permanent sites. Moving the affected families to interim camps effectively duplicates investments in shelter infrastructure and services. Housing and infrastructure provided in temporary camps is more expensive when contracted out. Medium and long term camps for IDPs burdens the Government with heavy recurrent costs for administration and maintenance of the camps. Supervision of the camps by the military can only revive negative images of the treatment of Acehnese in previous decades and alienate the victims from the Government's well intended relief policies. Long term IDP camps inevitably turn into permanent slums. INDONESIA- On This Page Week 5 Fisher Folk Vs Government Villagers Forced from Camps Aceh and the Land Mafia Aceh as an Investment Field Week 4 Miltary Violence in Camps Local groups plan to go back Week 3 The Situation in Indonesia Plans of Action for the futrue Notes on ACHR visit to Aceh Why the new Camps are not the best option Indian Collaboration Plans Week 2 Earlier News from Indonesia More News from ACHR Friends Sri Lanka Indonesia you are here Thailand India Asia in General
The Outcome of the Indian Visit to Indonesia The following plan has been chalked out by Abhiyan India and UPC Jakarta together with Misereor - Germany. UPC will be involved in the actual implementation of Aceh Rehabilitation as also in policy advocacy at national level related to rehabilitation Abhiyan will act as a support mechanism for UPC to undertake specific rehab programmes with community in terms of : Setting up of Information Cell and coordination centres across Banda Aceh Temporary shelter construction Permanent shelter reconstruction Economic recovery of fishermen and farmers Regional planning of coastal belt Abhiyan will also place people from its other associated organizations in UPC based on the need Abhiyan will share its experiences on incorporating environmental aspects in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process with the ministry of environment Abhiyan - UPC will join the ACHR coordination for Tsunami affected countries
News from ACHR Friends in Indonesia JAN 8 2005 Jan 4 From UPC Jakarta It is, indeed, the first time in the lives of most of us to witness such calamity. We are now mobilising all possible resources for relief activities. Social solidarity is very high, practically everybody is doing what they can to give assistance and support -- even the poorest communities in urban areas collecting their donation. Unfortunately, the government, who assumes coordination function, is very slow and not effective. Dead bodies are still scattered all over, and as of today the military can only handle those in major streets in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh. Many dead bodies in the back allies, behind and under ruined buildings still stay as they are. Transport facilities to send food, water and other urgent needs are very limited. At the moment, the Urban Poor Consortium/ Linkage, is mobilising aids and supports as well as volunteers. We concentrate on two focuses, relief actions and recovery programs. For relief action, with financial assistance from Misereor, we are sending tons of food, drinking water, medicines, blankets and others to Aceh and North Sumatra. Also, in coordination with the NGO networks, we set up aid centres both in the disaster areas and in major cities in Indonesia. Yesterday, we managed to send 2 tons of plastic sheets for corpses from Jakarta to Banda Aceh; today, we have to fight very hard to get our 6 tons of liquid milk be trasported, we finally got the space for 6.30 am tomorrow, 2 Jan. Today, we decided to send the rest of the stuff , around 30 tons of different things such as biscuits, drinking water, blankets, medicines, sanitary napkins for women, antiseptic soaps, etc. from Jakarta by sea -- a journey of three days. Donation such as used clothes and others from the urban poor networks all over the country are transported through the Aid Centre of NGO Coalition Network in Jakarta. In order to get the transport facilities, we have to rely on high level contacts in the government. It is not a matter of corruption but lack of coordination and verry slooow action from the government's part. I agree that we have to think ahead, to start preparing ourselves for the recovery stage, especially when the business community is all ready to take all the reconstruction projects of the ruin cities and areas. I was informed that the younger brother of the Vice President has all ready with plans and proposal and funds for the recovery projects. We need all the possible and concrete ideas as to what to do in this stage. We would welcome not only concept and ideas, but also technical assistance and experts to come and sit and work with us to soon plan for it. Wardah URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER: News on Aceh 8 Diseases Threaten People Generally, the condition of Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh,is getting better. Economic Activitiy starts again. However, danger still threaten the population. The failure of the evacuation team to achieve of goal to bury 6000 corpses a day and problems on sanitation and hygiene make the population in danger of cholera epidemic as well as other disease. Until 4 January, there are still many corpses piled up under ruins, especially in isolated areas. It has detected many people who infected by lung disease, especially children. Many people who have been evacuated to other city (Medan and Jakarta), have reported dead because of the limit of oxygenic for medical operation as well as on airplane. In isolated areas such as in west coast, small health problem can easily transform into big one. Scrape or contusion can become a dangerous infection spreading into entire body. Lack of nutritious food weakens body and make people easily attacked by fever. People with hurt fester or Pneumonia, a lung infection that can be caused by germs, is everywhere. Bone fracture which in normal condition is not dangerous can cause a death because it leads to decaying of body. In this case, amputation is become the solution to save the patient Evacuation of wounded people were carried out by Indonesian as well as international volunteers using a USS Abraham Lincoln helicopter. In 4 January there are 43 people have been evacuated from west coast of Aceh. However, when volunteers bring them to Kapesdam Hospital, they have to face a very chaotic situation. There are many corpses left unmanaged. This situation makes the hospital looks very dirty, and it upsets the patients. Only 60% of the evacuation process succeed because military often gives wrong coordinate points. It is worsened by the people themselves which often have doubts to be evacuated and need to be convinced first. Helicopter also can not stay long time in one point since many people always approach asking for food. In each points, there are two to ten persons wounded. It also has been detected many people suffer from serious condition of scabies it which can not simply treated using anti-itch powder. Oral medicine is urgently needed. If this disease is not overcome quickly, it will spread among the people since those who live in the same camp-share toilets and water. It is also worsened by the general situation of the camps which are surrounded by stagnated water which in the near future will cause spreading of malaria, cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea. Such diseases can spread rapidly since there is the limit of toilet facility, water, as well as cooking equipments. Many children suffer from diarrhea because they have to drink water which is not cooked properly. The lack of stove make people have to cook water quickly to give others opportunity to do so. This make water never boiled properly. Health logistics needed, Oxygen 100 units Anti-itch salves Ambulances Jerry-cans Other health logistics, sanitary and hygiene equipment (disinfectants, etc) and medicines such as antibiotic, norit, oralit, etc, need to be supplied continuously. Source: report of Tim Relawan Kita-Forum LSM Aceh, January 3, 2005. Jan 4 From Johan Silas In Indonesia we are still concentrating on the rescue effort. Meanwhile at ITS (Surabaya) we are preparing quick construction housing model as the need is great, but most areas are not accessible by ordinary means. And we have a new ministry for housing. meaning that every thing has to start from scratch, including the budget. ITS have given him our full support. Yours, Johan SILAS Jan 4 from UPC - Received Jan 5 URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER no 7 BURY 6000 CORPSES A DAY A team consists of volunteers, militaries, and government officers work hard and mobilize all available resources to achieve target to bury 6000 corpses a day. By 1 January, 12,383 corpses have been evacuated in Banda Aceh and 8,500 in areas outside of Banda Aceh. This is far from death toll which has reach 94,081 by 3 Januari according to http://en.wikipedia.org . The team must do their work quickly because rotten corpses which have not been buried will endanger population. Diseases such as, diarrhea and fever, haunt refugees. Report of Aceh NGO Forum on 3 January said that in camp of Jembatan Lamnyong, Darusallam, where 300 people live, two refugees dead in four days because of diarrhea. In Cot ilie, three babies dead and one person wounded. The condition of refugees is worsened by inadequate supply of water and sanitation. If this situation continues and accumulates with limited food, poor quality tents, and inadequate of medicine and doctors, health condition of refugees is in big danger. Donation for Aceh can be sent to: URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota Billy Moon Blok H-I/7 Jakarta 13450, Phone: 62 - 21 - 8642915,86902407 Fax: 62.21.86902408. Bank Account Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota account number: 230-3000097 BCA KCU Kalimalang Jl. Tarum Barat Blok E no. 5 JAKARTA Jan 6 Hellicopters - at last distribute aid to isolated communities. Some beach- heads established for ships established - by far the worst affected country - with emergency relief yet to be widely established. JAN 4 The death toll from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the resultant floods was reported to be more than 158,000, with tens of thousands of people reported missing, and over a million left homeless. Almost 100,000 reported dead is Indonesia (Aceh and North Sumatra) JAN 3 The health ministry says the number of dead is likely to reach more than 100,000. There are still dead bodies in the rubble. Huge graves are being dug for the thousands of victims. The government says it has enough food and medicine for survivors but it has been struggling to get aid to many areas. The UN's relief co-ordinator Jan Egeland says a million people need aid. DEC 31 Nearly 80,000 people are confirmed dead in Indonesia, whose western island of Sumatra was closest to the epicentre of Sunday's earthquake. The Health Ministry says the number of dead is likely to reach more than 100,000 with another 400,000 injured. Dec 31 BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Airborne military patrols scoured inaccessible sections of Sumatra island Thursday and discovered that great swaths of land were inundated and roads, bridges and whole villages had vanished. After helicopter flyovers, rescuers estimated more than 80,000 deaths in the region and described the scene as catastrophic. 30 Dec: Most of the coastline affected has not been surveyed - and this area is potentially the worst hit, so one can expect drastic rises in the current dath toll in Indonesia which now stands at more than 45,000 people. Jan 3 From UPC Uplink URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER: News on Aceh 6 Where is the government? The role of government in assisting victims is still minimum. Many camps haven't received any aids. Aids which are accumulated in Airport of Aceh haven't evently distributed to refugee camps. Until yesterday, refugees in Lamreh Atas haven't received any aid. They tried to get some food by looking for things washed away in the river. In Cot Iri, there are three babies dead since people stay in the camp. In Bandara Blang Bintang, people eats instant noodle, they haven't receive any rice. They stay in very poor quality tents. Ironically, high quality (and full of food supply) military and Jakarta's Government tents are erected only 50 meters from them. Telecommunication in Aceh has not been recovered. Internet connection is still cut off. Electricity is relied on generator machines. UPLINK Indonesia has sent 2 volunteers to Aceh, they are Yanto and Lilik. They join with another UPLINK Indonesia volunteer, M. Berkah Gamulya, which has been join with FORUM LSM in Aceh since 30 December 2004. There are now about 80 volunteers from many NGOs and university in FORUM LSM Aceh. UPLINK Indonesia in cooperation with Misereor Germany, has sent 2 tons of corpse bag and 4 tons of milk to Aceh. 30 tons of aid haven't been sent since cargo flight from Jakarta to Aceh is very limited. FORUM LSM Aceh covers 18.273 refugee in 20 camps: 1.Taman Budaya 300 2.TVRI 3000 3.Mataie 1 35 4.Mataie 2 3000 5.Gedung DPRD 300 6.Tungkup 100 7.Kaju-SMIK 1.360 8.Kaju-neuheun 270 9.Indra Patra 1500 10.Neuheun 2500 11.Manasamun 500 12.Lamreh Atas 50 13.Lamreh Bawah 101 14.Lamreh Belakang 200 15.Cot Ilie 30 16.Cot Cut 226 17.SD Buncala 1700 18.Bandara Blang Bintang 1401 19.Lamlong/Lumbata 200 20.Lampeuneret 1500 Total 18.273 UPLINK`s National Secretariat, Urban Poor Consortium (Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota)-Jakarta, receive donation for the victims of Aceh. Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota account number: 230-3000097 BCA KCU Kalimalang Jl. Tarum Barat Blok E no. 5 JAKARTA UPLINK UPLINK`s National Secretariat Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota Billy Moon Blok H-I/7 Jakarta 13450, Phone: 62-21- 8642915,86902407 Fax: 62-21-86902408 UPLINK`s Focal Points FORUM LSM ACEH: Jl. Teuku Iskandar no.58, Lambuk Ule Karing, Banda Aceh contact: phone: 62-(0)651-33619, 635954. Friends of the Earth (Walhi)-North Sumatera Jl. Air Bersih No 79, Medan, Sumatra Utara Office: 62-61-786 9061/7780 4071 Fax. 62-61-786 9061 E-mail: walhisu@indosat.net.id For further information about aceh, click www.airputih.or.id Jan 1st Indonesian NGOs report increased need to get into Achen with aid and lack of cooperation from the military of Indonesia which has tight control - at the expense - it seems - of those in need, .. I'll post more reports when I return from Phuket Jan 3. Dec 31 5PM Following is the latest condition of the victim of Tsunami in Aceh and North Sumatera. Thursday (12/30/2004): District/Town Dead Missing Banda Aceh 15.000 Aceh Jaya 15.000 Aceh Besar 14.000 Sabang 12.000 Aceh Barat 10.200 Calang 5.000 Pulau Aceh 4.000 Aceh Utara 1.540 443 Pidie 1.359 Bireueun 594 Nagan Raya 500 700 Aceh Timur 224 5 Lhokseumawe 157 89 Kreung Mane 117 Aceh Selatan 6 Pulau Simeuleu 4 Health Department also predicted the numbers of victims (dead and injured) will reach 500.000 and 100.000 houses destroyed. The number of displaced persons is 150.000, and 150 persons have reached Medan (the nearest cities to Aceh). Dec 31: Late News: 2:34PM Wardah reports by text phone message: The problem mentioned below with distirbution of tons of aid from Jakarta has been solved - through our own ways - more soon Dec 31 12:30 AM It appears the military is in charge of the relief operations in Indonesia. Civil society groups are worried - through past experience - that they are not competent enough and need help of NGO and others expertese to prevent an even more severe aftermath that the tragedy that has already taken place. Despite having tons of plastic covers. food, milk and other needed equipment at the airport today - collected by NGOs in Jakarta - the military stubbornly refused to ship it or to cooperate. Government also refused to intervene. The commercial airlines are not cooperating. As you can read from the reports - below and right - very little aid is getting in - groups feel the military's priorities take precidence, and are misguided. They feel cooperation is needed between different sections of society which have different and needed expertese. - other countries in Asia have not experienced this. Dec 30 - from UPC Jakarta Dear friends, The Indonesian death toll from devastating earthquakes and tsunamis earlier this week is now above 52,000, an official at the Ministry of Health said on Thursday. NGOs in Indonesia such as Kontras, Friends of Earth Indonesia as well as Urban Poor Consortium and Urban Poor Linkage Indonesia, is now collecting aid from communities. However we are facing problem in sending aid to Aceh. Food, medicine, clothes and other things are now still in big cities in Indonesia in waiting to be distributed to Aceh. Airport of Aceh is giving priority to flight carrying victims out of Aceh. Therefore, cargo flights carrying aid from other cities don't have enough opportunity to land. Besides, in Aceh Airport itself, haven't distributed aid to the victims in Aceh. Transportation access in Aceh has not been recovered. Several areas such as West Aceh and North Aceh are still isolated. Tractors sent from Medan (nearest city to Aceh) to clean up roads will arrive in the next 2-3 days. The limited supply of trucks, cars, and gasoline also causes problem in distributing aid. Other means of transportation such as helicopter is urgently needed. Communication only works by cellular phone. The cellular phone with satelite connection is urgently needed. There are about 50 information centers founded by NGOs and communities in Acehs, but not well coordinated. This afternoon, in one several areas, people leaves Banda Aceh to go to the mountainous areas after hearing rumors about another tsunami. Problem on Transportation and communication are the biggest obstacle of aid distribution. Assistance must be focused in this two matters. best regards, Ali, UPC Jakarta	Indonesia English News Updates The Jakarta Post Laksamana.net Back to ACHR Homepage Jan 4 The death toll from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the resultant floods was reported to be more than 158,000, with tens of thousands of people reported missing, and over a million left homeless. Almost 100,000 reported dead is Indonesia (Aceh and North Sumatra) Updates HERE Dec 31 Aid Distribution Crisis from Laksamana.net December 31, 2004 09:00:00 AM, The most serious problem facing relief workers is the distribution of food and medical aid as the fifth day of the catastrophic tsunami disaster that has left at least 80,000 dead in north Sumatra unfolds. This Sydney Morning Herald report below seems to confirm the lack of progress People so hungry they're eating leaves By Lindsay Murdoch in Meulaboh SMH December 31, 2004 The suffering in this once-bustling town of 40,000 on Sumatra's west coast is unimaginable. Five days after Sunday's massive earthquake struck beneath the seabed only 60 kilometres south-west of here, most survivors have received no food, drinking water, medicines or outside help. "Please help me. Please," begged Yuda Suria, 37, a father of two. "We have had no rice or water for two days," he said. "How can we live?" Meulaboh is a wasteland. Up to half the population may be dead. The waves that swept through here last Sunday were eight metres high. The first earthquake collapsed most buildings. Aftershocks have hit every day since. You see suffering everywhere. Sisters Sintra, 15, and Nia, 12, and their brother Ferty, 9, sit in shock on a concrete block, all that is left of their home. Their mother, grandmother and other family members are dead. Asked what their future holds, they can't answer. Nearby, soldiers are pulling bodies out of the debris. A small, rotting foot protrudes from under pieces of iron. The stench of death is everywhere. In 30-degree heat, bodies are falling apart. Some people in the town were so hungry they had been eating leaves from trees, soldiers said. Juffizal, 32, said nobody in the town had enough to drink because the tsunami contaminated the town's freshwater wells. The donations from public is a large amount and the public's generousity is huge - but it just does not compare with the amount spent of arms .... "...... governments of the United States and Britain, are giving less to help the tsunami victims than the cost of one Stealth bomber or a week's bloody occupation of Iraq. The bill for George Bush's coming inauguration party would rebuild much of the coastline of Sri Lanka." John Pilger More News from ACHR Friends Sri Lanka Indonesia you are here Thailand India Asia in General English News Updates The Jakarta Post Laksamana.net For news of Indonesia's Urban Poor on this site go to Indonesia at the Countires Index
Earlier report: 28 December Below are news on Aceh, from jakartapost.com(12/28/04). we are still coordinating with other NGOs in Medan, North Sumatera, the nearest city to Aceh to arrange relief as well as avocacy efforts in Aceh. regards, Ali Indonesia quake toll hits 21,000 as disease threatens BANDA ACEH, Aceh (AFP): The rotting corpses of quake victims piled up Tuesday on Indonesia's Sumatra island where at least 21,000 were dead and more lives were threatened by the possibility of disease outbreaks. There were apocalyptic scenes in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh where the stench of death hung over the rubble of demolished houses as survivors from Sunday's earthquake and tsunami struggled to dig graves in tropical heat. From the obliterated western shoreline of Sumatra's Aceh province there was only eerie silence pierced by an SOS call from what remained of the main town where police said looting had broken out as starvation loomed. Purnomo Sidik, the head of the disaster relief center at the ministry of social services, said on late Tuesday the toll had jumped four-fold to more than 21,000 as the dead were counted in Banda Aceh and the western town of Meulaboh. With medicine, water, body bags, power and communications still in short supply, the threat of widespread sickness was growing while foreign aid agencies said it was near impossible to distribute relief to the area. Aceh has been under military lockdown for over a year during a government drive to crush a separatist rebellion. A ban on foreign aid agencies has just been lifted, but with no network in place they faced a battle to get started. In the first contact from the town of Meulaboh, which would have been among the first hit by the enormous tidal waves that wreaked devastation across Asia, an e-mail from local police said that only 20 percent of the town still stood.

The first 2 months

Feb 23 A Letter from the field
from Wardah
Dear friends ,

It's been a while since I sent field information from Aceh in early February.

Our schedule is very hectic. On one hand, activities with the people in communities along coastal line are happening and are fast, on the other, the working system and mechanism of the team and secretariat are gradually being established. We are working in high pressure condition, but all friends here are very enthusiastic and happy with the work we are all doing as a team.

The following are more detailed elaboration of the dynamics in the field, especially Banda Aceh.

Reconstruction policy and field work
A 'war' is now going on in Jakarta and Banda Aceh over reconstruction Concept and policy. Some time on the second week of Feb, the Department of Public Works has issued a reconstruction concept for Banda Aceh, the basic idea of which is relocation of communities along the coastal lines; 2 kms from the sea line should be free from settlements; a high wall that costs 600 billion IDR (Indonesian rupiah) is going to be constructed along the sea line; 2 new, modern and futuristic cities and 1 central business district are to be constructed outside Banda Aceh (a rush of land buying by local and national govt persons and speculators is now happening already in the planned area).

Sandeep and his team from Gujarat (who have been here since around 10 days ago), Andy Siswanto and his team (Jakarta) and us (UPLINK - UPC team) in the field are fighting against the crazy concept.
We started our field activities by reaching out to communities who want to go back to their original villages. The communities clear out rubble, ruins and debris from the land, use recycled wood to start building interim shelters and we supply them with zinc roof and nails.
Then, the community and us (the architects, information team and COs) draw micro planning of the village layout, the final version is signed by the Geucik/village head; collecting basic data on the community (pre and post tsunami).

We are now working with communities in 4 sub-districts, Meuraxa (Lamjabat, Surien, Gampong Baru, Aso Nanggroe, Gampong Pie); Jaya Baru (Ule Pata, Cut Blang); Peukan Bada (Meunasah Tuha, Lam Tengoh, and 5 other ajoining villages); Syah Kuala (Jelingke, Alue Naga). Some villages start with building their Meunasah (Lamjabat, Gampong Baru, Aso Nanggroe), some start with their interim shelters.

Both the community and us are excited about the process, there are lots of possibilities and hopes here. The overall idea is to visualize and show government and others the people's idea of reconstruction / people's driven concept.

In Jakarta, Andy Siswanto, after visited the field some two weeks ago, and with the assistance of the field architects, and after meeting and listening to the IDPs, develop a counter concept, the main idea of which is to create safety measures (infill escape hill, layers of green belts starting from the coastline to village to sub-district to city, early warning system, and construction of escape roads) so the people can return to and rebuild their original villages, especially those along the coastal lines safely.

The concept has been presented to BAPPENAS (Government Coordinating body for the Reconstruction of Aceh), line ministers (Minister of Public Works, Ministry of Housing, and others). Very strong debates are now ensuing, both in Jakarta and Banda Aceh.
Our/Andy's concept has received support from many professionals and government people, also from the IDPs.

Both activities, room level advocacy (concept construction, presentation, debates, etc) and direct field works(community reconstruction and organising of the people) are closely related and connected.

The mass media (local and national daily, national and international TV channels, and radio) have started to come to us and covering our field activities and relate them to the counter concept.

Early returnees: As you know, the government has been building temporary barracks for the refugees/IDPs (internally displaced people), and has launched the first entry, where people from tents are moved into the barracks, on 15 February 05. The majority of the IDPs, however, refused to move into the barracks. Aside from the fact that in some barracks the basic facilities such as water and toilets are not available, the major issue has been the gap between the government policy, i.e., to house people in temporary barracks and later relocate them to new residential sites far away from their original settlements, and the people's wish to go back to their original kampungs /settlements as soon as possible.

Food and non-food supplies: Problems are now faced by those who refuse to move into government barracks. As you may have known, the bulk of food supply is now in the hands of Satkorlak (government), and non-food supplies are in the hands of the army -- both of which give their priority to IDPs in government barracks, and the army uses military logic instead of humanitarian one in the distribution of the food/non-food supplies.

In the case of Calang, for example, where access to the area is only from the sea (8 hours by boat from Banda Aceh), and by air (helicopter). Before, many groups, including the Indonesian Marines dropped supplies from the air. It happened that some food supplies fell in the hands of the GAM (separatist movement). Since the incident, the army prohibits food provision from the air, while the road is still broken.

We also found tents of IDPs from different areas along the coastal lines who refuse to move into government barracks who do not receive sufficient food supplies.

In the case of IDPs from villages in Peukan Bada Subdistrict, they receive only rice and instant noodle, no clean water. In the case of one tent of those from Aloe Naga area, the distribution coordinator sells the food supply, instead of distributing it to the IDPs. Such incident where IDP's do not receive their food supply due to uneven distribution and corruption occurs in many places.

Enough for now.

Will keep you all posted of the process and progress here as frequently as possible.

Cheers,

Wardah Hafidz

Go here for latest updates

INDONESIA- On This Page

A letter from the field Feb 15
Week 5
Fisher Folk Vs Government
Villagers Forced from Camps
Aceh and the Land Mafia
Aceh as an Investment Field

Week 4
Miltary Violence in Camps
Local groups plan to go back

Week 3
The Situation in Indonesia
Plans of Action for the futrue
Notes on ACHR visit to Aceh
Why the new Camps are not the best option
Indian Collaboration Plans

Week 2
Earlier News from Indonesia

aceh man

bodies

Week 5

URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER:
Media Review 6 February 2005
Lafadl (Yogyakarta) delivers this review in collaboration with Urban Poor Linkage (UP-LINK) and Urban Poor Consortium (UPC

A national daily newspaper, Bisnis Indonesia, reported that government would construct a center of relocation for 150,000 tsunami victims.
A report from Ministry of Health shows that currently there are 424,563 refugees in Aceh and North Sumatera.

Still Denied, Tsunami Victims' Rights of Self Determination over Their Living Place

The Fisher Folk and Government
Before tsunami, there were 63,000 fisher folks in Aceh. 15,000 of them died because of the disaster (Jakarta Post). Though Minister of Coordinator for People's Welfare told reporters that government would not force refugees to live on barracks and other temporary living shelters, many people already raised rejection to the plan. They demand government to focus more on reconstruction of their houses rather than constructing temporary living shelters. To stay near to seashore where their livelihood belongs, fisher folks in Aceh Besar refuse to move to other areas.

Jakarta Post (01/02/05) quoted Ibrahim, a fisherman in Aceh Besar, "I still want to go to the sea. If I was demanded to move, I won't be willing to do that."

Muhammad Adli Abdullah, one of their leaders, has taken various efforts to make sure their fisherman fellows continue their livelihood. "But government did not involve us in decision making (over the future of fisher folks), though most of the victims were fisher folks, " he said as quoted by Jakarta Post.
Muhammad Adli and other fishermen are not demanding government to do "enormous" things for them. "Rebuild our houses and allow us go to the sea to earn money. Those things will be enough for us," he said.

Puuk, Cot Trueng and Blang Glumpang Villages forced to Return Home

While other refugees prefer to going home to their home villages based on voluntary decisions, Endonesia.com (01/02/05) reported that 70 households coming from Puuk village of Samudera sub-district were forced to go home by local authorities. Otherwise, as these refugees quoted the local authorities' statement, bulldozers would break down the existing houses. Yati (25), who had been living at refugees' camp in Geudong before finally went home after the instruction, told reporters that local authorities of Geudong issued the instruction on Friday, 21st January. According to Yati, they simply couldn't decline the instruction issued by local authorities, which consists of sub-district head and military officer. Before they moved to their home village, they had been promised some relief for a whole two weeks, as they usually received in refugees' camps. But, as Yati told, they got nothing so far.

In Cot Trueng and Blang Glumpang village, refugees coming from Meunasah Sagoe (which belongs to Seunuddon sub-district, North Aceh) also received similar instructions. After the instruction, their names on the camp lists were erased.

Ache and the Land Mafia
Meanwhile, Republika (Friday, 04 February 2005) reported that the Joint Forum, founded by Acehnese members of national legislative and regional representative bodies, warned the government about the increasing activities of land mafia in tsunami destructed areas.

Tsunami made borders of land ownership fade away, let alone some owners died because of the disaster. According to the Forum coordinator, Ahmad Farhan Hamid, land mafia conducted their business through filling in the already blurred land borders with soil to make them more blurred.

On the Ground

February
Urban Poor Consortium and local friends are today in Bande Aceh working in at least 3 camps with people who wish to return to their land - They are attempting to get people back on their land to build temporary shelters - this will hopefully serve as a demonstration model to other agencies and groups.

A workshop with international representatives with a people centered approach is scheduled - with the Ministery of Environment and other government agenceis and UN - for February week 3

Aceh as an Investment Field
Tsunami related problems look to be more complex with Aceh's existence as the next huge investment field for reconstruction projects. As announced by Coordinative Body for Capital Investment (Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal/BKPM), national government would provide various facilities for new investors interested in reconstruction projects in Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) and some parts of North Sumatera (Bisnis Indonesia, 04/02/05).

Theo F. Toemion, chief of the body, told reporters that among those facilities are dispensation over entry tax, value-added-tax exemption over imported capital goods, and even license issuance for foreign labors, if needed.

BKPM reported that foreign capital investment in NAD and some part of North Sumatera amounts to 74 projects with total investment reached US$ 5.6 billion, while domestic capital investment reached Rp 3.3 trillion (about US$ 370 million) in 184 projects.

Meanwhile, Joseph E. Flynn, Chief of Staff Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), told that his institution continuously encourages private investors from United States to help reconstruction projects in tsunami-affected countries. OPIC was founded by US government in 1971 to facilitate US business interests in overseas investment.

Under Tsunami Reconstruction Finance Initiative, OPIC provides loans which amount to US$ 150 million for those countries (Bisnis Indonesia, 04/02/05). It is widely believed that, among private companies interested in the projects, Artha Graha and Halliburton are on the list. Artha Graha is a domestic company owned by Tomy Winata, a leading businessman who was allegedly involved in the torture against Tempo journalist and allegedly having close ties with military business, while Halliburton is US Company already involved in post-war Iraqi reconstruction. Last week, Kompas (29/01/05) reported that government already appointed Artha Graha as the party in charge of making the blue print of Aceh reconstruction.

infocentre
Information Centre at a camp
in Aceh

WEEK 4

5 FEB
Dear All,

I have been in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh, which is one area worst hit by the tsunami since Feb 1, my second time after the first on 12-15 Janury. Our team has been in the field since the second day, and the bigger team that will work together with the people for the reconstruction process, that consists of community organisers, architects, traditional health practitioners and artists have been in the field since around 10 days ago and are staying for at least three months.

As you all know, Aceh is still in the status of military conflict area. The civil society are keen to take the opportunity provided by the disaster to stop military violence and to work things towards reconsiliation and peace for the Acehnese. The people are hoping very badly that the disaster will give them opportunity to be, once again, free from violence, repression, and fear.

My observation in the field, though, shows a direction way apart.

1. Last Tuesday evening, 2 persons from the separatist movements (GAM) were accosted by the military. One was shot, the other captured. The latter has 1 wife and 2 children, who are the victims of the tsunami, staying at a camp. On Wednesday, 7 army people came into the camp, while quite a big number of them surrounded the camp. The camp coordinator, a young man, who met them was hit on the face 5 times and twice on his chest just because he was asked if he was the village head, and he said he wasn't (indeed, he was not). After that, everybody in the camp were put under the fierce afternoon sun from 1-3 pm. The captured GAM member was taken to the group, was asked to identify any other GAM member in the group, he said there was none, and was asked to kiss his children goodbye. We did not know as of his fate since then.
After, the whole camp was terrified, logistic supplies were stopped. One of our team members and myself went to meet the government and military field coordinator last evening to ask for food to send to them but was declined with the explanation that they will check first and will send the food themselves.

2. The government is very keen in putting all the displaced people, especially those who are in tents, to move to temporary shelters built by govt agencies and private sectors. They are now building some 46 temporary shelter camps all over Aceh, and on February 15, they will organise a launching event. The fact I found in the field, after talking to many of the people, all want to come back to their original village: start the cleaning, build temporary shelters in their kampungs, and gradually build permanent houses. They all refuse to move out or to be relocated.

In light the govt plan, in many villages and towns in North Aceh, people are forced to move into the govt temporary shelters, are denied access to their original land and villages, and those who refused to consent to the wish of the military are accused as GAM.

In my observation, the military now use food and basic needs to control and enforce their military approach. The arrangement is as follows: food supplies and delivery to tents and camps are in the hands of BULOG (govt bureau of logistic), non-food ones such as tent and others are in the hands of the military. The distribution is done trough the hierarchical bureaucracy of government and the military. The procedure starts with the camp committee reports the need to the village/sub-district head, the latter report it to the area committee who will then have to get the green light from the army. The government is very desperate to show, both to the national watchers/people and international society, that they have done a lot and are achieving. I do not see anything wrong in the intention, except that they way to do it is, in my opinion, very wrong.

Within such a context, I believe that now we are in a race as to how to work together with the people to secure their rights to choose (if to come back to their original community or otherwise), to their land, and to the decision as to how they will build their new houses, and to do their economic activities.

So far we have already 5 communities who are very keen in going back to their communities. One is going to build tents in the original land this evening, starting the cleaning up tomorrow, and will start to build their small mosque after (this is because the mosque is the centre of the community and community's life). The rest will do the same soon. Meanwhile, we are reaching out 2 more, so the number will be big enough to show what the people really want, for them to negotiate with and to advocate their ideas and rights to the power that be.

I would like to appeal for your assistance in this case. Kindly inform the public in your countries and your government and persuade them to hold their donation unless the government/military agrees to put the people at the centre in the reconstruction process, as the primary actors and decision makers, and to use the momentum created by the disaster for peace and welfare of the people.

Wardah Hafidz

Donation for Aceh can be sent to:

URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER

Bank Account
Name of Payee: Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
Account number: 230-3000097
Name of Bank: BCA KCU Kalimalang
Bank Address: Jl. Tarum Barat Blok E no. 5 JAKARTA

Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota

Billy Moon Blok H-I/7 Jakarta 13450, Phone: 62 - 21 - 8642915,86902407
Fax: 62.21.86902408.

Bande Aceh

Aceh devastation

WEEK 3

A Report from the Indonesia group at the
ACHR Phuket Regional Meeting
19 -20 Jan 2005

The situation in Indonesia is the worst by far. The counted bodies amount to 114,000 as of a few days ago but there are still many thousands of bodies buried under rubble and swept out to sea. Another 152,000 are counted as missing so there is no problem believing their conservative estimate of 200,000 dead in Indonesia. There are an estimated 600,000 homeless. For the first six days there was only military assistance and they had only three helicopters in working order. The roads were blocked. It took eight days for the first convoy of foreign aid to reach Banda Aceh and ( for NGOs in Jakarta ) it cost $200 in bribes to the military in order for it to get through.

The military is very nervous about controlling the situation and they limit the mobility of foreign people. Many people in the area had never seen a foreigner before. An enormous amount of money has been pouring in but it in many cases it is being blocked and misdirected by elements of the military and government. The governor of Banda Aceh had been arrested for corruption so the central government, over a thousand miles away in Jakarta, is directly responsible for handling the situation.

The root of the discontent in Aceh stems from the fact that there are some 140 million people in the island of Java as compared to some 30 million in Sumatra, and they are not getting a sufficient say in their own affairs. The 6 million people in resource rich and once independent Aceh have long resented their natural wealth being looted by big business and political interests in Java. So the problem of disaster relief requires that the political problems be addressed also. International organizations such as the UN are doing as much to shore up the problem as they are to resolve it. Too much foreign aid is going to the wrong pockets.

Post disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh is severely constrained by the military repression of a separatist movement that has plagued the province for some 30 years. This has limited the scale and confidence of the response by the Indonesian civil society to the emergency and augurs badly for the speedy return of disaster victims to their former villages and urban communities and to their former livelihoods. The Indonesian government/military have restricted international assistance to the two cities and one region in Aceh citing security concerns as the reason. Ironically a few days ago the USA indicated that it is reconsidering resuming arms sales to Indonesia.

The army will come out of the disaster stronger than before unless a people approach gains some momentum. For example more than 100 relief camps were put together by the people themselves with assistance from local civil society and foreign NGOs, but now the military is relocating them into their own "barrack style" camps, which are being built under sponsorship by large Indonesian business interests by contractors without any tendering process. Some bilateral agencies from countries like Australia and Germany as well as big international NGOs have also indicated that they would financially support the construction of such camps. The opportunities for corruption abound. There is some government talk about building a "beautiful new city" in a different location, a "dream city" that people cannot relate to and that doesn't fit their needs. People's input as to their needs and aspirations at the local level is sadly lacking. They want to return to their own land.

The existing temporary camps are loosely organized within themselves. They each have committees and so on to distribute aid within them, but they are not laterally organized together with one another, so they have no collective voice when it comes to addressing future reconstruction issues. If they did have the military would probably put a stop to it. The government has a three stage plan. The first stage is 1 to 3 years in relief camps, where the people would largely be sitting idle to dwell on their plight. The second stage is a year and a half to get reconstruction started. The third stage is a 5 year reconstruction stage where the people will be offered loans , so business interests again intervene as if the people had any means to make repayment. International pressure is needed to get things working on a more practical level involving the people themselves.

boats

boats piled high at bridges

bodies

After 3 weeks bodies are still being retrieved and buried in mass graves

PLANS by Indonesian Support Groups at the Meeting

The Indonesian groups plan to make the People the main actors concentrating on how to support them getting back to their own land, to enable them to reclaim and rebuild their communities and social cohesion.

They will form joint groups of people from outside of Aceh and inside ( because the Achenese speak their local language - and also because there is a resentment against the Javanese as they are seen as the colonisers. International support can also join the teams.

They will do surveys, mapping and all kinds of activities to get people organised. They then will start identifying the land where the people were - and if possible start to build temporary shelters on their own land.

This over a period of about 3 months. - a very critical period in which to come up with demonstrations and models aimed at influencing the policies and direction of the rehabilitation in the broader context.

In the teams we have a variety of people - organisers, architects planners - and environmentalist and if they agree, we may start together with the people planting mangroves

Secondly they may organise some large symbolic actions - to have the prominent national Moslem religious leaders - to lead a large mass prayer ceremony in Bande Aech to lift the spirit of the survivors - to ease the trauma. - but this is not easy because we have to become involved with the military and government. We would combine this with a large planting of mangroves - as they did in Kobe anniversary - where for each life lost a tree was planted.

The third action will be in terms of Advocacy at the national level. In Sri Lanka the local government is heavily involved - but in Aceh there is no governor as he has been arrested for corruption issues - and the national government has taken over. There is a need to create political space to enable people-centred actions and not be harassed by the military or others. So we will lobby to get an umbrella of political security from the national level.
With agreement of the Ministry of Environment ( already ) support groups will organise a small workshop where the ministry will also invite other ministers to come - to hear an input from India, Iran and Japan. May be the military and UN should also be there. We will try to make it in such a way that the organiser will be the government. ( for strategic reasons). The aim of the workshop is to try to influence broader reconstruction policy by government from government / private sector driven people - driven.

Notes from a visit to Aceh by ACHR, UPC and friends
11 - 15 Jan 2005 - the notes form the basis of a presentation given to meetings with National Minister and then UN representatives in Jakarta after our visit to Aceh.

For fast, socially and culturally sensitive, quality rehabilitation, it is important to involve the tsunami victims themselves, both families and communities, in all stages of the process. Community led disaster rehabilitation helps to restore communities' self confidence. It also helps the victims to regain their own land and housing and to get back to their former occupations. This helps them to restore control over their lives by being active participants and not passive recipients. In all it delivers better physical rehabilitation coupled with better psycho-social rehabilitation.

In contrast to traditional, centrally planned and administered approaches, recent international experiences in post disaster community based housing rehabilitation have shown extremely positive results in terms of speed, quality, scale and affordability. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the Indonesian Government draws on such learning in its efforts to deal with the interim housing needs of the tsunami victims of Aceh. Moreover, this would be in keeping with the enabling role that the Indonesian Government has adopted in its national housing strategy.

In view of this, the Government's recent announcement to relocate 30,000 of the tsunami victims to 24 camps across Aceh Province gives cause for grave concern for the following reasons: see right column

Guiding Principles for Rehabilitation Process

1. Community Orientation

Relief and rehabilitation efforts must start with helping the disaster victims come together and organize themselves to determine their needs and to work with other actors to achieve medium and long-term outcomes suitable to them, the victims.

2. Self Help Approach

When the victims engage in looking after themselves and negotiate with external actors to design and build their own temporary and permanent housing and regain their livelihoods, they actively recover control over their lives and restore their identity and self-esteem.

3. Unified and coordinated support of Government and NGOs.

Disasters catch all sectors by surprise. This inevitably leads to misunderstandings and institutional stand-offs between them which prevents appropriate help reaching those in need in a timely manner. It is vital that information (on all aspects from numbers of affected families to full details of assistance coming in) is shared and that constructive and transparent arrangements between Government and NGOs are quickly established so all kinds of assistance can efficiently and accountably meets the real needs of all the victims.

4. Positive relationships between Communities, Government and NGOs

A community led relief and rehabilitation process has enormous potential to transform relations between the tsunami affected populations in Aceh and the national Government as well as between civil society in Indonesia and the Government.

Strategic considerations for the proposed Interim Self Help Housing Construction

When families and communities return to rebuild on their original or mutually agreed appropriate alternative sites, they should be supported by Government and NGOs.

Use of local material: wood, palm leaves, cement provided in stages to families as they build/get built their Semi Permanent Shelters.

Use of local skills: masons, carpenters etc.

Cashless support processes minimize potential for malpractices so modalities for this, such as setting up a bank account for each family, have to be initiated promptly.

Materials scavenged from their former houses can be reused for permanent structures.

Involving local people in reconstruction stimulates the local economy.

Reuse/recycling of material helps to reduce debris collection, removal and disposal tasks.

Why the new Camps are not the best option

The Indonesian Government's recent announcement to relocate 30,000 of the tsunami victims to 24 camps across Aceh Province gives cause for grave concern for the following reasons:

WHY THE NEW CAMPS ARE NOT THE BEST OPTION

Locating people in camps undermines community identity, cohesion and leadership structures.
Living in camps creates dependency on external support mechanisms and personnel and erodes their sense of purpose and hope.
Camp environments adversely affect community initiatives and limits prospects for entrepreneurship.
Living passively in camps creates a sense of futility and insecurity about the future and intensifies the potential for deepening trauma.
Staying away from original locations jeopardizes and complicates peoples' tenure security in their original locations.
Camp life seriously hampers economic recovery of the disaster victims as they have limited employment and business opportunities especially when camps are located far from other settlements.
Moving to displaced persons camps only postpones final rehabilitation to the permanent sites.
Moving the affected families to interim camps effectively duplicates investments in shelter infrastructure and services.
Housing and infrastructure provided in temporary camps is more expensive when contracted out.
Medium and long term camps for IDPs burdens the Government with heavy recurrent costs for administration and maintenance of the camps.
Supervision of the camps by the military can only revive negative images of the treatment of Acehnese in previous decades and alienate the victims from the Government's well intended relief policies.
Long term IDP camps inevitably turn into permanent slums.

INDONESIA- On This Page
Week 5
Fisher Folk Vs Government
Villagers Forced from Camps
Aceh and the Land Mafia
Aceh as an Investment Field

Week 4
Miltary Violence in Camps
Local groups plan to go back

Week 3
The Situation in Indonesia
Plans of Action for the futrue
Notes on ACHR visit to Aceh
Why the new Camps are not the best option
Indian Collaboration Plans

Week 2
Earlier News from Indonesia

More News from ACHR Friends

Sri Lanka

Indonesia you are here

Thailand

India

Asia in General

The Outcome of the Indian Visit to Indonesia

The following plan has been chalked out by Abhiyan India and UPC Jakarta together with Misereor - Germany.

UPC will be involved in the actual implementation of Aceh Rehabilitation as also in policy advocacy at national level related to rehabilitation
Abhiyan will act as a support mechanism for UPC to undertake specific rehab programmes with community in terms of :

Setting up of Information Cell and coordination centres across Banda Aceh
Temporary shelter construction
Permanent shelter reconstruction
Economic recovery of fishermen and farmers
Regional planning of coastal belt

Abhiyan will also place people from its other associated organizations in UPC based on the need
Abhiyan will share its experiences on incorporating environmental aspects in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process with the ministry of environment
Abhiyan - UPC will join the ACHR coordination for Tsunami affected countries

News from ACHR Friends in Indonesia

JAN 8 2005

Jan 4
From UPC Jakarta
It is, indeed, the first time in the lives of most of us to witness such calamity. We are now mobilising all possible resources for relief activities. Social solidarity is very high, practically everybody is doing what they can to give assistance and support -- even the poorest communities in urban areas collecting their donation. Unfortunately, the government, who assumes coordination function, is very slow and not effective. Dead bodies are still scattered all over, and as of today the military can only handle those in major streets in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh. Many dead bodies in the back allies, behind and under ruined buildings still stay as they are. Transport facilities to send food, water and other urgent needs are very limited.

At the moment, the Urban Poor Consortium/ Linkage, is mobilising aids and supports as well as volunteers. We concentrate on two focuses, relief actions and recovery programs. For relief action, with financial assistance from Misereor, we are sending tons of food, drinking water, medicines, blankets and others to Aceh and North Sumatra. Also, in coordination with the NGO networks, we set up aid centres both in the disaster areas and in major cities in Indonesia. Yesterday, we managed to send 2 tons of plastic sheets for corpses from Jakarta to Banda Aceh; today, we have to fight very hard to get our 6 tons of liquid milk be trasported, we finally got the space for 6.30 am tomorrow, 2 Jan. Today, we decided to send the rest of the stuff , around 30 tons of different things such as biscuits, drinking water, blankets, medicines, sanitary napkins for women, antiseptic soaps, etc. from Jakarta by sea -- a journey of three days. Donation such as used clothes and others from the urban poor networks all over the country are transported through the Aid Centre of NGO Coalition Network in Jakarta. In order to get the transport facilities, we have to rely on high level contacts in the government. It is not a matter of corruption but lack of coordination and verry slooow action from the government's part.

I agree that we have to think ahead, to start preparing ourselves for the recovery stage, especially when the business community is all ready to take all the reconstruction projects of the ruin cities and areas. I was informed that the younger brother of the Vice President has all ready with plans and proposal and funds for the recovery projects. We need all the possible and concrete ideas as to what to do in this stage. We would welcome not only concept and ideas, but also technical assistance and experts to come and sit and work with us to soon plan for it.

Wardah

URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER:
News on Aceh 8

Diseases Threaten People

Generally, the condition of Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh,is getting better. Economic Activitiy starts again. However, danger still threaten the population. The failure of the evacuation team to achieve of goal to bury 6000 corpses a day and problems on sanitation and hygiene make the population in danger of cholera epidemic as well as other disease.

Until 4 January, there are still many corpses piled up under ruins, especially in isolated areas.

It has detected many people who infected by lung disease, especially children. Many people who have been evacuated to other city (Medan and Jakarta), have reported dead because of the limit of oxygenic for medical operation as well as on airplane.

In isolated areas such as in west coast, small health problem can easily transform into big one. Scrape or contusion can become a dangerous infection spreading into entire body. Lack of nutritious food weakens body and make people easily attacked by fever. People with hurt fester or Pneumonia, a lung infection that can be caused by germs, is everywhere. Bone fracture which in normal condition is not dangerous can cause a death because it leads to decaying of body. In this case, amputation is become the solution to save the patient

Evacuation of wounded people were carried out by Indonesian as well as international volunteers using a USS Abraham Lincoln helicopter. In 4 January there are 43 people have been evacuated from west coast of Aceh. However, when volunteers bring them to Kapesdam Hospital, they have to face a very chaotic situation. There are many corpses left unmanaged. This situation makes the hospital looks very dirty, and it upsets the patients.

Only 60% of the evacuation process succeed because military often gives wrong coordinate points. It is worsened by the people themselves which often have doubts to be evacuated and need to be convinced first. Helicopter also can not stay long time in one point since many people always approach asking for food. In each points, there are two to ten persons wounded.

It also has been detected many people suffer from serious condition of scabies it which can not simply treated using anti-itch powder. Oral medicine is urgently needed. If this disease is not overcome quickly, it will spread among the people since those who live in the same camp-share toilets and water.

It is also worsened by the general situation of the camps which are surrounded by stagnated water which in the near future will cause spreading of malaria, cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea. Such diseases can spread rapidly since there is the limit of toilet facility, water, as well as cooking equipments.

Many children suffer from diarrhea because they have to drink water which is not cooked properly. The lack of stove make people have to cook water quickly to give others opportunity to do so. This make water never boiled properly.

Health logistics needed,
Oxygen 100 units
Anti-itch salves
Ambulances
Jerry-cans
Other health logistics, sanitary and hygiene equipment (disinfectants, etc) and medicines such as antibiotic, norit, oralit, etc, need to be supplied continuously.

Source: report of Tim Relawan Kita-Forum LSM Aceh,
January 3, 2005.

Jan 4
From Johan Silas
In Indonesia we are still concentrating on the rescue effort.

Meanwhile at ITS (Surabaya) we are preparing quick construction housing model as the need is great, but most areas are not accessible by ordinary means.

And we have a new ministry for housing. meaning that every thing has to start from scratch, including the budget. ITS have given him our full support.

Yours, Johan SILAS

Jan 4 from UPC - Received Jan 5

URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER no 7

BURY 6000 CORPSES A DAY

A team consists of volunteers, militaries, and government officers work hard and mobilize all available resources to achieve target to bury 6000 corpses a day. By 1 January, 12,383 corpses have been evacuated in Banda Aceh and 8,500 in areas outside of Banda Aceh.

This is far from death toll which has reach 94,081 by 3 Januari according to http://en.wikipedia.org .

The team must do their work quickly because rotten corpses which have not been buried will endanger population.

Diseases such as, diarrhea and fever, haunt refugees. Report of Aceh NGO Forum on 3 January said that in camp of Jembatan Lamnyong, Darusallam, where 300 people live, two refugees dead in four days because of diarrhea. In Cot ilie, three babies dead and one person wounded.

The condition of refugees is worsened by inadequate supply of water and sanitation. If this situation continues and accumulates with limited food, poor quality tents, and inadequate of medicine and doctors, health condition of refugees is in big danger.

Donation for Aceh can be sent to:

URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER
Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
Billy Moon Blok H-I/7 Jakarta 13450,
Phone: 62 - 21 - 8642915,86902407
Fax: 62.21.86902408.

Bank Account
Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
account number: 230-3000097
BCA KCU Kalimalang
Jl. Tarum Barat Blok E no. 5
JAKARTA

Jan 6
Hellicopters - at last distribute aid to isolated communities. Some beach- heads established for ships established - by far the worst affected country - with emergency relief yet to be widely established.

JAN 4
The death toll from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the resultant floods was reported to be more than 158,000, with tens of thousands of people reported missing, and over a million left homeless.

Almost 100,000 reported dead is Indonesia (Aceh and North Sumatra)

JAN 3
The health ministry says the number of dead is likely to reach more than 100,000. There are still dead bodies in the rubble. Huge graves are being dug for the thousands of victims.

The government says it has enough food and medicine for survivors but it has been struggling to get aid to many areas. The UN's relief co-ordinator Jan Egeland says a million people need aid.

DEC 31
Nearly 80,000 people are confirmed dead in Indonesia, whose western island of Sumatra was closest to the epicentre of Sunday's earthquake. The Health Ministry says the number of dead is likely to reach more than 100,000 with another 400,000 injured.

Dec 31 BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Airborne military patrols scoured inaccessible sections of Sumatra island Thursday and discovered that great swaths of land were inundated and roads, bridges and whole villages had vanished. After helicopter flyovers, rescuers estimated more than 80,000 deaths in the region and described the scene as catastrophic.

30 Dec: Most of the coastline affected has not been surveyed - and this area is potentially the worst hit, so one can expect drastic rises in the current dath toll in Indonesia which now stands at more than 45,000 people.

Jan 3 From UPC Uplink

URBAN POOR LINKAGE INFORMATION CENTER: News on Aceh 6

Where is the government?
The role of government in assisting victims is still minimum. Many
camps haven't received any aids. Aids which are accumulated in
Airport of Aceh haven't evently distributed to refugee camps.

Until yesterday, refugees in Lamreh Atas haven't received any aid.

They tried to get some food by looking for things washed away in the river. In Cot Iri, there are three babies dead since people stay in the camp. In Bandara Blang Bintang, people eats instant noodle, they haven't receive any rice. They stay in very poor quality tents.
Ironically, high quality (and full of food supply) military and Jakarta's Government tents are erected only 50 meters from them.

Telecommunication in Aceh has not been recovered. Internet connection is still cut off. Electricity is relied on generator machines.

UPLINK Indonesia has sent 2 volunteers to Aceh, they are Yanto and Lilik. They join with another UPLINK Indonesia volunteer, M. Berkah Gamulya, which has been join with FORUM LSM in Aceh since 30 December 2004.
There are now about 80 volunteers from many NGOs and university in FORUM LSM Aceh.

UPLINK Indonesia in cooperation with Misereor Germany, has sent 2 tons of corpse bag and 4 tons of milk to Aceh. 30 tons of aid haven't been sent since cargo flight from Jakarta to Aceh is very limited.

FORUM LSM Aceh covers 18.273 refugee in 20 camps:

1.Taman Budaya             300
2.TVRI                     3000
3.Mataie 1                 35
4.Mataie 2                 3000
5.Gedung DPRD              300
6.Tungkup                  100
7.Kaju-SMIK                1.360
8.Kaju-neuheun             270
9.Indra Patra              1500
10.Neuheun                  2500
11.Manasamun                500
12.Lamreh Atas              50
13.Lamreh Bawah             101
14.Lamreh Belakang          200
15.Cot Ilie                 30
16.Cot Cut                  226
17.SD Buncala              1700
18.Bandara Blang Bintang    1401
19.Lamlong/Lumbata          200
20.Lampeuneret              1500

Total                    18.273

UPLINK`s National Secretariat, Urban Poor Consortium (Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota)-Jakarta, receive donation for the victims of Aceh.

Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
account number: 230-3000097
BCA KCU Kalimalang
Jl. Tarum Barat Blok E no. 5
JAKARTA

UPLINK
UPLINK`s National Secretariat
Urban Poor Consortium - Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota
Billy Moon Blok H-I/7 Jakarta 13450, Phone: 62-21- 8642915,86902407
Fax: 62-21-86902408

UPLINK`s Focal Points
FORUM LSM ACEH:
Jl. Teuku Iskandar no.58, Lambuk Ule Karing, Banda Aceh
contact: phone: 62-(0)651-33619, 635954.

Friends of the Earth (Walhi)-North Sumatera
Jl. Air Bersih No 79, Medan, Sumatra Utara
Office: 62-61-786 9061/7780 4071
Fax. 62-61-786 9061
E-mail: walhisu@indosat.net.id

For further information about aceh, click www.airputih.or.id

Jan 1st
Indonesian NGOs report increased need to get into Achen with aid and lack of cooperation from the military of Indonesia which has tight control - at the expense - it seems - of those in need, ..
I'll post more reports when I return from Phuket Jan 3.

Dec 31 5PM

Following is the latest condition of the victim of Tsunami in Aceh and North Sumatera.

Thursday (12/30/2004):

District/Town                    Dead                      Missing

Banda Aceh                       15.000

Aceh Jaya                        15.000

Aceh Besar                       14.000

Sabang                            12.000

Aceh Barat                       10.200

Calang                            5.000

Pulau Aceh                        4.000

Aceh Utara                        1.540                    443

Pidie                             1.359

Bireueun                             594

Nagan Raya                          500                    700

Aceh Timur                          224                      5

Lhokseumawe                         157                     89

Kreung Mane                         117

Aceh Selatan                          6

Pulau Simeuleu                        4

Health Department also predicted the numbers of victims (dead and injured) will reach 500.000 and 100.000 houses destroyed.
The number of displaced persons is 150.000, and 150 persons have reached Medan (the nearest cities to Aceh).

Dec 31: Late News: 2:34PM

Wardah reports by text phone message:
The problem mentioned below with distirbution of tons of aid from Jakarta has been solved - through our own ways
- more soon

Dec 31 12:30 AM
It appears the military is in charge of the relief operations in Indonesia. Civil society groups are worried - through past experience - that they are not competent enough and need help of NGO and others expertese to prevent an even more severe aftermath that the tragedy that has already taken place.

Despite having tons of plastic covers. food, milk and other needed equipment at the airport today - collected by NGOs in Jakarta - the military stubbornly refused to ship it or to cooperate.
Government also refused to intervene. The commercial airlines are not cooperating.

As you can read from the reports - below and right - very little aid is getting in - groups feel the military's priorities take precidence, and are misguided. They feel cooperation is needed between different sections of society which have different and needed expertese. - other countries in Asia have not experienced this.

Dec 30 - from UPC Jakarta
Dear friends,

The Indonesian death toll from devastating earthquakes and tsunamis earlier this week is now above 52,000, an official at the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.

NGOs in Indonesia such as Kontras, Friends of Earth Indonesia as well as Urban Poor Consortium and Urban Poor Linkage Indonesia, is now collecting aid from communities.

However we are facing problem in sending aid to Aceh. Food, medicine, clothes and other things are now still in big cities in Indonesia in waiting to be distributed to Aceh.

Airport of Aceh is giving priority to flight carrying victims out of Aceh. Therefore, cargo flights carrying aid from other cities don't have enough opportunity to land. Besides, in Aceh Airport itself, haven't distributed aid to the victims in Aceh.

Transportation access in Aceh has not been recovered. Several areas such as West Aceh and North Aceh are still isolated. Tractors sent from Medan (nearest city to Aceh) to clean up roads will arrive in the next 2-3 days.

The limited supply of trucks, cars, and gasoline also causes problem in distributing aid. Other means of transportation such as helicopter is urgently needed.
Communication only works by cellular phone. The cellular phone with satelite connection is urgently needed.

There are about 50 information centers founded by NGOs and communities in Acehs, but not well coordinated.

This afternoon, in one several areas, people leaves Banda Aceh to go to the mountainous areas after hearing rumors about another tsunami.

Problem on Transportation and communication are the biggest obstacle of aid distribution. Assistance must be focused in this two matters.

best regards,

Ali,

UPC Jakarta

Indonesia
English News Updates

The Jakarta Post

Laksamana.net

Back to ACHR Homepage

Jan 4
The death toll from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the resultant floods was reported to be more than 158,000, with tens of thousands of people reported missing, and over a million left homeless.

Almost 100,000 reported dead is Indonesia (Aceh and North Sumatra)

Updates HERE

Dec 31
Aid Distribution Crisis
from Laksamana.net
December 31, 2004 09:00:00 AM, The most serious problem facing relief workers is the distribution of food and medical aid as the fifth day of the catastrophic tsunami disaster that has left at least 80,000 dead in north Sumatra unfolds.

This Sydney Morning Herald report below seems to confirm the lack of progress

People so hungry they're eating leaves
By Lindsay Murdoch in Meulaboh SMH
December 31, 2004

The suffering in this once-bustling town of 40,000 on Sumatra's west coast is unimaginable.

Five days after Sunday's massive earthquake struck beneath the seabed only 60 kilometres south-west of here, most survivors have received no food, drinking water, medicines or outside help.

"Please help me. Please," begged Yuda Suria, 37, a father of two. "We have had no rice or water for two days," he said. "How can we live?"

Meulaboh is a wasteland. Up to half the population may be dead. The waves that swept through here last Sunday were eight metres high.

The first earthquake collapsed most buildings. Aftershocks have hit every day since. You see suffering everywhere.

Sisters Sintra, 15, and Nia, 12, and their brother Ferty, 9, sit in shock on a concrete block, all that is left of their home. Their mother, grandmother and other family members are dead. Asked what their future holds, they can't answer.

Nearby, soldiers are pulling bodies out of the debris. A small, rotting foot protrudes from under pieces of iron.

The stench of death is everywhere. In 30-degree heat, bodies are falling apart.

Some people in the town were so hungry they had been eating leaves from trees, soldiers said.

Juffizal, 32, said nobody in the town had enough to drink because the tsunami contaminated the town's freshwater wells.

The donations from public is a large amount and the public's generousity is huge - but it just does not compare with the amount spent of arms ....
"...... governments of the United States and Britain, are giving less to help the tsunami victims than the cost of one Stealth bomber or a week's bloody occupation of Iraq. The bill for George Bush's coming inauguration party would rebuild much of the coastline of Sri Lanka."
John Pilger

More News from ACHR Friends

Sri Lanka

Indonesia you are here

Thailand

India

Asia in General

English News Updates

The Jakarta Post

Laksamana.net

For news of Indonesia's
Urban Poor on this site
go to Indonesia at the
Countires Index

Earlier report: 28 December

Below are news on Aceh, from jakartapost.com(12/28/04). we are still coordinating with other NGOs in Medan, North Sumatera, the nearest city to Aceh to arrange relief as well as avocacy efforts in Aceh.

regards,

Ali

Indonesia quake toll hits 21,000 as disease threatens

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (AFP): The rotting corpses of quake victims piled up Tuesday on Indonesia's Sumatra island where at least 21,000 were dead and more lives were threatened by the possibility of disease outbreaks.
There were apocalyptic scenes in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh where the stench of death hung over the rubble of demolished houses as survivors from Sunday's earthquake and tsunami struggled to dig graves in tropical heat.

From the obliterated western shoreline of Sumatra's Aceh province there was only eerie silence pierced by an SOS call from what remained of the main town where police said looting had broken out as starvation loomed.
Purnomo Sidik, the head of the disaster relief center at the ministry of social services, said on late Tuesday the toll had jumped four-fold to more than 21,000 as the dead were counted in Banda Aceh and the western town of Meulaboh.
With medicine, water, body bags, power and communications still in short supply, the threat of widespread sickness was growing while foreign aid agencies said it was near impossible to distribute relief to the area.

Aceh has been under military lockdown for over a year during a government drive to crush a separatist rebellion.
A ban on foreign aid agencies has just been lifted, but with no network in place they faced a battle to get started.
In the first contact from the town of Meulaboh, which would have been among the first hit by the enormous tidal waves that wreaked devastation across Asia, an e-mail from local police said that only 20 percent of the town still stood.