Bodies litter Aceh as famine looms<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Medan<\/p>\n
With medicine, food and body bags in short supply, electricity
\nand communications still mostly down, the threat of disease is
\nlooming in Aceh, while the death toll after tidal waves swept
\nthrough the northern part of Sumatra on Sunday continued to
\nincrease.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of bodies found under the rubble and scattered on
\nseashores had not yet been recovered on Tuesday due to the
\nshortage of humanitarian workers, posing a serious threat to the
\nhealth of survivors.<\/p>\n
Humanitarian relief, especially food and medicine, was still
\nbeing held in Medan, North Sumatra, and Jakarta as much of the
\nprovince remained submerged, cutting off roads and radio and
\ntelephone communications were down.<\/p>\n
Relief workers warned on Tuesday of possible outbreaks of
\ndiarrhea and skin diseases since there were difficulties in
\nobtaining clean water and hygienically prepared food.<\/p>\n
The death toll surged to at least 27,000 on Tuesday, with
\n1,164 still missing. But the figure could increase because no
\ndata is available concerning the casualties and other damage on
\nthe west coast of Aceh which is close to the quake epicenter,
\nwhich caused the tsunamis.<\/p>\n
Aerial observation by the Air Force reported that houses and
\nother buildings in most villages and towns in the western and
\neastern parts of Aceh were leveled.<\/p>\n
Only a small number of refugees were evacuated to Medan while
\nmost were staying in refugee camps for fear of aftershocks and
\nrecurring tidal waves.<\/p>\n
With food quickly running out, refugees and other survivors
\nmay face starvation in the next few days. Police said time was
\nrunning out for survivors as looting had broken out and
\nstarvation loomed.<\/p>\n
After observing the magnitude of the humanitarian problems
\ncaused by the disaster, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nordered the immediate restoration of telecommunication lines
\nlinking Aceh and other parts of the country, and the quick
\ndistribution of food, medicines, clothing and tents.<\/p>\n
\"I watched myself a lot of people seeking refuge in various
\nplaces. This must be addressed as soon as possible to prevent any
\nfurther suffering,\" Susilo told a media conference in Medan on
\nhis way back to Jakarta after a two-day visit to Aceh.<\/p>\n
The President also asked that bodies be recovered and fuel
\ndistributed to survivors.<\/p>\n
Susilo said he had appointed North Sumatra governor Rizal
\nNurdin to coordinate the humanitarian relief mission in Aceh and
\nNorth Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, meanwhile, spent the day observing
\nthe west coast of Aceh and North Sumatra, the areas closest to
\nthe quake epicenter.<\/p>\n
The government, backed by international aid groups, sent more
\nplane-loads of emergency supplies into Banda Aceh's airport,
\nwhich has been reopened, while the military said it would set up
\ntwo mobile hospitals in the province.<\/p>\n
The Navy is to deploy its entire western fleet to help relief
\nefforts, sending seven warships, planes and helicopters.<\/p>\n
A working team of the National Disaster Management
\nCoordination Body announced on Tuesday the government was facing
\ndifficulties in channeling aid to victims.<\/p>\n
\"Aid has started to pile up at the relief posts set up by the
\ngovernment, but we have yet to be able to distribute the aid due
\nto a break down in transportation,\" said secretary to
\nCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare Sutejo Juwono.<\/p>\n
The government, therefore, called on foreign countries to
\nprovide helicopters to distribute the aid, particularly for
\nvictims in remote areas.<\/p>\n
\"We need helicopters to distribute food, water, clothing,
\ngenerators and tents to victims in isolated areas,\" Sutejo said.<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 6
\nMore stories on Pages 2,3,5,9,10<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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