Donors pledge more aid for Aceh barracks<\/p>\n
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
Germany, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
\n(UNHCR) and World Vision have pledged funds to build barracks to
\naccommodate the hundreds of thousands of people in Aceh displaced
\nby the earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26.<\/p>\n
The government has also decided to do away with the bidding to
\nbuild these semi-permanent facilities at a cost of about Rp 300
\nmillion each, and instead will appoint the contractors, most
\nlocal Acehnese.<\/p>\n
Chairani TA, deputy head of City Spatial Planning and
\nSettlement in the Aceh provincial government, said the government
\nhad designated 24 locations for the barracks, which will be a
\ntemporary home for the victims of the disaster.<\/p>\n
\"These facilities should be good for two years. By then we
\nexpect that these displaced people will have found better places
\nto stay,\" Chairani said.<\/p>\n
He said the barracks would be spread throughout Banda Aceh and
\nin the regencies of Aceh Timur, Aceh Utara, Aceh Barat, Aceh
\nJaya, Bireuen, Pidie and Nagan Raya.<\/p>\n
\"These displaced people must not spend too long in refugee
\ncamps,\" he told The Jakarta Post. \"We will build these barracks
\nas temporary homes.\"<\/p>\n
World Vision, one of the international relief organizations
\nactive in Aceh, has pledged to finance the construction of four
\nof the facilities. Germany will finance five of the barracks, the
\nCouncil of Buddhist Communities three, the Association of
\nNational Contractors one, and state-owned enterprises Nindiya
\nKarya and Hutama Karya one location each. The UNHCR has also
\npledged to assist in the construction of the barracks.<\/p>\n
Chairani defended the decision to bypass the tender process
\nand to appoint contractors. \"We want to empower local
\ncontractors. Some of them were hurt by the disaster too.\"<\/p>\n
Each facility should be able to accommodate between 1,000 and
\n2,000 people. They will be equipped with kitchen, toilets and
\nclean water, he said.<\/p>\n
A plot of land next to each barrack will be set aside for the
\nconstruction of educational facilities.<\/p>\n
\"We will let the occupants decide for themselves what kind of
\neducational facility they need,\" Chairani said.<\/p>\n
Eddy Rachmad, who heads the team designing the barracks, said
\neach building would be 13 meters by 30 meters in size, and each
\nroom three meters by four meters in size and able to accommodate
\nup to five people.<\/p>\n
Australia is assisting in the design to ensure the buildings
\nare fit for habitation, he said.<\/p>\n
Work is already underway in Keude Bieng, Aceh Besar regency,
\non a barracks, said Amsal Ginting of World Vision.<\/p>\n
World Vision is surveying locations for three similar
\nfacilities. Rain, however, hampered work on Sunday. Amsal and his
\nteam will resume surveying possible locations on Monday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/donors-pledge-more-aid-for-aceh-barracks-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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