Famine, trauma consume tsunami survivors<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nBanda Aceh\/Lhokseumawe\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Starvation appears imminent for thousands of tsunami survivors
\nsheltered in tents across Aceh, who are still waiting for
\nhumanitarian assistance that has trickled in far too slowly since
\nSunday's nightmare began.<\/p>\n
Although a large number of local and international aid groups
\nhave already arrived in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, the
\nabsence of trucks and an insufficient fuel supply to transport
\nthe goods and volunteers has apparently been the reason that aid
\ncannot efficiently reach the scattered refugee camps.<\/p>\n
Survivors of the tsunami in Banda Aceh have had to scavenge
\nfor food.<\/p>\n
"I don't know how get the aid. Rice is nowhere to be found,"
\none of the refugees, Yanti, said in desperation.<\/p>\n
As fuel and food became increasingly scarce, people had to
\nstand in a long line in gas stations and shops that were charging
\nastronomically inflated prices.<\/p>\n
Incidents of looting were also reported in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
A policeman, Supardi bin Kasdi, was quoted by Agence France-
\nPresse as saying that survivors in Meulaboh, where the tsunami
\nhad destroyed over 80 percent of the city's structures, said they
\nwould have already run out of food.<\/p>\n
"When I left them (on Tuesday morning) they only had enough
\nfood for a day. I told my men to try to sustain themselves by
\neating coconuts, but they will only last for another day. I saw
\nresidents in the area scavenging for dirty rice on the ground,"
\nhe said after reaching Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
With around three quarters of the west coast of the province
\nin ruins, the death toll from Sunday's disaster surpassed 45,000
\nthroughout northern Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Michael Elmquist, head of the UN Office for the Coordination
\nof Humanitarian Affairs for Indonesia, estimated that the death
\ntoll might reach between 50,000 and 80,000.<\/p>\n
"I would say we are probably talking about somewhere in the
\norder of 80,000 people, 50 to 80,000 people, that would be my
\neducated guess," Elmquist was quoted by Reuters as saying.<\/p>\n
Purnomo Sidik, national disaster director at the Ministry of
\nSocial Services, estimated that at least 10,000 people had died
\nin Meulaboh. Only 3,778 of those have been included in the
\nofficial toll because the rest have not been properly accounted
\nfor.<\/p>\n
Given the severity of the calamity, the central government
\ndecided on Wednesday to take over the administration of the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
"After the earthquake and tsunami, it is no longer a state of
\ncivil emergency. It is a real emergency situation, even more
\nserious," stated Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is also the head
\nof the national disaster mitigation operation.<\/p>\n
Jakarta extended the state of civil emergency in the strife-
\ntorn province to another six months in November.<\/p>\n
Kalla also said the government earmarked Rp 12.6 trillion to
\nfinance a massive relief and reconstruction operation for the
\ntsunami-hit regions that would last until 2009.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, fresh from a two-day visit
\nto Aceh, said he would like to return to the province this
\nweekend.<\/p>\n
"There is a plan to visit Meulaboh and Banda Aceh."
\npresidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said.<\/p>\n
Amidst the shortage of food, survivors also suffered from
\nserious mental trauma and have fallen victim to rumors of another
\ntidal wave.<\/p>\n
Thousands of residents in Lhokseumawe in North Aceh fled the
\ncity in search of higher ground on Wednesday following a rumor
\nthat a strong tidal wave was imminent.<\/p>\n
With every means of transportations available, the hysterical
\nresidents left Lhokseumawe in droves causing a massive traffic
\njam on the roads leading out of the city.<\/p>\n
"For God's sake, please help us, the sea water is coming
\nagain," one of the survivors, Aisyah, said through her tears.<\/p>\n
After reaching a safe spot, two kilometers away from where the
\njournalists encountered the frantic refugee, news arrived that
\nthe waves were just knee high.<\/p>\n
More stories on Pages 2,3,4,5,9,10<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/famine-trauma-consume-tsunami-survivors-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }