Hungry refugees scramble for food<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post\/Lhokseumawe<\/p>\n
"Look at this, Sir. Only three pieces of salted fish to share
\namong 10 people," said Mariani, a refugee in North Aceh -- one of
\nthe areas hardest hit by Sunday's devastating tsunami that killed
\nthousands of people across Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.<\/p>\n
Mariani said on Tuesday she had not eaten for the last two
\ndays as food supplies were running out. She must therefore share
\nthe food she received from aid workers.<\/p>\n
Food is in short supply for victims of the tsunami that was
\nunleashed by a huge earthquake at around 8 a.m. on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Food shortages at a number of refugee camps across Aceh have
\nled to deplorable conditions.<\/p>\n
In some cases, food provided by humanitarian aid agencies has
\nbeen strictly rationed, leaving both aid workers and refugees
\nincreasingly desperate.<\/p>\n
Aid workers at a camp near Cut Meutia General Hospital in
\nLhokseumawe, North Aceh announced that one piece of fish had to
\nbe shared by five refugees, and that a bowl of rice had to be
\nshared among seven people, as the supplies were very limited from
\nemergency command posts.<\/p>\n
"One piece of salted fish has to be shared by five people.
\nSupplies are running out, so please take note," shouted Iman
\nIsmail, 51, a food distribution worker at the camp.<\/p>\n
He asserted that food must be rationed due to depleting
\nsupplies.<\/p>\n
Iman said the food sent to the camp was used up three days
\nafter the catastrophe and that aid workers were forced to ration
\nthe food in order to feed all the refugees.<\/p>\n
"How can we stay healthy if food is rationed like this. It's
\nridiculous," Mariani told The Jakarta Post..<\/p>\n
Another refugee at the camp, Sya'dan, 30, said the food
\nshortage meant he could not eat rice and instead ate only instant
\nnoodles and dried fish.<\/p>\n
Besides food, he said, there was an urgent need for medicine
\nand clothing.<\/p>\n
"The condition of many refugees is already weak now, and they
\nwill be susceptible to disease in a few days time," Sya'dan said.<\/p>\n
The Cut Meutia emergency command post head, Abdullah, 40,
\nconfirmed that the number of refugees accommodated at the camp
\nwas far greater than the amount of aid received.<\/p>\n
There are at least 6,469 refugees languishing at Cut Mutia
\nhospital, he said, adding that they came from eight villages in
\nBlang Mangat district, North Aceh.<\/p>\n
Based on data obtained from the North Aceh regental
\nadministration, the number of refugees accommodated in several
\nlocations in Kampung Punti, Gedong Samudra and Syamtalira Bayu
\nhad reached some 50,000, with most of them being placed in
\nmosques and tents in open fields.<\/p>\n
Similarly, food shortages were also reported in many refugee
\ncamps across East Aceh, including those in Idie, Binjai city,
\nSimpang Damai and Simpang Ulim.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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