JP\/4\/IOM<\/p>\n
Don't kick out foreigners: Tsunami victims<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro
\nand Nani Afrida
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Survivors of last December's tsunami asked the Aceh authorities
\non Friday to review their new policy of restricting the number of
\nforeigners who have been helping them after the devastating
\ncatastrophe.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the National Police's Aceh Task Force announced
\nthat foreigners working for some organizations under the United
\nNations, non-governmental organizations and the media would be
\nrequired to leave Aceh by March 26 because their presence would
\nbe "no longer relevant to the current situation" here.<\/p>\n
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the
\nUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are among the UN
\nagencies on the "please leave" list.<\/p>\n
However, the victims of the disaster said the government
\nshould allow these organizations to stay longer in Aceh as they
\nhad provided them with proper housing areas and job
\nopportunities.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin, 50, a villager from Lampuuk in Lhok Nga, Aceh
\nBesar, said he was happy working for IOM and hoped he could live
\nat one of the houses it is building.<\/p>\n
"I lost most of my family members and have to live here as a
\nrefugee. Thank God that IOM came with their project, so I can
\nwork as a construction worker," said Syamsuddin, who is now
\nsheltering in Tinkeum Lampuenerut in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
He said he is paid Rp 50,000 a day by the organization.<\/p>\n
"I prefer to stay at this house, instead of living at the
\nbarracks (set up by the government). I hope the government will
\nallow IOM to stay here. There is no clean water nor sanitation at
\nthe barracks," he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
IOM spokesman Paul Dillon said his organization had started
\nbuilding houses complexes for internally displaced persons (IDP)
\nin several areas in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Under the project agreed by the government late in January,
\nIOM planned to construct some 11,000 earthquake-resistant houses
\nfor around 60,000 tsunami victims, he said.<\/p>\n
"At that time, Mr. Alwi Shihab, who was responsible for the
\nAceh Disaster Mitigation Board, asked us to build houses for the
\npeople. We agreed with the proposal," Dillon said. Alwi is also
\nthe Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare.<\/p>\n
"As the projects are going on, I wish we can stay here to
\nfinish the job," Dillon added<\/p>\n
Two IOM projects are located in the Lagang and Tinkeum
\nvillages, all in Banda Aceh, and largely involve local people as
\nconstruction workers.<\/p>\n
A 36 square meter temporary house designed by IOM can be built
\nwithin two days and is easily taken down.<\/p>\n
Refugees could stay in the houses, pending the government-
\nsponsored relocation and resettlement programs expected to start
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
State data shows about 400,000 Acehnese people lost their
\nhomes to the tsunami.<\/p>\n
Another disaster victim, Umar Dhani, 34, said he and other
\nAcehnese residents would be willing to join the relocation
\nprogram, only if they were moved to places providing minimum
\nrequirements for public housing.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Brig. Gen. T. Ashikin, the police's Aceh task force
\nchief, said the IOM and UNHCR had no competency to continue
\nworking in Aceh. There were "no refugees" nor "migrants" in the
\narea, but rather internally displaced people (IDPs) -- a problem
\nthat the government should deal with, not foreigners, Ashikin
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4iom-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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