Low coordination breeds chaos<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh\/Lhokseumawe\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The massive relief operation for tsunami-hit areas in Aceh is on
\nthe brink of chaos with the absence of a single authority
\ndirecting the aid effort.<\/p>\n
In Banda Aceh, the flow of aid stalled on Tuesday when a
\nBoeing 737 cargo plane hit a stranded water buffalo and skidded
\noff the runway at Sultan Iskandar Muda airport, the hub of
\nhumanitarian programs for Aceh.<\/p>\n
Although helicopters were still able to use the airport to
\ndistribute aid, the incident grounded seven Aceh-bound aircraft
\nin Jakarta and disrupted the relief effort. The aircraft were
\nready to transport 35 medics, dozens of volunteers and medical
\nsupplies.<\/p>\n
"I can't imagine anything worse happening to this airfield
\nright now," Capt. Larry Burt, a commander of the U.S. aircraft
\ncarrier Abraham Lincoln, was quoted by Reuters as saying.<\/p>\n
Operations resumed after a special lifting equipment was
\nbrought in by helicopter from Singapore later in the day, but the
\nincident has raised concerns about airport safety.<\/p>\n
The role of Indonesian authorities in facilitating the
\ninternational relief effort for survivors of the Dec. 26 disaster
\nhas also come under question. The massive aid program is the
\nlargest since World War II.<\/p>\n
Latest estimates show that over 145,000 people in the region
\nhave been killed, with more than 94,000 fatalities in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
As the arrival of aid came to a halt at the Banda Aceh
\nairport, substantial aid had not yet reached survivors in need,
\nparticularly those outside refugee camps.<\/p>\n
"If you don't live in a refugee camp, you have to queue like
\nthis. It's very hard for us out here," said survivor Ramzi,
\nstanding in a long line for water.<\/p>\n
A similar chaotic condition was observed in Medan, the capital
\nof North Sumatra, when a backlog of planes due to airlift aid
\nbuilt up at Polonia airport. The confusion was exacerbated by the
\npresence of dozens of irked passengers thronging ticket counters
\nbecause their flights were canceled or postponed.<\/p>\n
In Lhokseumawe, a telecommunications problem disrupted aid
\ndistribution to survivors in distant refugee camps, and the
\nundistributed aid packages were left piled up in a warehouse
\nbelonging to the local administration.<\/p>\n
"All cellular services are down," head of North Aceh social
\nwelfare agency Iskandar Nasri said.<\/p>\n
Iskandar said as a last resort, aid workers visited the
\nrefugee camps directly and drew up a list of the survivors'
\nneeds.<\/p>\n
Earlier, an official with the Medical Emergency Rescue
\nCommittee (Mer-C) said the bulk of aid groups were working alone,
\nwithout any coordination or guidance from the government.<\/p>\n
Responding to the situation, the government decided on Tuesday
\nto develop a clear-cut division of labor for agencies carrying
\nout relief programs in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is head of national disaster
\nmitigation, said Aceh deputy governor Zainal Abubakar would be in
\ncharge of reviving the local administration, while Coordinating
\nMinister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab and Army Chief of Staff
\nGen. Ryamizard Ryacudu would handle relief programs.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard and Alwi have been in Aceh for the past week.<\/p>\n
Kalla did not deny suggestions that in the first week after
\nthe devastation, coordination among government agencies was poor,
\nif not absent.<\/p>\n
"Things have started to improve after we set up an office to
\ncoordinate relief programs," Kalla said.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the House of Representatives is to
\nmeet soon to discuss the possibility of disbursing a Rp 2
\ntrillion (US$215 billion) emergency fund.<\/p>\n
"(The fund) will be used toward humanitarian efforts in Aceh,
\nNabire, Alor and North Sumatra. The government and the House will
\ntalk about it soon," House Secretary-General Faisal Djamal said
\non Tuesday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/low-coordination-breeds-chaos-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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