Rebuilding Aceh<\/p>\n
It has been exactly one month since the magnitude-9 earthquake
\nand tsunami devastated parts of Aceh and North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Such time should be sufficient for us to assess and absorb the
\nimplications of this unprecedented calamity, not only for those
\ndirectly in the path of the disaster, but also for the rest of
\nthe nation.<\/p>\n
We still do not know the exact number of people killed in the
\ntwo provinces. But whether it is 100,000, 160,000 or even
\n200,000, such figures have become irrelevant. More important at
\nthis stage is the number of people who have been displaced by the
\ndisaster, where they are now, and what their living conditions
\nare like.<\/p>\n
There is little that we can do for the dead except bury them,
\nbut there are plenty of things we can, and should, do for the
\nsurvivors. Helping to rebuild their lives, their communities and
\nrestoring their pride and dignity should be the focus of our
\nattention from here onward.<\/p>\n
After one month, the emergency operation is now winding down.
\nThanks to the massive international and national support, there
\nare no more areas or displaced villagers that are beyond the
\nreach of relief workers. There are enough medical personnel and
\nhospitals to treat survivors, and the threats of outbreaks of
\ndiseases associated with natural disasters of this scale have
\nbeen contained.<\/p>\n
There are still some problems regarding coordination but that
\nis understandable given the magnitude of the problem. There are
\ndisplaced families who still have to share tents and have no
\nprivate or family lives, and families who only get to eat once a
\nday. But we are sure that these problems will be overcome over
\ntime.<\/p>\n
There are some encouraging signs that life is slowly returning
\nto normal in Banda Aceh and other towns in the province. Prices
\nof essential goods like food and fuel have gone back to their old
\nlevels. Markets are full once again, and many Acehnese are
\nreturning to the coffee stalls -- a favorite social gathering
\nplace. The local government has resumed services. And beginning
\non Wednesday, schools are reopening in Aceh.<\/p>\n
While life is far from routine, especially for the hundreds of
\nthousands still lingering in makeshift camps, at least some
\nsemblance of civil society is now visible.<\/p>\n
After one month, the time has now come for the nation, and
\nparticularly for the central government, to start thinking about
\nrebuilding Aceh, and to a lesser extent, North Sumatra. The
\nchallenge here is equally daunting, if not even more so, than the
\nimmediate humanitarian relief operation.<\/p>\n
Typically the question is, \"where do you start?\"<\/p>\n
Physical reconstruction, like rebuilding roads, offices,
\nmosques, bridges and homes, will probably be the easiest part of
\nthis process. Money has been made available for the purpose out
\nof the generosity of foreign governments and people all around
\nthe world. It will still take time to complete the job because
\nthe government can only move so fast, but this stage of the
\nreconstruction is probably the least of Indonesia's problems.<\/p>\n
The harder task will be to rebuild the lives of the people who
\nhave not only been displaced, lost their loved ones as well as
\ntheir livelihoods, but also traumatized by the calamity. Many of
\nthem have survived the ordeal but for some, the worst is probably
\nyet to come. Disasters on this scale usually trigger a form of
\ndepression in many people, otherwise known as post-traumatic
\nstress disorder. Unfortunately, the sorry state of many makeshift
\nshelters -- muddy paths, leaks, and lack of privacy -- combined
\nwith the increased poverty likely from unemployment will increase
\nthe likelihood of people developing such problems.<\/p>\n
We need to look beyond the physical reconstruction work and
\nhelp rebuild the lives of these people. A shelter can only be a
\ntemporary abode for them and is no place for families or
\ncommunities.<\/p>\n
There is a lot of hard work ahead for the people of Aceh and
\nNorth Sumatra. The rest of Indonesia must demonstrate that we are
\nwith them all the way on the long journey back to their normal
\nlives.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rebuilding-aceh-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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