Troops fight rebels, refugees battle illness<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh<\/p>\n
The number of refugees in war-torn Aceh keeps changing, but their
\nmisery remains due to poor sanitation at refugee camps.<\/p>\n
As of Friday, there were 40,854 people staying in refugee
\ncamps across the province, with the most crowded shelters found
\nin South Aceh, North Aceh and East Aceh.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Aceh provincial social affairs agency
\nBurhanuddin said the remaining 690 people in Cot Gapo field in
\nBireuen regency had returned to their homes on Thursday afternoon
\nafter a one-month stay in tents.<\/p>\n
Officials said most of refugees were suffering from acute
\nrespiratory infections and diarrhea, while doctors complained of
\na shortage in medical supplies.<\/p>\n
Fakhrul Rizal, one of 15 doctors assigned at the Keuniree
\nshelter in Pidie, warned of a possible outbreak of diarrhea due
\nto poor hygiene and unclean water consumed by some 1,200
\nrefugees, mostly women and children.<\/p>\n
He said medical workers were anticipating a possible outbreak
\nof smallpox as four children in the last batch of refugees were
\nsuffering from the illness.<\/p>\n
\"We have medicine, but it won't last long. We are running out
\nsyrup to treat diarrhea in children, while we are short of
\nantibiotics such as amoxicilin to treat infections,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The shelter in Keuniree is located in an open area, where
\ntents could not protect the refugees from the heat. Dust makes it
\ndifficult to breathe.<\/p>\n
An elementary school teacher recounted the days she stayed at
\nCot Gapo shelter in Bireuen, which she likened to a jail.<\/p>\n
\"The shelter was like a prison for me. I have a lot of things
\nto do at home, but I will be back to work on Monday,\" Jamilah,
\n50, who teaches in state elementary school SDN 5 in Bireuen,
\nsaid, wiping away her tears.<\/p>\n
Unlike their counterparts in the rest of the country, Acehnese
\nstudents will start their new academic year on Monday, as many
\nschool buildings are still under construction following arson
\nattacks.<\/p>\n
Another refugee, Nurhayati, said she lost her belongings when
\nshe was in the shelter.<\/p>\n
\"My telephone, CD player and refrigerator have gone. I haven't
\nhad the chance to check the other things in the house,\" she told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
Rights groups have criticized the use of force by security
\nauthorities in moving people to refugee camps, which the military
\nsaid it was needed to separate civilians from Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) rebels.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the martial law administrator Col. Ditya
\nSoedarsono said in Banda Aceh on Friday the authorities would
\nfollow up people's complaints of looting which took place when
\nthey were at the refugee camps.<\/p>\n
\"We will not turn a deaf ear to the reports. We will take
\naction against soldiers who are found stealing goods from houses
\nleft vacant by people seeking refuge as we did against troops who
\ncommitted crimes recently,\" he said, referring to the court
\nmartial of soldiers charged with beating and raping civilians.<\/p>\n
The military said on Friday it had killed 11 more separatist
\nrebels in two days of clashes in Aceh province while alleging
\nthat guerrillas shot dead three civilians.<\/p>\n
Six rebels were killed in a clash with troops at mountainous
\nCot Keueung in Aceh Besar district on Thursday. Troops seized
\nfour AK-47 rifles, five other firearms and hundreds of bullets.<\/p>\n
The latest deaths brought the number of rebels shot dead to
\n492 and 210 firearms seized since the start of the massive
\noffensive on May 19.<\/p>\n
Authorities say 992 rebels have been captured or surrendered
\nand 43 military and police officers have died in clashes with
\nrebels.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/troops-fight-rebels-refugees-battle-illness-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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