200,000 children in Aceh malnourished

200,000 children in Aceh malnourished

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: A total of 200,000 children in Aceh aged
under five years old are facing malnutrition because of the
prolonged economic crisis and conflict, says a local official.

Haniff Asmara, deputy chief of the local health office, said
the malnutrition had something to do with the fact that many
mothers and their children were too poor to afford medical
attention from public health centers and hospitals.

"A majority of mothers and children in the remote areas cannot
afford the medical service," he said.

He said the conflict between the Free Aceh Movement and the
military had also disrupted the supply of drugs and basic
commodities to remote areas in the province. --Antara