Aceh desperate for food, medicine

Aceh desperate for food, medicine

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Humanitarian problems in Aceh look set to increase, as the
Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has said it is facing shortages of
medicine and food for people in the war-torn province.

PMI, the solitary non-governmental institution to be granted
access to the battle zones, said it lacked medicine and blood
supplies for refugees and people wounded in the violence.

"So far, we have only distributed humanitarian aid provided by
the social affairs ministry," head of the Aceh chapter Sanusi
Maha told The Jakarta Post by phone from the provincial capital,
Banda Aceh.

Sanusi said the organization had distributed aid to refugees
taking shelter in Pidie, Bireuen and Aceh Besar, where most armed
conflict between Indonesian Military (TNI) troops and Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) rebels had occurred so far. PMI expected to
distribute more food packages and medical aid to 6,000 refugees
in Pidie, he added.

About 20,570 internally displaced people were in Aceh as of
Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

More people have sought refuge at an Islamic boarding house in
Pandrah, some 70 kilometers west of the North Aceh capital,
Lhokseumawe, from their homes in Teungoh and Bantalan, Jeunieb
district, also in the regency.

"We are afraid of stray bullets as there have been frequent
clashes involving GAM and TNI," said one of the 150 refugees, who
had taken shelter in the school since Friday.

A woman said on Tuesday that humanitarian relief had not
reached the refugees after staying for five days at the boarding
school.

"We are running out of food. I don't know what we'll eat if we
do not receive help," she said.

Another group of families from Kayee village, Rantau Selamat
district, East Aceh, and from Aceh Tamiang village, Rantau Pakan,
also fled their homes to avoid gunfights between rebels and the
military. They took shelter in mosques.

PMI has so far deployed about 600 volunteers to all regencies
across Aceh. Sanusi said the volunteers had to perform their
humanitarian tasks in traditional ways due to lack of equipment.

"We have no gloves, masks or body bags, so we have had to
carry bodies with our bare hands and put them in plastic bags,"
he said.

The government has announced that it had allocated some Rp 400
billion for humanitarian operations as part of "the integrated
operation" launched after martial law was imposed in Aceh on May
19.

PMI secretary-general Iyang D. Sukandar confirmed the
shortages the organization has been experiencing, adding that it
only had 10 ambulances available in the province. PMI expected to
send five more ambulances to Aceh from Jakarta.

The government has banned international organizations,
including the UN, from delivering humanitarian assistance, citing
security concerns and "hidden motives" that might turn the Aceh
problem into an international issue.

International organizations wishing to provide humanitarian
relief have been asked to channel their aid to the government and
PMI.

The government has said that it will distribute aid through
its offices in Aceh and via the PMI. The organization's
activities include the evacuation of victims and delivery of
humanitarian aid.

Sukandar said PMI workers also operated in battle zones to
evacuate victims or the deceased. As of Monday afternoon, PMI had
evacuated 78 bodies and two wounded men.

Despite a lack of medical devices and medicine, Sanusi said
that PMI had not been threatened by anyone, including GAM rebels,
so far.

"Instead, we have received support from all parties in Aceh.
They know that PMI is an independent organization; we have no
political agenda," he said.

However, this situation has inspired people to use the red
cross symbol without authorization for their own benefit.

"I have found that the logo has been misused, either by
individuals or institutions," Sukandar said. "We're afraid that
it (illegal use of the logo) could tarnish our reputation as an
independent organization."

The government's decision to ban international institutions
from carrying out a humanitarian mission in Aceh drew more
criticism on Tuesday.

Director of the International Crisis Group (ICG) Sidney Jones
said the ban would adversely affect Aceh people, who were in dire
need of aid.

"The government cannot deny that many Acehnese, especially
children and women, will suffer the most from the military
operation in Aceh," she said.

"It cannot ignore past experience, when humanitarian aid
channeled through the government for refugees in conflict areas
was misused."

After nine days, the death toll of rebels killed in the
military operation in the natural resource-rich province rose to
81 after government troops shot dead six rebels on Tuesday.

The government lost two Army soldiers and Mobile Brigade
police officers on Tuesday, bringing the number of soldiers
killed to four and police to two.