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.