Aceh war leaves 14,000 widows

BANDA ACEH, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam: The continuing armed conflict in Aceh has cost the lives of husbands of 14,000 women in the province over the past 15 years, according to one agency.

The provincial women's empowerment bureau also said the conflict had left 58,127 orphans.

"To help the women support their children we have provided them with psychological counseling as well as vocational training that they will need to earn money," the bureau's head Lailisma Sofyati said on Thursday.

Due to its limited budget, the program could only start in 2001 and has so far assisted 760 women, she added.

The Aceh administration is cooperating with the Family Crisis Centre, the Peduli Anak Bangsa Foundation and the Syiah Kuala University in running the program. -- JP