Hungry refugees scramble for food

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Lhokseumawe

"Look at this, Sir. Only three pieces of salted fish to share among 10 people," said Mariani, a refugee in North Aceh -- one of the areas hardest hit by Sunday's devastating tsunami that killed thousands of people across Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.

Mariani said on Tuesday she had not eaten for the last two days as food supplies were running out. She must therefore share the food she received from aid workers.

Food is in short supply for victims of the tsunami that was unleashed by a huge earthquake at around 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Food shortages at a number of refugee camps across Aceh have led to deplorable conditions.

In some cases, food provided by humanitarian aid agencies has been strictly rationed, leaving both aid workers and refugees increasingly desperate.

Aid workers at a camp near Cut Meutia General Hospital in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh announced that one piece of fish had to be shared by five refugees, and that a bowl of rice had to be shared among seven people, as the supplies were very limited from emergency command posts.

"One piece of salted fish has to be shared by five people. Supplies are running out, so please take note," shouted Iman Ismail, 51, a food distribution worker at the camp.

He asserted that food must be rationed due to depleting supplies.

Iman said the food sent to the camp was used up three days after the catastrophe and that aid workers were forced to ration the food in order to feed all the refugees.

"How can we stay healthy if food is rationed like this. It's ridiculous," Mariani told The Jakarta Post..

Another refugee at the camp, Sya'dan, 30, said the food shortage meant he could not eat rice and instead ate only instant noodles and dried fish.

Besides food, he said, there was an urgent need for medicine and clothing.

"The condition of many refugees is already weak now, and they will be susceptible to disease in a few days time," Sya'dan said.

The Cut Meutia emergency command post head, Abdullah, 40, confirmed that the number of refugees accommodated at the camp was far greater than the amount of aid received.

There are at least 6,469 refugees languishing at Cut Mutia hospital, he said, adding that they came from eight villages in Blang Mangat district, North Aceh.

Based on data obtained from the North Aceh regental administration, the number of refugees accommodated in several locations in Kampung Punti, Gedong Samudra and Syamtalira Bayu had reached some 50,000, with most of them being placed in mosques and tents in open fields.

Similarly, food shortages were also reported in many refugee camps across East Aceh, including those in Idie, Binjai city, Simpang Damai and Simpang Ulim.