Life in makeshift tents getting unbearable

Life in makeshift tents getting unbearable

Antara. Banda Aceh

Agusni, a resident in Lampoh Daya subdistrict, Banda Aceh, is
barely able to walk steadily to her tent with strong winds almost
blowing her over. Powerful winds have frequently hit the area in
the past few weeks, making life in a tent precarious.

However, the problem is not faced by Agusni alone, but by some
100 families still living in tents provided by UN agencies, seven
months after the tsunami disaster.

"I have been living in a tent with my five brothers and
sisters here for five months; our parents died in the tsunami,"
she said.

Agusni expected that the government would meet its earlier
promise that all tsunami victims would have houses six months
after the disaster.

"It has been more than six months since the tsunami but the
government has not fulfilled its promise. We have been suffering
living in tents and we hope that we will be provided with a house
soon," she said.

There was a glimmer of hope earlier when some non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) visited the refugee camp where she is now
living. They collected data on the refugees and promised that
they would soon build houses for the tsunami victims, but the
promises never materialized, she said.

"It seems that we have to give up hope. We have to accept the
fact that we will be 'tent people' forever," said Agusni.

While Agusni and probably thousands of others tsunami victims
still face a tough life in tents, other tsunami victims are much
more fortunate, especially those people lived in Lamjene and Ulee
Pata subdistricts, Banda Aceh. In these areas, dozens of
permanent houses are being built and some are even close to
completion.

"The 36-Type houses are being built by Uplink, a foreign NGO.
The houses are earthquake proof," said a construction worker.
There are 50 houses being built and the construction of each
house costs the NGO Rp 9 million (US$947).

The houses being built are certainly fewer than the houses in
the area that were destroyed by the tsunami disaster, which
totaled some 400 houses. Some expressed resentment that they were
not allocated a house, like Amat, a Lamjene resident.

"I am disappointed that I was not allocated a house. But, what
can I do?" said Amat.

Separately, the acting Aceh governor, Azwar Abubakar, said
that at least 100,000 houses were destroyed by the tsunami in 14
regencies and cities throughout Aceh. It will be a mammoth task
to complete all houses, he said.

"However, the Aceh provincial government can only build 1,000
houses as our budget is limited," said Azwar, adding that the
government called on more NGOs to participate in housing
reconstruction for tsunami victims in Aceh.

He explained that currently a good number of NGOs had already
participated in housing reconstruction and with the help of the
NGOs, he expected some 30,000 houses to be built by the end of
the year.