Ministers visit Aceh to assess problems
Ministers visit Aceh to assess problems
The Jakarta Post, Aceh/Jakarta
High-powered government officials led by Coordinating Minister
for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, made an unscheduled visit to
Aceh on Sunday to tackle problems resulting from the declaration
of martial law and the military operation.
The visit, the first since the renewed hostilities between
government and rebel forces began last Monday was now seen as
very vital because the government apparently did not make
adequate preparations to tackle the many problems that have
adversely affected many Acehnese civilians.
The government officials saw first hand the war's impact on
the supply of basic commodities, public transportation, public
services and education activities.
After the first seven days of military operations to quell the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM), basic commodity prices have been on the
rise as distribution lines to the province have been paralyzed by
the war. Most public transportation has ceased entirely and
education activities in many areas have been halted as hundreds
of school buildings were burned down by unidentified arsonists.
In dealing with the threat of famine from the food shortages,
Jusuf said that the government would immediately distribute basic
commodities to war-torn areas via sea and land.
Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fajar tried to calm
students and their teachers, by saying the government would soon
rehabilitate all school buildings torched over the last week
assist with emergency classes for all students scheduled to take
the upcoming national final exams.
The other Cabinet members in Aceh were Minister of Health
Achmad Sujudi, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah and
Minister of Settlements and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno.
As the government is facing a daunting task, the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has pledged to extend aid to the
province, DPA news agency reported.
With the arrival on Sunday of 20 tons of health kits and
"emergency school" kits in Jakarta, UNICEF kicked off an
emergency assistance program for Aceh.
A flight carrying hospital equipment and pharmaceuticals from
Copenhagen, Denmark arrived in Jakarta on Sunday morning and was
to continue Tuesday up to Banda Aceh, said UNICEF spokesman John
Budd.
He said the emergency schools would consist of 50 tents with
enough school-in-a-box kits for 16,000 students.
UNICEF has warned of a looming humanitarian crisis in Aceh,
where 23,000 children have already been displaced as a result of
previous fighting in a 27-year-old separatist struggle led by
GAM.