More shelters to be built in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: A UN body assigned to support the Indonesian government in Aceh reconstruction and rehabilitation is planning to erect between 15,000 and 20,000 temporary shelters within six months. The temporary shelters will be built according to standards that will provide a decent living space, with a healthy environment for children, said the UN body, called the UN Recovery Coordinator for Aceh and Nias, in a statement available to the media on Wednesday.

Each family will have enough privacy while living in a close- knit community. Those who accept the temporary shelters will not lose their right to be provided with permanent shelters later, according to the statement.

The body was recently appointed by the UN to further support the government of Indonesia, specifically the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR), in coordinating the aid community in recovery and reconstruction efforts. The agency also leads the UN team in Aceh and Nias to ensure that the short and medium term humanitarian and recovery needs are not overlooked, the statement says. Other UN agencies and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) have already built dozens of houses and shelters for the tsunami victims. -- JP