Poor condition of refugees in Aceh

Poor condition of refugees in Aceh

From Republika

The tsunami disaster that hit Aceh has caused great devastation in this province. All its infrastructure has been destroyed by the waves. However, a period of more than five weeks (from the time when the disaster struck on Dec. 26 last year) is more than enough to restore normalcy in Aceh.

Unfortunately, the refugees remain in a poor condition. They are sheltered in a crowd of non-permanent buildings with an inadequate number of bathrooms and latrines. They also lack food and water. Their condition has been worsened by frequent looting.

The government must play a bigger role in taking care of all the needs of the tsunami victims. It must provide proper shelters and supply enough clean water to them. The government must do all this to alleviate the misery of the victims.

DESY ARISANTI

Jakarta