Rebuilding Aceh

It has been exactly one month since the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of Aceh and North Sumatra.

Such time should be sufficient for us to assess and absorb the implications of this unprecedented calamity, not only for those directly in the path of the disaster, but also for the rest of the nation.

We still do not know the exact number of people killed in the two provinces. But whether it is 100,000, 160,000 or even 200,000, such figures have become irrelevant. More important at this stage is the number of people who have been displaced by the disaster, where they are now, and what their living conditions are like.

There is little that we can do for the dead except bury them, but there are plenty of things we can, and should, do for the survivors. Helping to rebuild their lives, their communities and restoring their pride and dignity should be the focus of our attention from here onward.

After one month, the emergency operation is now winding down. Thanks to the massive international and national support, there are no more areas or displaced villagers that are beyond the reach of relief workers. There are enough medical personnel and hospitals to treat survivors, and the threats of outbreaks of diseases associated with natural disasters of this scale have been contained.

There are still some problems regarding coordination but that is understandable given the magnitude of the problem. There are displaced families who still have to share tents and have no private or family lives, and families who only get to eat once a day. But we are sure that these problems will be overcome over time.

There are some encouraging signs that life is slowly returning to normal in Banda Aceh and other towns in the province. Prices of essential goods like food and fuel have gone back to their old levels. Markets are full once again, and many Acehnese are returning to the coffee stalls -- a favorite social gathering place. The local government has resumed services. And beginning on Wednesday, schools are reopening in Aceh.

While life is far from routine, especially for the hundreds of thousands still lingering in makeshift camps, at least some semblance of civil society is now visible.

After one month, the time has now come for the nation, and particularly for the central government, to start thinking about rebuilding Aceh, and to a lesser extent, North Sumatra. The challenge here is equally daunting, if not even more so, than the immediate humanitarian relief operation.

Typically the question is, "where do you start?"

Physical reconstruction, like rebuilding roads, offices, mosques, bridges and homes, will probably be the easiest part of this process. Money has been made available for the purpose out of the generosity of foreign governments and people all around the world. It will still take time to complete the job because the government can only move so fast, but this stage of the reconstruction is probably the least of Indonesia's problems.

The harder task will be to rebuild the lives of the people who have not only been displaced, lost their loved ones as well as their livelihoods, but also traumatized by the calamity. Many of them have survived the ordeal but for some, the worst is probably yet to come. Disasters on this scale usually trigger a form of depression in many people, otherwise known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, the sorry state of many makeshift shelters -- muddy paths, leaks, and lack of privacy -- combined with the increased poverty likely from unemployment will increase the likelihood of people developing such problems.

We need to look beyond the physical reconstruction work and help rebuild the lives of these people. A shelter can only be a temporary abode for them and is no place for families or communities.

There is a lot of hard work ahead for the people of Aceh and North Sumatra. The rest of Indonesia must demonstrate that we are with them all the way on the long journey back to their normal lives.