Rebuilding Aceh

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.