Tsunami survivors feel forgotten

Tsunami survivors feel forgotten

Ridwan Max Sijabat
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Ten months after the devastating tsunami that claimed more than
210,000 human lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of others
last December, the public living in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is
still in trouble.

More than 500,000 survivors are still living camps and
temporary barracks in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, Aceh
Besar, Aceh Jaya and West Aceh. The four regions were worst hit
by the 8.9 Richter-scale tremor and tsunami tidal waves.

A part of refugees have apparently gone unrest since many
foreign aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations have begun
pulling out from the province while the rehabilitation and
reconstruction work moves too slowly.

So far only 15 percent of refugees have occupied their simple
home built by state-owned construction companies.

Many survivors who lost their couple and children have set
their dependence on emergency relief from local authorities and
foreign and international aid agencies. But they have frequently
complained on the soaring prices of basic commodities which was
triggered by the recent fuel price hike.

They receive Rp 3,000 (35 Cents) each per day from local
authorities and rice aid from the World Food Program.

A part of school-age children have no longer classes since
many children centers built near refuge camps have disappeared.

Most refugees who used to go fishing won't resume their daily
activities since they could not afford new fishing boats or
vessels. But many fishermen have made other job under the
sponsorship of UNDP and their school-age children moved to other
schools with the help of Unicef.

"The problem in Aceh is still far from over and survivors,
especially internally-displaced children, need a special
attention because they are facing a dark future," 18-year-old
Seong Hur, a volunteer worker of the Korea International
Cooperation Agency (Koica) said here recently.

Seong who sits at 12nd grade of the Jakarta International
School, said tsunami survivors needed not an emergency aid but a
long-term one to help them recover from their trauma and
grievance triggered by the disastrous tragedy.

Working as a volunteer worker of Koica, Seong has helped the
Korean aid agency channel and distribute humanitarian aids to
survivors in the four worst-devastated regions.

"Besides collecting used clothes, books and toys from the
Korean community in Jakarta, I have also used my monthly pocket
money to buy books, pens, pencils and toys to be sent to children
centers in Lampu U, Lhoong, Lhok Nga, Meuraxa and Kutaraja in
Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.

"Compared to billions of dollars donated by the international
community to Aceh, this is not valuable but such a routine aid
will help school-age children in the long run," he said.

Seong was surprised by the less attention of Indonesian people
to the slow rehabilitation and reconstruction work which was
below their nose.

Authorities have paid attention to the implementation of the
Hensinki peace agreement between Indonesia and the Free Aceh
Movement more than 500,000 survivors and children who are facing
a dark future while most people outside Aceh are thinking the
tragedy has been over.

"Of course, victims of suicide bombings in Bali and of the
flash flood in Southeast Aceh, but the reconstruction work should
go faster to allow tsunami survivors to live a normal life," he
said.

He said he was fearing that the shift of the international
community's attention to South Asia following last week's strong
earthquake that killed more than 30,000 in Pakistan, Afghanistan
and India, would make the condition in Aceh worse.

Seong's several Aceh visits has inspired him to study
architecture in the United States next year and, after completing
his study, he would live in Indonesia to develop the Aceh
traditional construction architecture.

"Nine years ago, I was reluctant to live with my parents in
Jakarta. But after going around the archipelago, I have been
impressed by the country's diverse culture and its tribal
housings which are totally different with the modern architecture
in my homecountry," he said.

With the billions of dollars donated by the international
community to Aceh, the government could build hundreds of
thousands of earthquake-resistant, Aceh-style traditional houses
for the tsunami survivors.

"The Aceh traditional houses need no nails and cements. It is
very simple because we need only wood, bamboo, string for
spinning a top and palm fiber for roof but constructions are safe
and flexible in resisting tremors," said Seong.