UN bodies build 200 houses in Aceh

JAKARTA/BANDA ACEH: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) handed over 200 newly built houses to tsunami-affected families in the fishing village of Peurade in Pidie district, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, UNDP's communications office said this week in Banda Aceh.

The houses -- 155 new masonry houses and 45 rehabilitated residences -- were built in a record time of three months at a cost of Rp 5.7 billion (US$570,000). The funds, a donation from the Japanese government, were made available by UNDP through UN- HABITAT's Aceh-Nias Settlements Support Program.

The recovery project, which uses a community-driven approach, made tsunami survivors the center of reconstruction activities.

Many of Peurade villagers even worked on their own houses to minimize costs and to take advantage of the opportunity to generate income, the UNDP said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post.

"The community had to go through hardships to get these houses built. They endured floods and heavy rains. And now they have new homes," Simon Field, the head of the UNDP office in Aceh, said.

The Pidie district needs 10,000 houses but only 800 have so far been built.

The UNDP is the UN worldwide development network that advocates change and provides countries with access to the knowledge, skills and resources their populations need to improve their lives. -- JP