UN bodies work around the clock for victims

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The severe devastation in Aceh and North Sumatra, caused by the earthquake-triggered tsunami that crushed the two provinces only a few days before New Year, has forced United Nations bodies to work hand-in-hand around the clock to help save victims.

The international organizations have committed to short- and long-term involvement in assisting over 270,000 refugees.

For the short term, they are focusing on addressing poor nutrition and health, as well as a shortage of clean water and inadequate sanitation.

For the long term, the UN bodies will concentrate on their own specific tasks in providing relief aid for the victims.

The United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) communication officer, Kendartanti Subroto, said her telephone kept ringing every couple of minutes with calls from journalists asking for information on her organization's relief work in the stricken areas.

"In Aceh, we currently have 22 staffers, both local and international," she told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday..

Kendartanti said the current situation was potentially leading to the spread of diarrhea and other water-borne diseases. "At the moment we have sent basic medications for 200,000 internally- displaced people," she said.

UNICEF also warned of a possible outbreak of measles among the children in refugee camps after the calamity.

"We have identified some 1.7 million children aged between six months and 15 years old across Aceh, who must get vaccinated," said Kendartanti.

She said UNICEF would cooperate with the Ministry of Health to distribute rubella vaccines, vitamin E and oral rehydration salts.

So far, the body has distributed US$7.1 million worth of material assistance to Aceh.

UNICEF executive director Carol Bellamy said there were four relief priorities to protect the "tsunami generation" of children.

The focus, she said, should be on keeping the children alive, caring for orphans and other children separated from their parents, and ensuring their protection from exploitation.

UNICEF and other UN bodies were also helping them cope with trauma by getting them back to school as quickly as possible, she added.

"All of us have to focus on these priorities for saving children, and we have to do it now," said Bellamy.

Separately, United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) national program officer Samidjo said his organization was concentrating more on health issues related to Acehnese women affected by the disaster.

"There are over 25,000 pregnant women in Aceh who require immediate care," he said.

He said UNFPA currently had five staffers in Aceh to assess all the necessitates of the victims. "We are planning to send hygiene kits, along with head-scarves, sarongs, towels and T- shirts immediately to Aceh," said Samidjo.

The UNFPA has allocated over US$480,000 to purchase the hygiene kits and reproductive health kits for the next six months.

"We are planning to send 370,000 mattresses and umbilical cord cutters for pregnant women to have safe and clean child births at refugee camps," said Samidjo.

Technical advisor for Emergency and Humanitarian Actions of the World Health Organization (WHO) Arturo Pesigan said about 50 percent of health care personnel in Aceh were among the dead or remain missing.

"There are now some 30 UN bodies and international non- governmental organizations and international medical organizations in Aceh," he said.

The WHO is working together with the Ministry of Health to prevent disease outbreaks after the catastrophe. "Diarrhea, dysentery, measles, dengue, malaria, hepatitis and meningitis could easily spread in Aceh at the moment," said Pesigan.

The WHO has established a monitoring and surveillance system in Aceh for its humanitarian mission.

Pesigan highlighted difficulties in getting access to the hardest hit areas outside Banda Aceh.

To coordinate humanitarian assistance from the UN agencies, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has set up a UN On-site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC) in Banda Aceh.

The World Food Program (WFP) has, meanwhile, sent a total of 2,200 tons of food to Medan before being delivered to Aceh. Another 12,500 tons of rice would be sent there, it said.