WFP, BPK lament Aceh's slow recovery

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The United Nations food agency expressed deep concern over the slow recovery in tsunami-devastated Aceh, saying another crisis might occur if no action is taken to speed up the ongoing reconstruction and the relief efforts.

Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program Sheila Sisulu said that after nine months, life had not yet returned to normal in Aceh's hardest-hit areas, with most survivors still living in camps or temporary shelters while the UN agency was still facing difficulties in distributing food to those living in remote areas.

"It has been too slow. I think we've all been overwhelmed. I think we underestimated the challenge -- the government, the international community, all of us," she said during a press conference here on Monday.

Sisulu had just arrived from a visit to Banda Aceh, Calang and Meulaboh, all of which were ravaged by the Dec. 26 quake and tsunami, which killed some 130,000 and left over half a million others homeless in the province.

Calang, on the western coast, has been isolated and survivors in Aceh Jaya regency need to be given better services, while those in West Aceh and Aceh Besar were in relatively better conditions, she explained.

"But, all survivors in the three districts need to be moved into the recovery phase and children need to go back to school," she stated, while adding that WFP was feeding 650,000 people and carrying out a school feeding program for a total of 350,000 elementary school students.

She said she had discussed the issues with other international institutions operating in Aceh and the local administration on necessary actions needed to speed up the recovery effort.

She added that WFP, in cooperation with the Aceh administration, and several local non-governmental organizations had distributed the relief aid to the affected regencies via boat because of the damaged roads.

Sisulu warned that the tsunami victims would be facing a second wave of crises in the form of outbreaks of disease, hunger and no education if the government and the international community failed to complete the recovery phase immediately.

Separately, Anwar Nasution, chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency, said a World Bank official also lamented the fact that the relief effort and reconstruction process were going too slow.

He said on Tuesday the official warned that if the problem was left unsettled, it would reduce the world's confidence in Indonesia.

Anwar explained that the World bank official, who was assigned directly by the Bank's new president Paul Wolfowitz, would discuss the matter with other international agencies and institutions that have shown a commitment to providing financial assistance for Aceh.

Anwar himself expressed his disappointment in the government's sluggishness in the reconstruction process, saying quick reconstruction would benefit Indonesia's economy.

"If the government speeds up the relief and reconstruction efforts, foreign donors, including the World Bank, will also accelerate the disbursement of reconstruction aid," he said.

Anwar also said BPK was not content with the way the government did its financial report on humanitarian aid for the tsunami victims.

"Financial reports submitted by religious institutions are far better than the government's," he said, adding that he would soon meet with Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab to ask the government to improve its financial reporting in accordance with proper accounting standards.