ASIA/INDONESIA - Humanitarian situation in Aceh (Northern Sumatra) ever more critical NGOs warn

Tuesday, 16 November 2004

Jakarta (Fides Service) - While the Indonesian government led by the new President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has prolonged the state of civil emergency in Aceh province northern Sumatra, where Jakarta’s troops are fighting separatists of the GAM Free Aceh Movement, the humanitarian situation is ever more critical. In May 2003 the government enforced martial law, changing it to a ‘state of civil emergency’ in May 2004.
A year of conflict had serious effects on civilian life with displacement of persons, breakdown in health services, education, water supplies, farming and hence the survival of the people. This is the alarm issued by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which organises aid programmes for refugees all over the world.
In collaboration with the Indonesian government and national security forces the IOM, sent delegates to investigate the situation in 124 villages in 15 districts affected by the conflict.
An IOM report said that 86% of the people have problems with “food security”, or, how to find enough food for daily needs. It denounced scarcity of clean water, healthcare, education and transport and destruction of roads, bridges, dams, and irrigation channels in 83% of the villages visited. IOM called for more international aid and humanitarian assistance, particularly from Europe and the United States.
Locally active NGOs say causalities among civilians have been high, and that more than 125,000 people have abandoned their homes with generalised serious consequences for the whole province. The Jesuit Refugees Service (JRS) says there are at least 2,500 people living in camps in various parts of the province.
About 22 million US dollars have been assigned for government humanitarian programmes, especially to assist internally displaced persons. The government has opened 19 camps providing tents, food and medicine. Nonetheless JRS says food is scarce, health conditions in the camps are unsatisfactory, medicines are scarce and the people still fear more violence. It is estimated that at least 26,000 homes and 600 schools have been burned down in a year of violent fighting between the army and the rebels, during which the army killed about 2,000 members of the Free Aceh Movement and took 3,000 prisoners.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 16/11/2004 righe 40 parole 421)


Share: