Indonesia: relief efforts contain effects of flooding, UNICEF reports

Many of the most serious effects of the flooding that killed some 100 people and left over 200,000 in need of urgent assistance in the Indonesian province of Aceh have been brought under control since the start of the year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports in its latest update.

Thanks to a change in the weather and the efforts of UNICEF and other relief agencies, even the most isolated homes in the region have been reached with much-needed supplies, sometimes by boat or four-wheel-drive vehicle.

But the flooding has been traumatic for many children, especially since the rising floodwaters reminded them of the Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated Aceh’s coastal communities two years ago, killing more than 150,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless, UNICEF Child Protection Officer Roberto Benes said.

“Many of the district health centres have been destroyed or damaged severely. UNICEF is working hard to get those back to a functioning level,” he added, citing malaria as a major health concern in the area. The agency and its partners are distributing anti-malarial medication and insecticide-treated bed nets.

In the Tamiang District of Aceh Province the flooding destroyed or heavily damaged 7,000 homes and displaced 90,000 people, and the first priority has been to address water, sanitation and health issues affecting children and families by providing water-purification tablets and water tanks.

Despite the widespread destruction and displacement caused by flooding life in Tamiang is starting to return to normal, Mr. Benes said. “The situation can be considered contained now,” he reported, largely because essential supplies were pre-positioned in the region and UNICEF and its partners were ready “to respond at a moment’s notice.”