http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=6836
UN: Tsunami relief "inconsistent" in Indonesia 1/28/2005 1:00:00 PM GMT The UN said that one in eight children in Banda Aceh is not receiving enough food The UN said in two reports on Friday that relief supplies are inconsistent in Indonesia's Aceh province, adding that one in eight children is not receiving enough food and that the threat of disease still exists in refugee camps. "We know there are needs that are not being met ... (But) we are no longer worried about (whether) anyone is starving. The schools are reopening. That is a sure sign of recovery," said Bo Asplund, the UN representative in Indonesia. One UN report on the camps stated that the situation is appalling along Aceh's west coast. Some camps lack latrines, forcing people to defecate in fields or near rivers and ponds where they also bathe. Although Asplund acknowledged those concerns, he said that the overall situation was "well onto the path of recovery." "Some coastal communities - small ones - are still needing adequate food. ... Other communities need better water and sanitation," he said. "Scary finding" The UN children's fund said that 12.7 percent of children in Banda Aceh suffer malnutrition, which affects growth and mental development and weakens the immune system. The UNICEF warned that the percentage was a "critical emergency" that needs immediate response and said that the conditions could be even worse outside the provincial capital. "It's a scary finding. Quite honestly, unless we improve water and sanitation in the camps where these children are staying, it's going to get worse," said Ali Mokdad, a U.S. researcher who leads a UNICEF survey team. Governments and rebels begin talks Meanwhile, government officials and rebels in Indonesia and Sri Lanka decided to begin talks to ease tensions and ensure the safe delivery of aid supplies to survivors. Officials in Jakarta and rebels fighting for the independence of Aceh province met in Helsinki, Finland on Friday. "We are going to have face-to-face talks now," Zaini Abdullah, foreign minister of the exiled leadership of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), said. "I am hopeful but it is still too early to say anything." Moves were also under way in Sri Lanka to end fighting between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the government. The two parties decided to discuss the rebels' demands to control the relief efforts in areas they command in the north and east. In Phuket, Thailand, a two-day conference started to design plans to establish a tsunami-warning network. Experts say that many lives could have been saved if an alert system, like the one deployed in the Pacific, had been effective in the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.' http://us.click.yahoo.com/mGEjbB/5WnJAA/E2hLAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.uni.cc *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; 4. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 6. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
