Year-ender - TEN YEARS AFTER TSUNAMI, ACEH BUILDS BACK BETTER

  By Fardah
   Jakarta, Dec 26, 2014 (Antara) - Even after ten years since the deadly tsunami claimed over 200 thousand lives, its memories haunted survivors and yet they held fast and rebuilt their homes and carried on bravely.

          "Many things have changed, including the enthusiasm of the people, government facilities, and even buildings. The most noteworthy is that the public is in high spirits," Vice-President M Jusuf Kalla said in Banda Aceh, Aceh Darussalam Province, on Dec. 25, a day before the 10th commemoration of the tsunami tragedy and remembrance of its victims.   
      Kalla led the function held in Banda Aceh, on Friday (Dec. 26), to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the powerful tsunami that ravaged Aceh and Nias Island, North Sumatra, on Dec. 26, 2004.

           The commemoration held at Blang Padang Square was attended by some one thousand people, including several ministers, Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah, and foreign ambassadors.

          Before the ceremony, the Vice-President paid tribute to the dead at the Siron mass grave where thousands of tsunami victims are buried.

            The 10th Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster Commemoration, themed "Let's Build a Better Aceh with Heart," held from December 25 to 28, 2014, focuses on reflection, appreciation, and awakening.

          The Vice-President observed that the natural disaster has strengthened unity among Indonesians. Kalla also lauded the international community for sending humanitarian aid to Aceh. 
     "When tsunami hit Aceh, all eyes were on Aceh. The Indonesian people forgot their differences and came together to send humanitarian aid to Aceh," Kalla affirmed.

           The tsunami disaster also proved to be a learning experience for Indonesia with regard to handling post-disaster situations in a better and quicker manner, the Vice-President noted.

          "We cannot just grieve; we must learn from disasters," he emphasized.

           Aceh province Governor Zaini urged the people to increase awareness about possible natural disasters.

             "We now realize that Aceh is one of the areas in Indonesia prone to natural disasters. Ten years ago, we lost many lives to the tsunami. We are in grief, but we also need to learn from it," Zaini remarked.

          The deadly tsunami was triggered by a powerful earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter Scale that created faults as long as 1.2 thousand kilometers, from Aceh to the Andaman Islands in India.

           According to data released by the Aceh provincial administration, the tsunami killed 126,741 people and rendered 500 thousand people homeless. While nearly 750 thousand people became jobless, 93,285 people remain missing.

          The 2004 tsunami, which has been the most devastating one in living memory, affected 18 countries in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. It killed more than 250 thousand people on a single day and left more than 1.7 million people homeless.

          Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, and Tanzania were among the 18 countries affected by the tsunami. 
     On the 10th commemoration, the UNICEF issued a statement commending the people of Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province, for their resilience in rising from devastation.

           "The tremendous efforts of the Acehnese people, supported by the international community, to rebuild even better than what the waves took away, definitely paid off," UNICEF Representative in Indonesia Gunilla Olsson stated in a press release issued on December 25, 2014.

         "In fact, the reconstruction based on the principle of 'Building Back Better' has translated into better opportunities for children to grow up healthy and develop their potential."
      The emergency response to the tsunami, particularly in Aceh where nearly 170,000 people were killed and 800 kilometers of coastline devastated, remains one of the largest humanitarian operations in the UNICEF's history.

          "Thanks to unprecedented support and financial contributions by individual and corporate donors from around the world, some US$336 million could be raised for Aceh alone. The UNICEF was able to roll out large-scale emergency response followed by strategic investments for the province's long-term development," Olsson said.

           Across 21 Children's Centers, set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the UNICEF and partners have managed to register nearly 3,000 children, orphaned or separated from their parents, and supported the family-tracing efforts. The Children's Centers also provide social and psychological support. 
      Immediately after the catastrophe, the UNICEF took on the  important role of saving children from death and diseases, helping them overcome traumatic experiences, bringing them back to school and uniting separated children with their parents or other caregivers.

        Based on the principle of 'Building Back Better', the UNICEF has constructed 345 earthquake-resistant and child-friendly schools and helped train teachers in emergency preparedness. At the national and sub-national level, the UNICEF has supported the integration of disaster risk reduction into the existing curriculums.

       US Secretary of State John Kerry also issued a statement marking the 10th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami and expressed his condolences to survivors who lost their loved ones.

       "On this day of reflection, we mourn with our friends in Asia and Africa who were affected by this terrible disaster. We commit to the hard work ahead to help the region build safer, more resilient communities.  And we pledge our best efforts to leave our children and grandchildren a safer and more sustainable planet. Future generations are counting on us," Kerry stated in a release issued on Dec. 22.

           He said the US recognize the millions of people who have contributed to recovery efforts and honor those who have continued to help the victims pick up the pieces and rebuild their communities.

        A number of foreign ambassadors, including 14 European Union ambassadors to Indonesia, attended the commemoration organized in Banda Aceh. 
    The 14 ambassadors included those from Germany, Slovak, Belgium, Denmark, Britain, Sweden, Ireland, Turkey, and Norway.

         Deputy ambassadors of the European Union to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, and ASEAN were also present at the event, Stelita Ladia Marsha, the communication staff of the European Union office, stated.

         "After the ceremony, the deputy ambassadors of the European Union will visit some regions that were devastated by the tsunami," she revealed.

          The European Union has been actively involved in the rehabilitation and reconstruction program of Aceh after the tsunami, by providing assistance worth two billion euros, including 566 million euros for humanitarian aid and one billion euros for long-term reconstruction programs.

       Situated in a belt of volcanoes called the Ring of Fire, Indonesians cannot ignore tsunami and other natural disaster threats, according to Rear Admiral Untung Suropati, the expert staff of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas), who was among the first to arrive in Aceh following the tsunami.

        Due to its geographical location, Indonesia must always be alert for potential natural disasters, he said in Jakarta on Dec. 26. 
   He recalled that when the gigantic tsunami hit Aceh, he was commanding the Maritime Patrol Task Unit for the western coasts of the Indian Ocean.

        The Navy instructed him to transport relief aid to the tsunami victims in Aceh. He deployed two warships KRI Teuku Umar and KRI Cut Nyak Dien to carry logistics such as medicines, clothing, food, and several medical personnel.

        "We had no idea about the situation, because from the sea, we only saw darkness and no signs of life," he recollected.

        On arriving at the coast, he was taken aback by the sight of bodies strewn everywhere.

        The commemoration of the Aceh tsunami should serve as a momentum to intensify vigilance regarding natural disasters, he emphasized.

        "The 10th commemoration of the Aceh tsunami makes us realize that the potential of the disaster cannot be ignored," he added.

        The gigantic tsunami killed many people due to the absence of an early warning system, he stated.  When the tsunami struck, many people did not know how to deal with it.

        "When the tsunami hit Aceh, local inhabitants rushed to beaches to catch fish, unaware of the huge potential of the disaster at that time," he pointed out.

        On the occasion, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu reminded military personnel that disaster mitigation is among the key priorities of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI).

        "Natural disaster mitigation handling is among the priorities of the TNI," he stated while addressing hundreds of military personnel at the headquarters of the Military Regional Command IX/Udayana in Denpasar, Bali, on Dec. 26.

        Military officers not only have the responsibility of taking up arms during war but they also offer humanitarian assistance to the victims of natural disasters.

        In addition to the threats of terrorism and illicit drugs, natural disasters also pose imminent threats, he pointed out. ***3***
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