The Aceh and North Sumatra People Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan (R3RMAS) has been introduced in a workshop. Part of the plan is to establish buffer zones and implement disaster-management programs that will be applied by developing safety spots and routes. In accordance with the plan, the government will release approximately 440 hectares of people's land.

The construction of 397 barracks, or Temporary Location Centers (TLCs), has been completed, and displaced people have occupied 142 of them. The government has increased the number of planned barracks to 997, with each designed to house 60 people. The total anticipated population for the TLCs is estimated to be in the order of 70,000 people for a period of no more than two years.

Health

CWS:

CWS conducted an area assessment and data collection in three villages of Aceh Besar, Banda Aceh. The assessment indicated a lack of water and sanitation facilities for IDPs. There is no health post or center in any of the three locations. 100 children under 5 years of age live in the locations.

The mobile clinic of the CWS medical team provided health services to 126 people in Lampase Loh village, Kecamatan Montasik sub-district.

YEU:

In Lhokseumawe, YEU provided health services in the camps of Tanah Anoe, Cot Seurani, Menasah Baro and Menasah Lhok.

In Nias, YEU provided health services in Onolimbu Raya and Orahili Badadu.

YTP:

In Nias, YTB's partner, BPD-PGI, distributed relief to 501 IDPs in three villages, including food (dry fish, baby food, vegetable oil, supplementary food, soy sauces, sugar) and non-food items (hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, gum boots). YTB and its other partner, Handal Mahardika, distributed school stationery and sports equipment to 64 children in Lahusa.

Livelihood recovery

YEU:

In Lhok Seumawe, YEU facilitated women's empowerment groups in Kedaimane, Tanah Anoe and Cot Seurani.

In Nias, YEU held a meeting with the Onolimbu Raya community to follow up on a corn-plantation program.

In Banda Aceh, YEU conducted livelihood recovery activities in four locations by establishing credit unions for small shops, snack sales, and animal breeding programs. YEU also facilitated meetings to discuss government proposals to relocate IDPs to barracks. According to YEU, it is difficult for people such as fishermen, food vendors, and port workers to move to government-prepared barracks.

YTB:

In Nias, YTB and its partner, Handal Mahardika Foundation, supported an education program in two sub-districts - Lahusa and Teluk Dalam. They provided tents and mats for temporary schools and paper for the children. They paid school fees for 15 children. In these two sub-districts, YTB also conducted a mental-rehabilitation program. They distributed educational toys, toys for children, and sport equipment.

Material aid and food

CWS:

In Banda Aceh, CWS distributed relief supplies including mosquito nets, health kits, mattresses and baby kits to 161 households in three locations of Mesjid Raya sub-district (Aceh Besar) on February 28. In addition, CWS also distributed relief supplies including health kits, BP-5 (high-energy biscuits), mattresses, blankets and mosquito nets to IDPs in Aceh Besar districts.

YEU:

In Banda Aceh, YEU distributed 682 hygiene kits to 12 camps.

In Meulaboh, YEU distributed 200 hygiene kits and 100 stoves in Kuala Babon.

YTB:

YTB continued to distribute relief supplies to targeted IDPs, including 446 members of a local church in Banda Aceh who had been displaced.

In Nagan Raya, YTB and its local partner, West South Humanitarian Relief Centre (HRC), continued a two-week program of distributing relief to all targeted IDPs in Keude (Jeuram sub-district) and two other locations (Kuala Bawah sub-district), Nagan Raya. There are around 1,300 IDPs in those three places.

In Aceh Barat, West South HRC continued its two-week program in three sub-districts in Aceh Barat Regency with around 1,600 IDPs in total. The locations are Johan Pahlawan village in Johan Pahlawan sub-district, Peurumbeu in Kawai XVI sub-district, and Meureubo village in Meureubo sub-district.

In Teunom, YTB and its partner, WALHI North Sumatra, distributed food rations to 3,600 IDPs in three villages (Tano Anou, Lhok Guci and Padang Keling) in Teunom sub-district, consisting of 12 kg of rice per person, baby food and children's milk formula.

In Medan, YTB and its partner, PGIW Sumut, distributed relief to 1,325 IDPs that included Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. PGI's month-long activities will soon end. At the moment, YTB and its partners are looking into the needs and implementation arrangements and will decide what follow-up can be given. The relief consists of food (rice, sugar, vegetable oil, milk) and non-food items (clothes, soap, etc.). Small amounts of cash were given to IDPs to purchase some items — additional food (IDR 150,000 per IDP) and kerosene (IDR 10,000 per IDP).

In Nias, YTB's partner, BPD-PGI, distributed relief to 501 IDPs in three villages, including food (dry fish, baby food, vegetable oil, supplementary food, soy sauces, sugar) and non-food items (hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, gum boots). YTB and its other partner, Handal Mahardika, distributed school stationery and sports equipment to 64 children in Lahusa.

Shelter

YEU:

In Banda Aceh, YEU has helped people rebuild their destroyed houses in the way they want them. They are being helped by a shelter consultant of YEU. In the initial phase, YEU will build two houses as pilot projects.

Water and sanitation

CWS:

In Meulaboh, CWS has three main activities in water supply and sanitation: water production and distribution, construction of pit latrines, and drilling of boreholes.

Two CWS water purificators, put in place with the cooperation of ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), are currently producing 100,000 liters of clean water per day. In addition, CWS has also collaborated with Oxfam to provide two tanks with a 45,000-liter capacity each to store drinking water.

CWS/NCA trucks with a 5,000-liter capacity deliver water to at least nine locations in two districts of Aceh Barat and Nagan Raya. CWS, in collaboration with Oxfam and the Spanish Red Cross, is currently installing seven water tanks in Nagan Raya. In addition, CWS is installing a tank with a capacity of 10,000 liters in Ujong Baro to provide the needs of the returning 200 IDP families.

CWS has drilled two boreholes — 99 meters in depth — at a marketplace in Meulaboh to provide water at the market and its surrounding areas. CWS is also drilling boreholes in two other locations (Meulaboh Town and Aceh Barat District).

CWS has built 52 latrines in two locations of Nagan Raya district. UNHCR has requested CWS to provide 24 showers and 12 washing places at a location in Meulaboh.

CWS has cleaned 18 wells in Ujong Baro, Meulaboh town.

YEU:

In Lhok Seumawe, YEU is installing two units for bathing and washing in Tanah Anoe. YEU completed the construction of septic tanks and toilets in Tanah Anoe. YEU also provided lumber for construction of a meunasah (mosque/community center).

In Banda Aceh, YEU built a washing and bathing facility in Blang Ulam.

In Meulaboh, YEU provided health services in two camps. In Meulaboh, YEU distributed 30 portable washing and bathing facilities in Kuala Bubon and Padang Jawa. Seven facilities and one well are under construction in Cot Seulamat and De'ah.

In Nias, the YEU team held a meeting with Onolimbu Raya community to discuss a plan to build washing and bathing facilities in four locations.

Coordinated Response

A donor partner meeting was held at the Medan regional coordination office on February 26. The coordination staff projected both the strengths and weaknesses of the efforts taken so far. The staff also brought forth many sensitive issues regarding church functions and the code of conduct. It was suggested that the donors provide a written debriefing report to enable the coordination staff and partners to follow up on the donors' recommendations and suggestions. The coordination staff asked the donors not to overwhelm the partners with money as it would prove counterproductive. It also advised donors to be cautious while offering external expertise for capacity building of the partners and to be careful not to undermine the use of local expertise and not to forget about the cultural and political context of Indonesia.

The ACT national coordinator and the country representative of Islamic Relief in Jakarta met to update each other and elaborate on possible collaboration in the future between their two organizations. ACT International and Islamic Relief have similar principles in their codes of conduct.

The ACT national coordinator in Jakarta met with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance's Susan Ryan and Rebecca Young.

Regional coordination

The second regional coordination meeting was held February 28 at the Medan coordination office and was attended by CWS and YTB program and finance staff. YEU did not participate in the coordination meeting but has promised to circulate the narrative and financial reports among the partners.

There were intense discussions on the narrative and financial reports. There was critical analysis on the quality of the tsunami-relief operations and the ways to improve. Concrete suggestions with deadlines were incorporated into the planning for next month's meeting. There was transparency and accountability to each other and full commitment to put forward the best possible efforts for the tsunami relief and rehabilitation operations.

The relation between YTB and the council of churches was addressed. It was good to see that YTB staff and various people in the churches of Indonesia are highly committed to continue the aid operations for the survivors of the tsunami and for people in other regions affected by conflict and natural disasters. A change in the legal status of YTB clearly states its commitment to the churches and the national council.

Discussions were also held with some of the implementing partners of YTB to get a better idea of the influence of government policies on the situation of the displaced people.

A meeting with OCHA was held to brief the UN on the work of ACT in Indonesia and to hear more about the coordination system initiated by the UN. There is an urgent need to link the ACT members to the policy discussions taking place between NGOs, the UN, and the government.