03/24/2006
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Lies and negligence throughout ONG have hindered reconstruction in this Indonesian province
Time passes slowly in the ruins of the cities and coasts that were devastated
by the tsunami. Funding comes in and new construction begins. But after the
1 year anniversary, the attention from the international media slowly faded, and
now the problems seem as if they may never end.
Thounsands of Displaced Persons. Fourteen months can seem like a lifetime, but looking at how much change has
come to Aceh, the Indonesian province of Sumatra which was hit so hard in 2004,
it doesn’t even seem that one day has gone by since that tragic day in December.
The lies of ONG. The manager of BRR, the angency responsible for governing the reconstruction
of Aceh and Nias, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, recently launched an attack against the
lies and the lack of professionalism in some non-government organizations in charge
of post-tsunami reconstruction. He threatened to end all projects that do not
finish up by June of next year. The organization BRR was founded 6 months ago
with the goal of coordinating the projects of the different humanitarian organizations
and preventing any overlapping within these projects. But something hasn’t gone
as planned. Some members of BRR, an agency heavily financed by the American organization
USAID (they gave $7 million just to start the projects), claim that some people
working for ONG have “suggested” that their donators invest in projects affiliated
with the Indonesian government.
Lack of Professionalism. Some organizations, including CARE and Habitat for Humanity, have been criticized
for being excessively slow in some areas, for having deep internal divisions,
and for documenting abnormal expenditures. Someone claimed to have built 100
houses, when in fact they built only 2; others claim to have built public bathrooms
in areas where there was no access to water pipes. “How can one work in a world
so unprofessional?” Kuntorno asked himself. He is the man who gave the ultimatum
to the foreign agencies: “We ask that all requests for construction and their
cost estimates from December be reviewed, this way we can accurately evaluate
what has been going on until now.” Some of the recent numbers: Only 235 of the
16,000 temporary housing necessary for Aceh’s 70,000 DP’s have been built. Only
14,400 of the approximately 120,000 new permanent homes promsed by the agencies
have been built.
Piles of Money. Four million dollars: that is the amount of money that will be given to Aceh
from now until 2010. Until now, $775,000 have been spent for emergencies such
as the clearing out of debris and cleaning the irrigation canals. Some of the
money has been spent on a “cash for work” program to obtain clean water in which
the tsunami victims were payed to return home. Hundreds have come to compete
for the millions of dollars given to Banda Aceh. There were at least 100 organizations
8 months after the tragedy, Peacereporter has counted 260 since last November
alone, and the estimates for 2006 are about 300. Maybe next year there won’t
even be enough space for the people and cars in the already-crowded streets of
Banda Aceh. As time passes, this poor, ill-fated province looks more and more
like a battleground for adventure-seekers from the West in search of a fortune.
Thounsands of Displaced Persons. Fourteen months can seem like a lifetime, but looking at how much change has
come to Aceh, the Indonesian province of Sumatra which was hit so hard in 2004,
it doesn’t even seem that one day has gone by since that tragic day in December.
In this province alone, 126,000 people have been confirmed dead, and another
90,000 are displaced.
Half a million refugees are still living with relatives who survived, in tents
commissioned by ONU, and in Red Cross barracks. An entire year after the tragedy,
250,000 people were still looking for stable and secure housing.
The lies of ONG. The manager of BRR, the angency responsible for governing the reconstruction
of Aceh and Nias, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, recently launched an attack against the
lies and the lack of professionalism in some non-government organizations in charge
of post-tsunami reconstruction. He threatened to end all projects that do not
finish up by June of next year. The organization BRR was founded 6 months ago
with the goal of coordinating the projects of the different humanitarian organizations
and preventing any overlapping within these projects. But something hasn’t gone
as planned. Some members of BRR, an agency heavily financed by the American organization
USAID (they gave $7 million just to start the projects), claim that some people
working for ONG have “suggested” that their donators invest in projects affiliated
with the Indonesian government.Lack of Professionalism. Some organizations, including CARE and Habitat for Humanity, have been criticized
for being excessively slow in some areas, for having deep internal divisions,
and for documenting abnormal expenditures. Someone claimed to have built 100
houses, when in fact they built only 2; others claim to have built public bathrooms
in areas where there was no access to water pipes. “How can one work in a world
so unprofessional?” Kuntorno asked himself. He is the man who gave the ultimatum
to the foreign agencies: “We ask that all requests for construction and their
cost estimates from December be reviewed, this way we can accurately evaluate
what has been going on until now.” Some of the recent numbers: Only 235 of the
16,000 temporary housing necessary for Aceh’s 70,000 DP’s have been built. Only
14,400 of the approximately 120,000 new permanent homes promsed by the agencies
have been built.Piles of Money. Four million dollars: that is the amount of money that will be given to Aceh
from now until 2010. Until now, $775,000 have been spent for emergencies such
as the clearing out of debris and cleaning the irrigation canals. Some of the
money has been spent on a “cash for work” program to obtain clean water in which
the tsunami victims were payed to return home. Hundreds have come to compete
for the millions of dollars given to Banda Aceh. There were at least 100 organizations
8 months after the tragedy, Peacereporter has counted 260 since last November
alone, and the estimates for 2006 are about 300. Maybe next year there won’t
even be enough space for the people and cars in the already-crowded streets of
Banda Aceh. As time passes, this poor, ill-fated province looks more and more
like a battleground for adventure-seekers from the West in search of a fortune. Luca Galassi
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