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Tsunami survivors move into new homes
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 01/18/2007 3:22 PM
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
More than two years after the 2004 tsunami destroyed their homes, hundreds of survivors from Breuh Island in Aceh Besar regency have moved into new houses.
The mostly fishermen and farmers who make up the population of the island's four villages -- Ulee Paya, Gugop, Seurapong and Teunom Baroe -- received 268 houses from the British Red Cross.
""We worked with the American Red Cross to build sanitation and water facilities, with the Indonesian Red Cross as our local partner,"" William Corkill, the British Red Cross representative for Indonesia, said in Banda Aceh.
Construction of the houses took about eight months to complete. One of the main challenges faced by those involved in the work was transporting building materials to the island, which takes two hours to reach by boat from provincial capital Banda Aceh.
One of the main challenges was to bring building materials to the island, which could only be reached after two-hour trip by boat.
""To build the houses, we had to bring all the building materials from Banda Aceh since the sand and stone (on the island) could not be used,"" Corkill said.
Workers also used imported timber from New Zealand. The new houses were designed to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 of the Richter scale.
Aside from building houses, potable water and electricity also had to be provided for island residents.
The American Red Cross says it found a water source, located about six kilometers from the nearest residential area, that could provide drinking water for up to 20 years.
""Currently, a permanent water installation is being built and is expected to be completed this March,"" Dellephine Rauch of the American Red Cross said.
For the time being, residents will have to continue using generators for electricity. The British Red Cross has asked the Aceh-Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency to help provide power to the island.
""Maybe electricity can reach the island in the coming months,"" Corkill said.
Besides constructing houses for tsunami survivors on Breuh Island, the British Red Cross also has constructed about 1,000 houses in Teunom, Aceh Jaya regency.
