Aceh rebuilding stalled, Indonesian official claims
Four months on from the devastating Asian Tsunami that killed 280,000 people, rebuilding efforts have been slow in the Indonesian province of Aceh. Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the Agency for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh Province and Nias island, told foreign journalists this week that there were currently no roads, bridges or harbours being built. The province of Aceh was hardest hit by the Tsunami, with an estimated 129,000 killed and the infrastructure across the province being wiped out. Questions are now being asked about how appropriate current plans for reconstruction are for the region, which has been wracked by a civil war for decades. This report by the Wire’s Sarah Bassinoni begins with comments from Paul Nicols, the manger for World Vision Australia’s Tsunami response team. He told Sarah that while aid organisations have done their best, their efforts have been hampered by a lack of planning.