Daily Times

PIDIE JAYA: Emergency relief aids have been flowing into quake-hit areas in Aceh province of western Indonesia after a strong quake hit the territory Wednesday, while more assistance is desperately needed by thousands of survivors.

The shallow-underland quake of 6.4-magnitude has left over 10,000 people displaced in Pidie Jaya district, Pidie district and Bureaun district after damaging nearly 11,000 houses, buildings, hospitals, bridges and infrastructures facilities, according to data from an aid center in Pidie Jaya district released on Friday. Foods, medicines, tents, clothes and others emergency relief aids have been received by the quake survivors, and scores of other aids will arrive soon at the quake-affected areas, said Cut Dia, press officer at aid center of disaster agency in Pidie Jaya district.

“Two trucks are transporting logistics and drugs for the quake survivors here,” Cut told Xinhua at the center on Friday. The assistance was also aimed at supporting search and rescue operation as some aids have been received by the authorities, such as two ambulances, four units of excavators, 12 trucks, tents and others, Cut said. “Blankets, tents and foods are among those badly needed by the displaced persons. Still, the number of the aids already distributed remains insufficient,” she added.

The Indonesian Red Cross have also distributed around 9 tons of hygiene kits, tons of clean waters, drugs and logistics, according to Wisnu Wardana, spokesman of the Red Cross. Specialists for orthopedics and doctors had also been deployed by the non-government health organization and scores of others emergency relief aids are being transported to the quake-hit areas, he told Xinhua. The catastrophe has boosted solidarity among the Acehneses and those from other parts of the archipelago country as they have contributed to the emergency relief attempt, Rafiati, head of social department at Pidie Jaya district told Xinhua. At present most of the survivors took shelters in makeshift tents, mosques, and relatives’ houses, Yusmazi, head of emergency unit at disaster agency in Pidie Jaya district told Xinhua. In one of shelters in Pangwa village of Pidie Jaya district, hundreds of displaced persons looked sad as they have lost their homes, and some of them are been traumatized for the possibility of a repeat of tsunami catastrophe in December 2004 that left over 170,000 people dead and a massive infrastructure damages in the province.