Banda Aceh, Indonesia-Relief -- In
commemoration ceremony to mark the sixt month of Aceh tsunami, Head of
Rehabilitation and Reconstrution Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) Kuntoro
Mangkusubroto announced that BRR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to
continue carrying out several programs in Aceh and Nias, particularly related
to housing.
Kuntoro stated, ''UNHCR has already
made a valuable contribution to the relief effort in the area of temporary
shelter and non-food items, and is helping to source additional tents in
Nias and to replace older tents in Aceh. Now UNHCR and RedR Australia technical
experts will also help provide permanent housing for those who need a place
to live.''
Under the terms of the MoU, UNHCR will provide technical staff and resources to support the government and affected populations. UNHCR's support to the Government of Indonesia is a humanitarian response and does not stem from UNHCR's mandate to provide protection and assistance to refugees. UNHCR is an operational agency, with expertise in the provision of shelter.
Eddy Purwanto, BRR Deputy on Housing, Infrastructure, and Spatial Planningthe Aceh, told Reuters that UNHCR had started its housing project this week, but it was unclear how many houses the agency was committed to build.
In March, UNHCR said it plans to spend $60 million to build more than 35,000 houses.
Bo Asplund, the UN resident co-ordinator in Indonesia, said the UN refugee agency UNHCR had returned to Indonesia's tsunami-hit areas to help rebuild houses for the 500,000 people left homeless in the country.
''Many people are impatient - especially those in tents,'' said Asplund. ''Reconstruction of all houses needs to be done as soon as possible, I think UNHCR has a great deal of competence in providing shelters.'' © che