I am writing from the refugee camp In SE Asia

Over Head View of Areas  there
Starting a site to collect all info it is called 'A Tsunami Journey'
http://groups.msn.com/gardensofjewels/yourwebpage.msnw

Hi.

Heard from RJ, he asked me to convey some things.

But rather than trying to tell you what he said I'll
just forward his email
2/14/05
>
> I am writing from the refugee camp at a little place
> called Nueng Chawe,
> thats near a former town called Lamkawe Daknah
> (which doesn't really
> exist anymore
> thanks to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami -
> town was totally
> wiped off the map),
> which is in the far western Aceh province in
> Indonesia.
>
> We got the benefit today (feb. 14 here but still the
> 13th there) of
> being able to use CNN's
> wireless remote unit to uplink to the internet for a
> few minutes each
> to check in back home
> for Valentines Day. That was cool of CNN's crews and
> producer to let us
> do this,... good ol' CNN!
> Contrast that to Fox, CBS and ABC's remote crews who
> denied us access
> to their units,... Fox's crew
> even told us to go find a pay phone, the assholes!
> Anyway, we had to
> ask to use others units because the UNHCR/IFRC
> (which is sharing) units we were going tom use is
> down now for some
> reason, there is no power or phones here,
> everything was destroyed. The regional IFRC
> coordinator is letting us
> use his laptop to send emails, which is cool of her.
>
> There are 12 of us here and we only get about 30
> minutes each to use
> the net, so this
> will have to be relatively short. So, I am just
> checking a few emails
> and only responding
> or sending a select few to save time,... am asking
> everyone to forward
> or relay my thoughts etc. on to others
> where appropriate or possible. For some reason I
> can't access my main
> ISP email web account from here
>
> Brief update news from here. Don't have time to give
> many details, but
> one of the guys, a photo-journalist named Peter
> who works for the IFRC here has a digital camera and
> has taken a bunch
> of pics we can upload, so I am sending some of
> those,
> those should pretty much tell the tale without me
> having to say too
> much.
>
> I will just say, it is bad, very bad, totally
> heartbreaking and beyond
> belief or anything I could even imagine. And you
> know
> I have been to and been in some bad disaster areas
> and war zones, have
> seen some terrible things around this world before,
> but nothing, I mean nothing, at all like this!
> Everything is totally
> wiped out and so many here are just in terrible
> condition,
> especially the kids, so many orphans and homeless,
> this camp has over
> 25,000 alone and this is just one of dozens such
> camps.
> Remember when we went to the Dantanuh slums in 93?
> Imagine the despair
> and fetid conditions we saw there and magnify that
> by
> about 500/1000/10,000 times or more!! Ican hardly
> stand it. I am in
> tears nearly constantly all day and every day seeing
> and dealing with
> it all.
>
> Even after all this time, with me getting over here
> so late, with os
> much already done and cleaned up, it's unreal how
> much is still a
> wasteland
> here. We are still finding bodies everyday and
> they're burying more in
> mass graves, it's just beyond belief. And the smell
> brother, oh man,
> it's horrible
> here, smell of decay and sewage and rot and death is
> just everywhere we
> go, can't escape it anywhere. The only relief from
> that is in
> the early evenings when the winds shift and blow in
> from the ocean for
> a few hours at night. But by mornings it's calm
> again and the
> stench is back and overwhelming. I have lost count
> of how many times I
> have thrown up already, seems like dozens of times.
> I just can't
> get used to it, it's horrible.  Plus it's so hot and
> steamy here, rains
> almost everyday and the rains just make the smells
> even worse.
> Mosquitos everywhere too and you know how I hate
> those! We have to
> sleep under netting treated with insecticides every
> night
> and we have ben giving out literally thousands of
> those things to the
> refugees too.
>
> But, well, hell, dude, I am not the one suffering,
> when I see these
> kids and these people in such misery, I can only cry
> for them, not
> myself,
> you know what I'm saying.  They are going to be
> trying to recover and
> rebuild here for years to come, such is the amount
> of devastation.
> if I could do it I could literally be here trying to
> help for the next
> five years or more easily and without question! It's
> just unbelievable,
> I can't even
> find words to describe it it is so bad,... and you
> know me and words,
> so you know it's bad! You will get a slight idea
> from the pictures I am
> including,
> but they don't even begin to touch the reality
> either!
>
> Any how, myself I am doing OK considering. My cast
> is coming off in a
> couple of days. Went to a Doctors Without Borders
> camp a couple of days
>ago because they have a portable x-ray machine unit.
> A doctor there
> took some x-rays of the ankle and all looks good.
> But I am feeling a
> bit weak,
> been having a lot of night sweats and fever when
> trying to sleep, think
> I am having a recurrence bout with the old malaria
> coming back. But
> it's not too bad this time, not as bad as past
> recurrences, I'll be ok
> I am sure, haven't told anyone here about it cause
> they might try to
> send me
> home too soon if they knew. Just trying to drink as
> much water and take
> my vitamins as much as possible, so no worries.
> Because of the ankle,
> and
> also since I am logistical unit cooridinator, I
> haven't had to be doing
> much physical hard work with this deployment, but I
> have to watch
> others doing it.
> Probably after my cast is off, and I get stronger,
> will be doing more
> of the physical stuff too I am sure. I hope so, so
> much needs doing,
> but, well,
> lots of local volunteers here doing most of it and
> they are just great,
> work with no complaints or bitching at all. So I am
> good.
>
> Actually I am more worried about Brandon. He is in a
> hospital in
> Jakarta, they had to fly him in there about 4 days
> ago. I haven't had
> an update
> but they think he contracted cholera from some bad
> water he may have
> drank. He was working in another refugees camp with
> UNICEF
> about 25 miles further up the coast from here that
> had someone break
> into their storage containers that are holding their
> bottled water
> supplies.
> Seems they switched some bad water bottles with good
> water bottles
> trying to hide their theft. A bunch of people from
> over there have come
> down pretty sick in the last week, specifically
> about 13 of the relief
> UNICEF workers. The govt. soldiers said it was some
> rebels, but a
> couple of
> local villagers who claimed to be witnesses said it
> was actually some
> soldiers who broke into the containers and stole the
> good water. So who
> knows really,... I do know there is rampant
> corruption around here,
> can't really trust anyone, especially notthe
> Indonesian army guys,
> they are pretty bad.
>
> Speaking of which, this region is having a bunch of
> fighting going on
> between the army and the rebels. There was a
> firefight of some sort
> last night in fact just about a mile from our camp,
> we could hear it
> going on for about 4 hours last night, none of us
> slept at all.
> Everywhere
> we go and all around us are govt. troops escorting
> us and watching
> every move we make. We are not allowed to give aide
> to suspected
> rebels or their families or sympathizers either, not
> even the kids. It
> totally sucks. Two IFRC people were arrested and
> hauled away 2 days ago
> by troops, accused of giving water and medicine to
> supposed kids of
> known rebels,... what a bunch of shit. I heard this
> morning they
> were released though, so that is good.  But who
> knows how they were
> treated when in custody? The Indonesian army is not
> known for it's
> compassionate and humane treatment of prisoners. We
> have all been
> briefed and warned to not cross them or do anything
> that might get us
> at odds with them. But with so much media around
> right now, they are
> being pretty cool for now I guess.
>
> had a cool day yesterday, got to play with some of
> the kids at the camp
> for a while, played a flute for them and sang some
> songs, then
> hung out with a couple of dozen kids doing some
> finger paintings on
> rice paper someone brought in. That was pretty cool,
> a brief respite
> from their daily anxiety and fears. Mine too for
> that matter. It was
> good to see some of them laughing and singing and
> playing. CARE USA
> and UNICEF have some temporary schools in tents set
> up for the older
> kids too, so thats good also, is helping them at
> least keep their minds
> occupied and off their situation a little bit. It is
> amazing how
> resilient the kids are in spite of everything.
> Unfortunately the adult
> refugees
> and survivors aren't faring as well though, most
> simply can't get over
> their losses so well, which is understandable if you
> could see
> what they are having to deal with here and how they
> have to live and
> anguish dealt. Nearly every adult in this camp has
> lost children and
> family
> and their homes and villages, everything gone. I
> can't even imagine
> what that must be like, but I see it in their faces
> and it tears me
> apart
> everyday. Man I hope the world doesn't soon forget
> and turn away, these
> people need so much help, so much more than what we
> are doing even now. It's overwhelming.
>
> Anyway, bro,... need to be heading out soon, just
> wanted to give you an
> update you can pass along to others when you get a
> chance
> or have time. Main thing is just let everyone know I
> am ok,... you know
> the usual list. Also, if you can can you let some of
> our main pro
> groups
> know what's up? I know you probably don't have much
> time before hitting
> the road again, but if you get a chance I would
> appreciate it.
> If you can, especially also let the folks at our
> natives arts group
> (especially my friend Ann) and the regulars there
> know what's up, I
> cant access the site
> from here for some reason.
>
> A'ho & Nitze!
> RJ:)
>
I added this part..It is where they took RJ's son....Ann
Indonesian Red Cross Sends Relief Aid to Aceh

Jakarta - The Jakarta office of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) send another relief aid to the tsunami-stricken province of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) on Thursday, said PMI-Jakarta spokesperson Sri Chairijatunurfadjriah. "We are sending volunteers and other relief aid to Lhokseumawe who will depart aboard of a PT Pelni (state-owned shipping company) ship this evening," she said on Thursday.

PMI-Jakarta was sending 20 volunteers (two docters), 6 units of mobile public kitchens, two trucks of clothes, medicine, mineral water and food. Sri said that the volunteers were expected to arrive at Lhokseumawe on Sunday.

PMI-Jakarta has sent shroud clothing, blankets, biscuit and other food stuff to the tsunami affected areas in Aceh on Tuesday.

Antara 30-12-04

Reuters AlertNet Lite - Homepage - ... LOGIN TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE IMAGE >>. A six-year-old Indonesian girl named Dina is treated for dengue fever at a Jakarta hospital February 27, 2004. ... http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/photoalbum/1078238801.htm?_lite_=1

Main News of Area:

Main page - ... Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh has named a number ... called for the immediate activation of hospitals More ... Jakarta - Proposals to apply a debt-moratorium to ... http://www.indonesia-oslo.no/main.asp

Pungent, Bad Smell Polluting Air in Banda Aceh  Banda Aceh - Pungent and bad smell produced by decomposing dead bodies has begun to pollute the air in Banda Aceh which was devastated by last Sunday's earthquake and tsunami.  An Antara journalist in Banda Aceh on Thursday reported that hundreds of decomposing dead bodies were lying about in such parts of the city as  Taman Sari, Jembatan Panayung, Jembatan Empang Surabaya and Merduasri. So far, no efforts have been made by rescue teams and humanitarian workers to evacuate and bury the victims' remains because they lacked the needed  equipment. In the meantime, disaster survivors staying in refugee camps in  forested and hilly areas around Banda Aceh were reported  having difficulty in procuring food  One area accommodating many refugees is located in Gugagah village, about three kilometers from Banda Aceh. In addition to difficulty in procuring food, the refugees were also facing a shortage of clean water.    If the refugees' food problem is not solved soon, thousands of them staying in tents across Aceh will be threatened by starvation.  Humanitarian assistance for disaster survivors is coming in  trickles.    Although a large number of local and international aid groups have already arrived in Banda Aceh, the absence of trucks and an insufficient fuel supply to transport the goods and volunteers were  apparently the reason that aid cannot reach the scattered refugee camps speedily.  Survivors of the tsunami in Banda Aceh have even begun to   scavenge for food. "I don't know how to get relief aid. Rice is nowhere to be found," one of the refugees, Yanti, said in despearation.  As fuel and food had become increasingly scarce, people had to wait in long lines at gas stations and shops to buy the necessaries  at abnormally inflated prices. Incidents of looting by hungry and homeless people have begun to occur.  In the meantime, many road networks linking Banda Aceh to Aceh Jaya, Aceh Besar, Meulaboh in West Aceh had been cut off  by the damage done to the roads. About 80 percent of the road networks linking cities  with some districts had disappeared as they were covered by thick mud and sea sand.   A tectonic earthquake with a magnitude of 8,9 on the Richter Scale jolted the provinces of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra last Sunday. The quake also triggered monstrous tsunamis which have killed over 45,000 people, caused  hundreds of others to go missing and devastated many districts in the province.  Antara 31-12-04

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