ACF Implements Assistance Programs, Aceh, Indonesia

International humanitarian aid organization Action Against Hunger / Action Contre la Faim (ACF) has had a presence in Indonesia since 1997 for emergency interventions in conflict zones and for rebuilding assistance. Action Against Hunger is now intervening in Aceh, in the North of the island of Sumatra, to provide assistance to the distressed populations. The tsunami that took place on December 26, 2004 has caused the death of over 90,000 people in Aceh. Out of a total local population of 4 million, over 1million are displaced. Most of them are sheltered in public buildings (schools, mosques, administrative buildings).

Action Against Hunger assesses what emergency interventions are needed and does all it can to help displaced populations return home in the post-emergency phase. Its teams are in Bandah Aceh to initiate the distribution and treatment of water and the distribution of dry food rations, to build latrines and assess the sanitary conditions of the populations. From a logistical standpoint, access to Aceh is extremely difficult since the roads and means of communications have been destroyed by the wave. On Wednesday, a team went by helicopter to Meulaboh (on the West coast) in order to assess the needs of the populations and to determine the best way to intervene in this hard-to-reach devastated area.

A cargo plane loaded with emergency food rations and water and purification equipment (pumps, containers, rehydration salts.) will take off on Sunday at 1:30 pm for Indonesia. This plane was chartered thanks to the donations of Magasins U, TF1 and RTL. This will be the fourth plane carrying rescue equipment sent by Action Against Hunger to the region (Indonesia and Sri Lanka) since the beginning of the crisis.

Action Against Hunger calls upon your generosity toward the victims of South Asia

90 cents of every donated dollar directly supports our programs.

All earmarked funds will be used solely for relief and rehabilitation activities within tsunami-affected South Asia.