TEMPO, 11 Jan 2003 22:48:54 WIB
National
Two Thousand North Acehenese Living in Refugees Camps
11 Jan 2003 22:48:54 WIB
TEMPO Interaktif, Lhokseumawe: Many people in North Aceh have fled their homes
despite the signing of Geneva Peace Accord on December 9 last year.
At the moment, about two thousand people are living in of refugee camps, one of
which is at the Lhokseumawe State Polytechnic campus.
Refugees coordinator, Jafar Ibrahim (57) from Kilometer Lapan Village, said that he
had fled to the camp as there was often gunfire in his village even after the peace
accord was signed.
"The peace accord is only effective in the city of Banda Aceh, Lhoksumawe and some
other areas. But there's no peace yet in our village," he said.
Jafar said that everyone wanted to return to their homes if the situation improved.
He and his fellow refugees hope that the Joint Peacekeeping Force will pay a visit to
the camp as soon as possible and provide a guarantee that people can return to their
homes.
Abdurrahman Mahmud (60) from Kilometer Nam Village said" "We have really suffered
during our 23 days in the camp. We want to go home as life here is so difficult."
The refugees staying at the campus are in bad health and everyday at least 40 people
receive treatment in the medical post located at the student dormitories.
Most of them, especially the children, suffer from diarrhea, rashes and malaria, and
their condition is getting worse as the medicine provided by the local Health Office is
insufficient. (Zainal Bakri-Tempo News Room)
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