The Road to Aceh
The Guardian has another instalment of John Aglionby's monthly column on the reconstruction of Aceh. The latest is about the rebuilding of the main route down Aceh's west coast (which) has allowed food, shelter and hope to reach communities devastated by the tsunami.
As he also reports, there is a major holdup of relief supplies. More than 1,300 containers of humanitarian aid for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia's Aceh province are stranded in the region's main port in Belawan by bureaucratic holdups and non-governmental organisations failing to establish a smooth supply chain.
Ah, the bureaucrats. There is really no excuse, especially as they've been able to put together a website ~ http://www.e-aceh.org ~ which is an effort by the Government of Indonesia and the Donor Community to bring together the many stakeholders rebuilding lives, livelihoods and communities in Aceh and North Sumatra devasted by the earthquake and tsunami on December 26, 2004.
(I've given the site a permanent link on the right - in Firefox, and floating around at the bottom of this page in I.E.)
I received an email from SurfAid International today inviting me to their annual Wave of Compassion Summer Soirée. This will be held on Thursday, June 9, 2005 at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, California.
Join us and the global surf community in celebration of SurfAid's massive relief efforts and the past year's accomplishments! This will also benefit our ongoing efforts in Hinakos, Simeulue, Nias and Mentawai Islands. Get your tickets now- - only limited quantities available!
Sorry guys. I've got to get up early on the following Friday, so I won't be able to make it.
Shame really, as I'd love to see Fish and the Seaweeds if only to find out if their music is as good as their album cover. Still, I expect you'll raise more than last year's US$85,000 and be able to continue your magnificent efforts.
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