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Aceh: Emergency Phase
Union aid Abroad – APHEDA assisted the emergency medical work being done by Indonesian unions affiliated to the International Union of Food workers (IUF), the Global Union Federation covering unions representing workers in security, hospitality and food production (plantations, agriculture), food processing and food distribution (restaurants, hotels etc).
Essential Emergency Health Services
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The IUF sent three teams comprising volunteer Indonesian doctors, nurses, paramedics and engineers to Meulaboh, a city of 78,000 people on the west cost, to assist the survivors. Each team of volunteers worked in the area for two weeks on a rotational basis. The medical teams provided essential emergency health services such as treating wounds and cuts; inoculating for cholera, typhoid and tetanus; as well as providing a free general health service and medical advice. For some survivors, this was the first time in their lives that they had been attended to by professional medics. The engineering teams also played a crucial role. One prerequisite for people to be able to return to their homes and rebuild is access to clean water. Almost all the wells were filled with putrid, contaminated water from the tsunami. The engineering teams pumped out hundreds of wells, removed the rubble, mud and sludge with buckets and scrubbed the sides with chlorine. When the well refilled, a sample was sent to the UN in Meulaboh for testing to ensure that it was clean for drinking.
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA also provided emergency assistance through a coalition of 34 Acehnese non-government organizations headed by WALHI (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup: Indonesian Forum for the Environment). In particular, funds sent through WALHI were used for providing shelter for earthquake and tsunami affected people on the island of Simuelue.
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