ME and Ophelia

A REQUEST FOR BLOGGERS
To keep an eye on Aceh, Indonesia

Please read "Tsunami: the politics of relief..a request for the blogosphere to check out some disturbing rumours.." at Jim Moore's Journal.

A few minutes ago, I emailed Jim's post to Francis Till, a journalist in New Zealand, who pointed to an October post of mine. [My post asked if the Guardian had gone stark, staring raving mad when they published a piece calling for the assassination of U.S. President George W Bush. Note, Francis voluntarily corrected his report that originally referred to me as an "American blogger"].

Further reading:
Dec 30 Kuala Lumpur: GhanaWeb report 400,000 dead in Indonesia?" The death toll in Acheh, the region worst hit by last Sunday's tsunami, may exceed 400,000 as many affected areas could still not be reached for search and rescue operations, Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia said Thursday.

Dec 30-Jan 1 Jakarta: Reuters UK confirms Indonesia tsunami deaths hit 79,940 and rising.

Dec 31 Sumatra: An Independent UK report says Indonesian-based British conservationist Mike Griffiths flew over the area and said it was "like a nuclear blast has levelled the area." Supplies were piling up in a regional airport, with officials unable to get them through to where they were needed. Aceh has been wracked by a separatist war for the past 26 years. Jakarta had banned foreign journalists and international aid agencies from visiting the region, but lifted the ban on Monday.

Chaos hinders Aceh relief drive


Before and after. Parts of Banda Aceh were obliterated. (Photos: Digitalglobe)

A shattered infrastructure is stopping the delivery of aid in Indonesia's quake-ravaged Aceh province. Some 500,000 people are without homes and desperately need help, a government spokesman told the BBC. See report in full.
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Quotation of the Day

"I just thought maybe those people really needed the money." - Daniel Kushner, 6, of Cincinnati, who raided his piggy bank for $10 to help the victims of the tsunami disaster. [via NYT]