Catholics show compassion and empathy to Muslim Acehnese victims

by Mathias Hariyadi

The death toll stands at 36,000 and keeps on rising. The Bishops' Conference of Indonesia has set up collection centres, urging Catholics to help out the people in the hardest-hit areas.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) The death toll from Sunday's quake and tsunami keeps on rising. The latest estimates put the figure at 36,268, 15,000 in hardest-hit Aceh province.

The number of refugees who had to leave for North Sumatra's capital of Medan or other safe areas is now over 105,000.

Following the appeal of the country's Bishops' Conference (Konperensi Wali-wali Gereja Indonesia or KWI), the relief operations of the Catholic Church are well under way. Indonesian Catholics are taking relief supplies to the people of Aceh and North Sumatra. Both provinces are predominantly Muslim and have been the scene of recent political violence

Relief centres have popped up across the country to raise funds and receive donations. The local Caritas relief agency has set up similar centres in the parishes of Indonesia's capital of Jakarta.

In a statement, the KWI reports that the hardest-hit diocese is that of Sibolga, which includes Nias Island off the coast of Sumatra.

KWI's treasurer Fr Anton Gunardi O'Carm is raising funds destined to both Catholic and Protestant churches across Aceh and North Sumatra. He said the money raised would go directly to local church bodies rather than governmental institutions or NGOs to prevent them from being lost to corrupt officials.

The Jakarta branch of Caritas, Jesuit Father Sandyawan Sumardi and other volunteers have identified remote areas that might be by-passed by other humanitarian agencies.

A volunteer speaking on condition of anonymity said: "We don't want to see the aid diverted as happened in both Alor (East Nusa Tenggara province) and in Nabire (Papua province)". It is safer to go with the Church because she knows "who and how much people need in terms of medical and food supplies as well as financial aid".

Fr Nabire Suharoso is one of the most actively involved people in delivering aid to remote areas. Since power is out and communications difficult, only cellular phones are used, but only business people and government officials have them.

Nias Island is one of the hardest-hit areas. Hundreds of villages have literally "disappeared". Not even the KWI can send aid.

Sister Klara Duha, in a brief message sent from Sibolga, said that Telo Island, which is close to Nias, has also disappeared submerged under the waters.

Most pressing needs include medicines, drinking water, food, blankets, clothes (sarongs), cash, plastic mattresses, kitchen tools, and sanitary items for women and children.

The greatest item needed, according to a volunteer physician in Aceh, is "cash" that can be sent to the Medan archdiocese crisis centre.

Updated figures per area:

Banda Aceh: 9,032

Krueng Mane: 117

East Aceh: 41

Lhokseumawe: 157

Bireuen: 191

Pidie: 1,359

North Aceh: 1.540

Naga Raya Regency: 227

Calang Regency: 5,000

Simeulue: 4