Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jakarta (Fides Service) - The disastrous seaquake in southern Asia did not spare leprosy centres run by the Association of Friends of Raoul Follereau (AIFO) in Indonesia in particular. AIFO rehabilitation Centre in Aceh city was seriously damaged. According to reports from Indonesia the director of the AIFO programme in Aceh Syaifuddin Husen, is among the thousands of missing persons. The national AIFO office in constant contact with co-workers of Syaifuddin at centres some distance from the coast, says they are focussing for the moment on arranging transport of medicines, food, blankets and other prime necessities to the affected areas.
According to Dr Asvi Retty, co-responsible for the programme who works for the Health Ministry in Jakarta, one AIFO collaborator Dr Firly was among those killed in the tragedy and a collaborator Dr Cut Idawani lost her husband and children. Many AIFO doctors and volunteers have lost relations. Since air lifts are not possible at the moment the organisation is arranging transport of aid via ship. Dr. Aguswan Nurdin, head of the programme at Padangin state hospital in West Sumatra, who sent a team of doctors and nurses to Aceh says more funds are necessary to meet the immense needs of the stricken people.
In every affected area rescue workers are counting the dead, the injured and the missing. What survivors need most at the moment is food, cans of water, blankets and medicine. While rescue workers need body bags for the numerous corpses which continue to remerge from the debris. There is no news with regard to damage to other AIFO structures or personnel in the affected zones. AIFO has leprosy centres and other medical services also in India at present organising relief aid with teams of two programmes in Sumanahalli (Karnataka) and Gudivada (Andhra Pradesh). The Sumanahalli team took food and clothing to about about 9,000 refugees in three camps in Tamil Nadu. The Gudivada team is offering medical treatment and distributing medicines in a camp near Machilipatnam.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 3/1/2005 righe 31 parole 323)
