Indonesia behind on tsunami recovery

Over a year has passed since the Asian tsunami. Indonesia was the hardest hit country and received the most aid. Up to 60 NGO’s were up there and still a large amount of aid remains locked up at customs in Jakarta waiting for someone to pay the huge fees to get it out.

Reports from the UN Human Rights Commission, say that countries affected by the tsunami have failed to uphold the rights of locals to the basic necessities. This week Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Eric Schwartz, will be in Indonesia preparing a report for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

When you think of how developed countries can mobilize and get stuff done, like cleaning up New Orleans, and then look at Aceh, you have to understand that even in the best of times, its hard to get stuff done in developing countries. I watch construction workers over here in Bali, a relatively rich part of the country. When they sieve dirt, they don’t use a machine, they use 2 guys and a hand held sieve. When they want to move the dirt, they don’t use a bulldozer or even a wheelbarrow, they use a piece of sacking, piling the dirt on it and dragging it. I mean things are done out here in the slowest fashion and that is a factor is tsunami reconstruction.