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MERCY Malaysia Completes Post-Tsunami Projects In Aceh, Indonesia |
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Saturday, 21 April 2007 |
MERCY Malaysia today handed over the last two of its projects in Aceh, Indonesia.
This marks the final completion of 16 projects MERCY Malaysia undertook
following the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2004 that caused
widespread devastation resulting in the loss of more than 167,000 lives
while 570,000 people were made homeless in Indonesia alone.
MERCY Malaysia was the first international organisation to deploy
medical relief in Banda Aceh on the 26th of December 2004. MERCY
Malaysia’s medical and humanitarian relief efforts included the
provision of emergency medical relief, primary healthcare, psychosocial
intervention, as well as the reconstruction and rehabilitation of
medical facilities, homes and orphanages. As part of our capacity
building, disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation, we also
engaged in community education programmes.
“Our work in Aceh for nearly two and a half years has been highly
challenging and gratifying at the same,” said Datuk Dr. Jemilah
Mahmood, President of MERCY Malaysia. “We have fulfilled our commitment
to complete 16 projects with the invaluable assistance of our local
partners and unwavering support from the Malaysian government and our
benevolent donors – without which none of this would have been possible.
“And now, it is time for us to place these projects in the capable
hands of our partners here in Aceh. We are confident they will continue
to work to enhance the quality of life amongst all our beneficiaries,”
added Dr. Jemilah.
The first of the final phase of projects handed over by MERCY Malaysia
was the UNSYIAH Nursing Academy block in Darussalam, Banda Aceh, that
was fully sponsored by Petroliam Nasional Berhad. During the disaster,
211 students and staff members of UNSYIAH were killed while 500 nurses
in the Aceh Province lost their lives. Recognising the urgent need to
fulfil the shortage of nurses in the province, with this building MERCY
Malaysia has now enabled the enrolment of 625 students in a four-year
course through its rehabilitation and capacity building programme at
the UNSYIAH Nursing Academy.
As its final project, MERCY Malaysia handed over the keys of the Kayee
Kunyit Children’s Centre to the people of Montasik, Aceh Besar. The
centre houses 123 orphans and 86 students and the project was funded by
Yayasan Shamsuddin Abdul Kadir under the Sapura Group. Tan Sri
Shamsuddin Abdul Kadir, Founder and Chairman of Sapura Holdings Sdn.
Bhd., was on hand to officiate the handover ceremony.
“The people of Aceh have come a long way since that fateful day in
December 2004 and we are glad that we were able to be part of this
recovery process,” said Dr. Jemilah. “We also hope that through all
these projects, we have helped rebuild a more resilient Aceh and have
strengthened the bonds of friendship and solidarity amongst our
people,” said Dr. Jemilah.
MERCY Malaysia’s Tsunami relief efforts in Aceh and Nias encompassed
rapid emergency response right through to recovery, capacity building
as well as the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase, costing a total
of RM23 million. MERCY Malaysia has also built two health centres and
the medical block of a hospital in Nias Island, Indonesia.
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