Over 4000 tsunami victims from three former districts that were destroyed by the natural disaster now have new homes: in the Indonesian city of Meulaboh (Aceh Province, Sumatra) the newly built residential area of Belang Beurandang with 1048 houses, a school, market hall and other facilities has been festively inaugurated.
The inhabitants were able to choose the 45m2 houses from several types of building and also decide the colour of their new homes. Smaller extensions have allowed individual modifications and the new residential area has a pleasant and varied look.
The Caritas Switzerland rebuilding project was financed to 70 per cent with around 15 million Swiss francs from donations to Swiss Solidarity. A new hospital with 50 beds has already been built in the neighbouring district of Nagan Raya and is making a marked improvement to healthcare in the region.
The central point of the festive inauguration was the handing over of a key and a certificate of ownership, symbolic for all the houses. The ceremony was attended by the Swiss Ambassador to Indonesia, Bernardino Regazzoni, the governor of Aceh Province and Felix Bollmann, director of Swiss Solidarity.
Aceh Province of in Indonesia was particularly severely affected by the December 2004 tsunami. Entire towns and districts were devastated. According to official figures, the flood wave claimed 167,000 lives, destroyed 123,000 houses and made more than 500,000 people homeless.
Swiss Solidarity, 1211 Geneva 8
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