 |
| OBI's
loaded barge delivers supplies along
Aceh's coast. |
 |
| The
barge docks for unloading. |
 |
| Crews
of men employed by OBI's cash-for-work program unload bags of cement. |
Indonesia - As the seven month anniversary of the
catastrophic tsunamis in Southeast Asia approaches, many
relief agencies are still struggling to develop practical
strategies for assisting hundreds of thousands of struggling
survivors.
From the very beginning, Operation Blessing has implemented
innovative and effective disaster relief for those in
desperate need. OBI medical teams in Indonesia’s
Aceh province alone have treated over 110,000 patients,
while boat-building and other long-term recovery efforts
persist in all four countries affected by the disaster.
Working with partner agencies Samaritan’s Purse,
Habitat for Humanity and Mission Aviation Fellowship,
OBI’s most ambitious recovery project to date has
set a formidable example of ingenuity amid the challenges
of disaster relief.
OBI and its partner agencies are using a charted tug
boat and a 50-foot by 180-foot barge to transport building
materials along the hard-hit coastline of Aceh province
in Indonesia.
Since the only access roads reaching coastal communities
remain impassible, OBI and its partners developed this
water-based transportation method to meet the overwhelming
demand for construction materials and to ensure supplies
are delivered directly to the areas that need them the
most.
With thousands of families still living in tents and
under tarps, home reconstruction is the most pressing
concern. However, as building got underway, basic supplies
like bagged cement and bricks were soon in short supply.
Now, these desperately needed materials are on the move,
thanks to OBI and its partner agencies. The chartered
barge can carry up to 12,000 tons of building materials
per trip. Its massive first load consisted of 28,000
bags of cement, plywood, rebar, and enough metal roofing
for the first 320 houses.
Crews of Indonesian men in Operation Blessing’s
cash-for-work program often work day and night loading
and unloading the barge. When the vessel docked this
week in Banda Aceh, 60 workers, 11 trucks and a crane
were employed to unload the cargo of building materials
valued at more than $240,000.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.
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