Aid in Action

A Celebration of Humanity!

The USAID Mission/Jakarta participated in the Coordination Forum for Aceh and Nias (CFAN4), held at the Jakarta Convention Center on February 13 & 14, 2009

Jakarta | Tuesday, March 03, 2009

The USAID effort in support of post- tsunami relief and recovery in Indonesia was on display on February 13-14 at the Coordination Forum for Aceh and Nias (CFAN4), held at the Jakarta Convention Center. A colorful USAID booth at the exhibition explained the work done over the last four years, from emergency relief to infrastructure repair and economic revival. USAID has contributed more than $400 million towards the rebuilding of Aceh and Nias.

Hundreds of guests visited the booth, as did Indonesian President Yudhoyono, who stopped in during a tour of the exhibition after he had officially opened the two-day event.

The event consisted of various seminars, conferences and entertainment in addition to the exhibits by more than 100 international donors and non-governmental organizations. USAID cooperated with the Indonesia’s Sesame Street television program (Jalan Sesama) to present several Muppet shows for the youngest attendees. Major portions of the exhibition were open to the public with thousands visiting the exhibition.

USAID was one of the first international donors on the ground in Banda Aceh after the 30-meter tsunami flattened the city on December 26, 2004, killing some 200,000 residents. The agency has remained active over the last four years and is still initiating new projects to rebuild the province even as Indonesia’s recovery activities wind down.

In the wake of the tsunami, Indonesia had established a special authority to coordinate over $6 billion in relief and recovery assistance. The BRR (Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias) has done an exceptional job with international donor assistance, building over a hundred thousand homes, numerous schools, and other facilities. Its mandate ends in April 2009.

CFAN4 was one of the final events to be organized by BRR before it ceases operations in a few months. This event was planned to show the general public the overall nature of post-tsunami relief and rehabilitation efforts and provide a forum for discussion of lessons learned and next steps to guide ongoing and future activities in the post-BRR era. In a greater sense, this was an accountability exercise on the part of BRR and all organizations who have been involved in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Aceh.