First Ferry Since Tsunami Moors at Ulee Lheu Port
Banda Aceh, 9 December 2005 – The ferry from Sabang
Island, Indonesia landed at Ulee Lhue port in Banda Aceh today for the
first time since the tsunami, following an extensive rehabilitation
programme by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Banda
Aceh Transportation Agency which has returned the port to use.
Passengers from the ferry were met by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer, who welcomed them as they landed. The rehabilitation of the
port was funded by the Australian government, who also announced a further
five million AUS$ (approx 3.75 USD$) of funding for this project which
will be used for the further reconstruction of the port including the
building of a new ferry terminal.
As the main ferry hub in Aceh province, the terminal at Ulee Lheu provides
a vital service for passengers from Calang, Belawan and Medan in North
Sumatra as well as Sabang and is thus key for movement of people and
trade around the province. But during the tsunami, the port was not
just destroyed, but was also left on an island as the land surrounding
it was almost completely washed away. The rehabilitation of the port
therefore included rebuilding a road through the sea to the port so
reconstruction could begin.
Despite the terrible damage, an initial assessment by a UNDP port engineer
found that, despite the damage caused by the December 26th tsunami,
the port infrastructures were still repairable and the port could be
returned to operations.
Following the survey, the first physical work to commence was the reconstruction
of access road to the port. The material used for this road was actually
rubble from tsunami destroyed buildings, reclaimed from the waste dumped
across the city by the wave by UNDP’s Tsunami Waste Management
Programme. This road was successfully reconstructed within three months.
The port’s rehabilitation was continued with dredging work to
clear up rubbles descended under the quay and removal and rearrangement
of sea protection rocks that were scattered along the quay lines. With
support and hard works from all involved parties, the works were completed
less than two months.
“The ferry represents a vital service not just for people, but
also for trade and the movement of materials needed for reconstruction
around the province. By the resumption of the ferry terminal operation,
people and material movement from Banda Aceh to other regions and vice
versa will be improved,” said Simon Field, UNDP Team Leader in
Banda Aceh. “The process of social rehabilitation of tsunami affected
regions, furthermore, will also move faster.”
Besides Ulee Lhue, UNDP has also conducted surveys as well as prepared
plans and budgets for rehabilitation and reconstruction of some major
ports in Aceh’s west coast such as Calang, Simeulue and Sabang.
“In the future, we think that Sabang will serve as the main port
handling international sea traffic and Calang will become a vital centre
for commercial shipping and fishing on the west coast,” said Gerry
Byrne, UNDP’s port engineer. “Simeulue in addition, has
also been identified as a priority for this work, as the port is considered
vital for the recovery and future development of the entire island.”
Ulee Lhue port's rehabilitation is a crucial facility not just for Banda
Aceh but also for the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in other
regions, since it will accelerate material and personnel movement to,
from and within areas such as Calang and Meulaboh. The rehabilitation
of Ulee Lheu port is funded by Australian Government through AusAID
and coordinated by UNDP with Aceh Transportation Body.
Site visit and interview with experts involved in this project can be
arranged on request.
For further information, please contact:
Amron Hamdi at 0651-47598 or HP +62 81360420444 or amron.hamdi@undp.org;
Imogen Wall at +62 811806821 or imogen.wall@undp.org
UNDP is the United Nations worldwide development network. It advocates
change and provides countries with access to the knowledge, skills and
resources their populations need to improve their lives.
Latest information on tsunami disaster efforts is available at http://www.undp.or.id/tsunami
or http://www.undp.org/tsunami/
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