Unicef, Muslim Aid provide Aceh schools with clean water facilities

Banda Aceh  (ANTARA News) - The United Nations Children`s Fund (Unicef) and Muslim Aid Indonesia have provided seven schools in Aceh Besar district with clean water facilities, Unicef spokesperson Ivy Susanti said here Tuesday. 

"Seven schools in Aceh Besar have officially received clean water facilities such as drilled wells, pump houses, and water pipeline systems from Unicef and Muslim Aid Indonesia," Ivy Susanti said. 

She said the seven schools which had been provided with the clean water facilities were the state elementary schools of Siron, Ie Alang, Lamtamot, Reuleung Geuleumpang, Blang Kiree, Limo, and Kuta Kareung. 

Ivy said Unicef and Muslim Aid Indonesia had also provided Mesalee, Lampaseh, Montasik, and Lamjampok elementary schools with e similar facilities earlier. 

Earlier, on Saturday, Ivy said Unicef had completed the construction of 148 elementary school buildings in 11 districts and municipalities in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province. 

"Unicef has a commitment to construct a total of 346 school buildings -- 226 in Aceh province and 120 in Nias and South Nias districts in North Sumatra," Ivy Susanti said. 

She said the Unicef office in Banda Aceh had handed nine schools with their facilities to the Aceh Besar district administration. 

"The schools were handed by the chief of Unicef`s education section in Banda Aceh, Hoang Van Sit, to Aceh Besar district head Bukhari Daud last Thursday," Ivy Susanti said. 

Unicef had also built 43 schools in several sub districts in Aceh Besar which bore the brunt of the devastating tsunami on December 26, 2004. 

Meanwhile, Hoang Van Sit said Unicef would continue to set up elementary school buildings in Aceh, although it was facing many problems such as illegal levies, difficulties in reaching isolated or remote locations, and the impact of the global financial crisis on the prices of construction materials and services. 

"We will continue with the construction of schools in Aceh in accordance with our commitment to the provincial administration," Hoang said.