Aceh Post-disaster: Wali Nanggroe Meets US Consul to Discuss Urgent Need for Clean Water
BANDA ACEH - Wali Nanggroe Aceh Tgk Malik Mahmud Al Haythar met with the US Consul for Sumatra, Lisa Podolny, to discuss post-disaster handling in Aceh and opportunities to strengthen cooperation in various fields.
Head of Public Relations and Cooperation of the Regent of Nanggroe Aceh, Zulfikar Idris said, the meeting took place after Tgk Malik Mahmud visited Aceh Tamiang Regency, the region most severely affected by the disaster, accompanied by the Special Staff of the Regent of Nanggroe Dr. Muhammad Raviq.
According to Zulfikar, one of the focuses of discussion in the meeting was the handling of post-flood and landslide disasters in Aceh, including strengthening humanitarian cooperation and climate resilience between Aceh and the United States.
During the meeting, Tgk Malik Mahmud expressed his appreciation for the attention and solidarity shown by the US diplomatic representatives to the people of Aceh.
He assessed that empathy and international support are important for communities that are still struggling with loss, displacement, and environmental damage due to natural disasters.
One of the main things highlighted was the urgent need for access to clean drinking water in the affected areas.
Tgk Malik emphasized the importance of support for portable drinking water treatment systems because many water sources are contaminated after the flood and have the potential to pose a continued health risk.
"Clean water is a basic human need, as well as the foundation for the recovery of public health after disasters," said Tgk Malik Mahmud, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, December 23.
In addition to disaster management, the meeting also discussed opportunities for concrete cooperation in the fields of education, public health, and environmental protection.
According to Tgk Malik, these sectors are increasingly strategic to strengthen regional capacity in the face of disasters whose intensity is increasing along with the impact of climate change.