After a month of wondering not, what if I go, but when will I go, and a few false starts, (UNOCHA in Banda Aceh, WFP in Palau Simuelue, CRS in Meulabo) word finally came from RedR for a posting in Palau Nias with the UNHCR (High Commission for Refugees) Shelter Housing Programme.
We met Agus
and Mardin who are in charge of the timber yard, both Gunungsitoli men with
University degrees. The rest of the team comprises four trained Manitu drivers,
four yard workers and the security staff who supply 24hr security at the site.
Pulau Nias, off Sumatra, Indonesia is located in a chain of islands parallel to the coast that are separated from Sumatra by the Mentawai Strait; Simeulue is located about 140 km northwest, and the Batu Islands are located about 80 km southeast.
