On 1 February 2007, Medair begins a project that will improve access to health care, clean water, and sanitation in remote disaster-stricken communities on the island of Nias in Sumatra Province, Indonesia. This project expands Medair's ongoing Indonesia programme, providing support to an additional 35,000 of the most underserved and forgotten beneficiaries in the area.

Like most of the region, the island of Nias was hit hard by the December 2004 tsunami. However, even greater damage was caused a few months later when an earthquake struck, killing 850 people, injuring 6,000, and leaving 80,000 homeless.

After the earthquake, Nias Island received assistance to help repair its roads, bridges, and houses. When Medair conducted a detailed assessment in October 2006, it discovered that despite this investment in infrastructure, many roads and bridges leading to smaller villages remained in disrepair, increasing the isolation of the small communities. Most significantly, Medair found that access to health care and access to clean water and sanitation were glaring problems that required urgent assistance.

In South Nias, the health structures are often understaffed, lack equipment, and suffer from a severe shortage of investment. When the earthquake struck, it served to weaken buildings that were already in a state of disrepair. Many clinics in remote hilltop villages are now abandoned, making access to health care much more difficult.

In hospitals and schools, the water supply is limited or does not exist. Most water sources are unprotected, so they are likely to be contaminated.

For this project, Medair will concentrate its efforts on the remote communities in the Lolomatua and Lolowa'u areas of South Nias. Accessing health care and clean water has always been difficult in these regions, with 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line. The least accessible and poorest areas can only be reached by walking up to 12 kilometres, because they cannot be accessed by motorbikes. As a result, these villages have received the least assistance to date.

Medair will help rehabilitate or reconstruct six health clinics that can serve up to 35,000 people. It will also improve the living quarters for health staff, to help attract and retain qualified medical staff. Medair will train and equip medical staff to help improve the quality of care to the local population. It will also provide health education in villages, to increase local understanding of disease prevention and to help families remain healthy.

To improve water and sanitation, Medair will help repair or construct safe water sources, public bathing areas and latrines, and also promote the construction of latrines at a household level. Local community members will undertake much of the labour, and also be trained on how to build, maintain, and manage their community water systems for long-term sustainability.

Since the communities have suffered from two recent natural disasters, Medair will also help villages to develop a disaster management plan that they can implement to reduce their vulnerability to future disasters in this earthquake-prone region.

Chaine du Bonheur has provided Medair with the funding to initiate this project on Nias Island.

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Medair is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), with its operational Headquarters located in Switzerland. In Indonesia, Medair is currently running a programme to improve the health and well-being of the disaster-affected people in Nias Island and on the West Coast of Aceh. To achieve this, Medair will improve access to adequate health care, clean water, and sanitation, so that residents are able to resume normal lives.

In February 2007, Medair will launch a project on Nias Island, with the objectives to rehabilitate or reconstruct six health clinics, recruit and train staff for health clinics as well as train Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA). Medair will also help repair or construct safe water sources, public bathing areas and latrines, and also promote the construction of latrines at a household level

This projects receives financial support from Swiss Solidarity (CdB), TearFund UK, Cedar Fund and Tear Nederlands. Medair's life-saving activities are dependent upon private financial support. To contribute to this work, please visit www.medair.org (Indonesia section)

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