Small businesses, farms, and fisheries established by former
combatants with help from IOM and the Japanese government are
thriving, a recent IOM survey shows.

Since July 2006, IOM, with funding from Japan, has helped almost
5,000 former combatants and amnestied political prisoners to set up
successful small businesses, such as coffee shops, kiosks, fish
trading businesses, brick factories, tempe (fermented soy bean)
making companies and tailor shops, through its ten Information,
Counselling and Referral Service (ICRS) strung across Aceh.

IOM's recent random survey of 100 ex-combatants found the
average monthly income earned from these businesses was well above
Aceh's mandated minimum monthly wage of IDR 850,000 (USD 90). In
East Aceh ex-combatants assisted by IOM were earning an average of
IDR 990,000 (USD 105) per month, while in South Aceh, respondents'
average income was IDR 1,800,000 (USD 192) per month.

"This shows that with technical and small-business training and
good advice, these people can rebuild their lives and contribute to
the development of Aceh," says Ferdinand Paredes, the head of IOM's
Post-Conflict and Reintegration Programme in Aceh.

Conducted in early July, 2007, the assessment surveyed
ex-combatants' businesses which had been operating for more than
six months, in four different districts – South Aceh, East
Aceh, Bireuen and Lhokseumawe – in order to evaluate the
long-term sustainability of their businesses.

ICRS staff provide one-on-one counselling to clients, help to
develop viable small-business, agricultural and fishery
initiatives, and oversee the purchase of materials to get those
businesses up and running.

Ismael, an ex-combatant who operates a coffee shop close to
Calang on Aceh's west coast, says IOM's assistance in running his
first business persuaded him to give up a less environmentally
friendly livelihood.

"I used to spend my days chopping down trees and collecting
timber, but now I'm too busy for that," he says. Like many of the
former prisoners and combatants in the programme, he also
contributed his own funds to help set up the coffee shop.

Mawadah, a 25-year-old female former combatant from Takengon
bought a pick-up truck with assistance from IOM to run a vegetable
selling business. She now not only supports her family, but also
employs five other staff. "My dream is to sell vegetables all over
Aceh and to set up trading links in Banda Aceh, Siglie and
Meulaboh," she says.

But as it approaches the second anniversary of the peace deal,
Aceh is still struggling to recover from more than three decades of
conflict, with high levels of unemployment, violent incidents, high
rates of conflict-related trauma and many livelihoods, farms and
houses destroyed by the conflict.

"Winning the peace in Aceh still needs a lot more work," says
Paredes. "The years of conflict have taken a heavy toll on the
Acehnese mentally, physically and economically. For the peace to
hold, the province needs economic development and programmes which
help conflict-affected communities to recover from the legacy of
war," he adds.

A recent study conducted by IOM and Harvard University found
Acehnese continue to suffer high levels of trauma and depression,
as well as economic hardship, almost two years after the peace deal
was signed on August 15, 2005.

Almost a fifth or 18 per cent of those surveyed said their
houses were destroyed during the conflict, 44 per cent said they
still lacked adequate housing, 59 per cent said they lacked food,
while 61 per cent said they lacked sanitation or access to clean
water.

Another 76 per cent of respondents from high-conflict
communities across 14 districts of Aceh reported difficulty in
supporting their families. The study also found 44 per cent of
civilians showed symptoms of depression, 17 per cent of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and 48 per cent of
anxiety.

The study which randomly selected 1,972 individuals from 105
villages was conducted with the assistance of Syiah Kuala
University and the Indonesian Health Department and was funded by
the World Bank, the Decentralization Support Facility, Harvard
University, the Canadian government and IOM.

Further information about IOM post-conflict and tsunami-recovery
efforts is available at
href="http://www.iom.or.id">www.iom.or.id.

For more information please contact:

Marianne Kearney

IOM Banda Aceh

Tel. +62 812 698 9308

E-mail: "mailto:mkearney@iom.int">mkearney@iom.int