REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A non-governmental humanitarian organization, Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT), has built a shelter for Rohingya refugees in Blang Adoe village, Aceh.

The shelter has been termed by many parties as the best Rohingya refugee camp, compared to the ones built in some other countries.

The ACT was tasked by the North Aceh district administration to build a residential area for the ethnic Rohingya refugees in Blang Adoe, on an area of five hectares owned by the local administration, a media relations official of the National Committee for the Rohingya Solidarity (KNSR)/ ACT, Zainal Bakri, said in a statement received by Antara here on Monday.

According to him, the development of the refugee residential facility with 120 rooms was completed within a month's time. The shelter has a number of facilities, including a health clinic, classrooms, worship houses, a common kitchen, playground, as well as facilities for bathing, washing and toilets.

Zainal said the ACT recruited a number of local volunteers to carry out educational programs for children and skill training for Rohingya refugees. The program is implemented by the ACT, together with international, national and local humanitarian organizations.

The empowerment program, running to this day, is providing training, especially to Rohingya women. "The program also involves the local people from Blang Adoe to join in the training," he said.

This month will mark one year of Rohingya ethnic refugees from Myanmar finding themselves stranded in North Aceh.

Zainal said the ACT has been helping them for a year now. "The ACT followed several days following they arrival in North Aceh mainland, after they were rescued by some Aceh fishermen," Zainal remarked.

"Their condition was too poor, and they were suffering after having braved the sea for months. Our main focus at that time was to build an adequate and decent shelter," he said.

Until now, the tough volunteers from Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, still faithfully accompany Rohingya refugees, treating them as national guests.

"They are so proud at what we have been able to do for the Rohingya refugees, the asylum seekers, who have suffered so much in their homeland," Zainal said.

Muslim Rohingyas, termed by the the United Nations as the most persecuted ethnic minority in the world, is not recognized by the government of Myanmar. Rohingya is a Muslim ethnic minority among 134 other Myanmar ethnic groups.

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