Lessons in disorder part of aid delivery

Around Aceh, agencies are pouring in aid - from giant organisations like the United Nations, Oxfam and Red Cross who are trying to help thousands, through to the small groups aiming to help just the few.

There is no doubt they do good. As well as delivering essentials such as food, shelter, water and medical aid, there are less obvious items such as bikes to cheer up children.

Then there are long-term aid projects to get people into work and out of the drudgery of handouts.

Every day there is a co-ordination meeting at the Oxfam headquarters. Sitting in on one shows that despite all the goodwill in the world, each agency has its own programme.

One New Zealand soldier whose CV covers many disaster areas of the world is resigned to the confusion, even though it offends his military desire for structure and a chain of command.

"It is like herding cats," he says.

"They have each been given their own agenda to deliver and they can't budge to fit in with others."

There are many examples of what the soldier calls "disconnections".

One is bags of rice too large for one Acehnese man to carry, and far too big to distribute properly to needy families.

Many of those who suffered most are fishermen. Those who survived the disaster lost their boats, and with them the ability to earn a living.

In its rush to help, one agency spent a small fortune on a fleet of low-bowed fibreglass boats with petrol engines.

Fisherman are dubious about such boats surviving the big swells of the Indian Ocean.

They had wooden boats with diesel engines, that they could run cheaply and repair.

There are fears that if they accept the boats they will drown, and even if they do not, they will go bankrupt just keeping the more modern craft running.

One New Zealand aid worker tells of being invited home to a local's house for a special dinner, where he was served up pork chops.

Muslims do not eat pork as it comes from pigs - which they see as unclean animals.

When the aid worker asked where the meat came from he was told the "Americans" were handing them out.

Mr Tan says Oxfam knows local people have to set the agenda.

Oxfam hopes other agencies will, like it, allow the Indonesians to jointly co-ordinate the aid and rebuilding programme with the United Nations.

"They know best what they need and we are in for the long haul to help them achieve it, not tell them what is best for them."