TWO relief workers from East Lancashire have flown out to the Aceh region of Indonesia to help the victims of the tsunami. Samina Kauser, 30, of Every Street, Nelson, and Mohammed Anwar, of Lomeshaye Road, are both volunteers for Pendle charity Muslim Global Relief. Samina has kept a diary for Lancashire Evening

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WE arrived in Jakarta on January 8 and the next day went to meet Indonesian government officials to discuss the situation, what the local authorities are doing and what plans they have in the near future.

Next we met with other aid agencies from around the world that are working in Aceh. There are 1,500 local volunteers working on a rota to help distribute relief aid supplied by international aid agencies.

The few houses remaining intact are taking in international aid workers and providing them with the comforts of a home while they do the relief work during the day. We stayed with a family in Aceh - sharing the house with the occupants and other medical teams from around the world.

In Banda Aceh many areas are still without aid and medical facilities, with disease spreading fast.

As soon as we arrived in the epicentre we could smell the scent of death in the air. As we moved deeper into Banda Aceh we saw masses of graves. There are 2,500 people buried there, with hundreds of bodies waiting to be buried.

The destruction is unbelievable, debris for miles upon miles. Seeing is believing and it's a vision difficult to portray. Trees, buses and cars can be seen on top of people and their homes. Even boats from the coast can be seen two kilometres inland.

We saw dead bodies, limbs from children and adults in the streets and bodies visible in the rubble of their homes. The local army is attempting to clear away the mass of dead bodies, some of which have lain untouched since the disaster happened. It is very difficult to recognise that these were people.

Some are still searching for love ones in the hope that they are still alive. There are posters up of people stuck to trees and everywhere people are seeking family members.

The sea is very calm now - lots of people are just sitting around or wandering about with nowhere to go. People are still finding it difficult to comprehend what has happened.

We gave food, water and clothing to the neediest people in the area and our short term goals are to provide water, sanitation, food, medical aid and mental rehabilitation.

We are now discussing long-term aid for the region with our partners and other charities in the area in order to avoid duplication.

The hardship and suffering of people goes beyond words. It is incredible that they have the strength and courage to try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.