East Aceh Refugee Camp Goes Solar: Solar panels light the way for the refugees

Where there is sun, there is life. Sun’s power is well demonstrated at a remote temporary site for Rohingya refugees, which is powered by solar energy. The improvised camp at their location of disembarkation houses 137 people who arrived in Indonesia from refugee camps in Bangladesh in February 2024.

Landfall on a remote location

Surrounded by tranquil rivers and lush forests, next to the Strait of Malacca, is the coastal area of Kuala Parek Beach, East Aceh. The boat in February with Rohingya refugees reached land in this area, 13 kilometres from the closest village. Until the government allocates a place of accommodation for the refugees, they must stay where they landed, so moving them to another site with better infrastructure was out of the question.

The proactive and welcoming village head allocated an empty plot of land for their temporary settlement. The news of the refugees' arrival swiftly spread throughout the village of Kuala Parek, sparking a mix of concern and curiosity among the villagers. In response, the habitants rallied to provide food, drink and essential items, demonstrating remarkable sympathy towards the refugees.

Despite the language barrier, a sense of solidarity gradually emerged between the villagers and the Rohingya refugees. Through acts of kindness and shared life experiences, the two groups rediscovered the common thread of humanity that transcends cultural and linguistic disparities. But what even kindness of the villagers could not supply was electricity – and IOM had to find a solution quickly.

In collaboration with local authorities, IOM addressed the shelter’s lack of electricity by providing lighting to this off-grid location using solar energy, explained Cristin Panoto Thaba, IOM’s Transit Site Assistant in East Aceh. “Although the initial cost of installing solar panels was higher, it is more cost-effective in the long run,” she said. The lamps use small batteries built into the panels to store electricity to be used after the sun sets.

IOM installed four 400-watt peak (WP) lamps for public street lighting, with the solar panels positioned on high poles to maximize exposure to the sunlight. Additionally, there are ten solar-powered lights placed inside the living areas. “Without the lighting, our camp would be inhabitable,” said one of the refugees representing the group of Rohingya.

Although the smart way of installing lamps in a small place of accommodation is as small step, but such small steps lead to greater achievements towards sustainable and innovative solutions.

The solar power is a form of renewable energy, in which sunlight is turned into electricity or other forms of energy we can use, as a carbon-free energy source.  It is non-polluting and does not emit any carbon-dioxide during its operation: once installed, it produces none of the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change.

“The solar lighting system installed at this camp is very effective in improving access to facilities and safety at nighttime, while reducing the environmental footprint of our operation,” said Stefano Bresaola, Programme Coordinator at IOM Indonesia.

IOM is now looking to install solar lamps at some of the other temporary accommodation sites in Indonesia, Bresaola added, replacing other forms of electricity.