“The problem with water supply at some of evacuation points is not good,” he added, saying wells had been left dry since the quake.
Aid has begun reaching the worst-hit areas but there was still an urgent need for more food, clothing and sanitation products, the agency said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the province last week, pledging to rebuild the area’s devastated communities.
The archipelago nation experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.
A huge undersea earthquake in 2004 triggered a tsunami that engulfed several countries around the Indian Ocean, killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia alone, the vast majority in Aceh.
The province lies on the northern tip of Sumatra island, which is particularly prone to quakes.
In June, a 6.5-magnitude quake struck off the west of Sumatra, damaging scores of buildings and injuring eight people.
Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy: channelnewsasia.com
