Acehnese residents affected by recent earthquakes listen to a sermon in Ketol, Central Aceh on Tuesday (July 9th) on the first night of the Holy Month of Ramadan. Survivors in refugee camps are dealing with fever, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. [Sutana Aditya/AFP]

ACEH, Indonesia – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife, Ani, visited the areas in Aceh hardest hit by last week's 6.2-magnitude earthquake, meeting with survivors who begged them Tuesday (July 9th) to continue search-and-rescue efforts for those still missing in the wake of landslides, local media reported.

At least 40 people were killed in the quake, while more than 2,600 were injured, The Jakarta Post reported.

New figures from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency suggested well over 52,000 people lost their homes in the July 2nd quake: nearly 20,000 in Bener Meriah and 32,000 in Central Aceh, according to The Jakarta Globe.

The growing concern is the level of disease spreading through refugee camps.

Central Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Subhan Sahara said Tuesday that many of the more-than-48,000 survivors in 70 evacuation points have become ill. "Some have fallen sick ... especially children and the elderly." He added that some camps lack clean water, The Globe reported.

The BPBD estimates 2,150 refugees have come down with fevers, diarrhoea and upper respiratory tract infections.