“Look!
This is all that’s left of our home,” said 56-year-old
Raudah with tear-stained eyes, staring at the remains of her
house.
Aid is just reaching the thousands of people affected by the
massive earthquake that hit Bengkulu, Sumatra last week, at
the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
“I was on the way to my daughter’s house that evening
to deliver soup for breaking fast,” Raudah tells the Red
Cross team. “My granddaughter loves my soup. When I arrived,
suddenly everything started shaking and I could not move anymore.
“After a few minutes, my daughter, her family and I ran
to higher ground. We were worried that the earthquake would
trigger a tsunami. We just wanted to be far away from our house
and reach the nearest hill as soon as possible.
“Tremors are still continuing and I am still afraid, even
now. I always wake up when any tremor occurs at night”.
This is the second time for Raudah and her community to experience
such a disaster. An earthquake in 2000 caused many casualties.
“We, Bengkulu people, have learned from our last experience
and from Aceh Province that whenever any big earthquake happens,
it is best to run to higher places. Moreover, the Red Cross
and some government departments have taught us about disaster
preparedness through disaster simulation,” Raudah sighs,
watching her two sons clear up the rubble of her home.
The affected families have set up their tents in front of their
houses so they can start cleaning and repairing. Leni Yuliarti,
a 20 year-old housewife is staying in a tarpaulin tent by her
home.
“I do not want to move away to another area because we
have some belongings that are still in good condition like all
my husband’s barber equipment. If we lose that, it will
be difficult for us to earn living,” she says.
Leni was at her mother’s house, which is 13 kilometres
from the sea when the earthquake occurred.
“I was only thinking of how to get to the hills that time.
I kept remembering the Aceh tsunami while we were running away.
The Aceh tsunami taught us a lot. It raised our awareness on
earthquakes and tsunamis,” says Leni, the mother of a
three month old daughter.
The Head of office of Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Bengkulu Chapter,
Joni Saputra, mobilized more than 70 volunteers within 90 minutes
of the earthquake hitting.
“Since the earthquake in 2000 and the tsunami in Aceh
Province, the Red Cross and local government has started public
education on disaster preparedness, especially for earthquakes
and tsunamis,” he says.
“Community awareness has been built through many disaster
simulations and practices. The government has helped by identifying
safe evacuation areas. You could see the results today”.
PMI started assisting the communities just ninety minutes after
the earthquake. Their main activities include providing an ambulance
service, setting up a temporary field hospital and gathering
information.
PMI will distribute 1,000 hygiene kits, 650 hurricane lanterns
and 500 medicines in Bengkulu Utara and Muko-muko districts.
Local Red Cross boss Joni Saputra says: “we are assessing
the need for a psychosocial support programme in Bengkulu Utara
and a water and sanitation programme in Muko-muko as well.”
The Sumatra earthquake last week occurred in Bengkulu, Sumatra
Barat, and Jambi Provinces as the main affected areas, with
Bengkulu being the worst affected. There are 5,011 of houses
totally destroyed in Bengkulu Province with the highest number
in Bengkulu Utara and Muko-muko sub districts. Fourteen people
are reported dead.
“We are lucky because we have learned disaster preparedness”,
says Raudah. “I hope there will be no more tremors in
Indonesia, especially in Bengkulu. It is important for other
communities in other areas in Indonesia to learn from our experiences.
We never know when the disaster will come, being prepared is
an excellent strategy to reduce casualties.”
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“Look!
This is all that’s left of our home,” said
56-year-old Raudah with tear-stained eyes, staring at
the remains of her house. (p16412)
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Aid
is just reaching the thousands of people affected by the
massive earthquake that hit Bengkulu, Sumatra last week,
at the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
(p16410)
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PMI
will distribute 1,000 hygiene kits, 650 hurricane lanterns
and 500 medicines in Bengkulu Utara and Muko-muko districts.
(p16409)
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PMI
started assisting the communities just ninety minutes
after the earthquake. Their main activities include providing
an ambulance service, first aid services, setting up a
temporary field hospital and gathering information. (p16413)
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News
