Mentawai quake survivors wait for aid

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 09/20/2007 3:00 PM

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post, Padang

Thousands of earthquake survivors in Mentawai Islands regency, West Sumatra, are still suffering a shortage of tents and food supplies.

They have only received enough food aid for a single meal, despite the fact they have been living in shelters and makeshift tents since Sept. 13.

Southern North Pagai district chief Eliza Murti said Wednesday around 70 percent of residents' houses and public facilities on the island were either severely or slightly damaged. The regency is situated near Bengkulu, where the quake epicenter was located.

""Reports that say the level of damage to buildings in Southern North Pagai is only 30 percent are not true. It might be true if observed from the air, or just some parts of the area,"" Murti said, quoting a statement by Social Welfare Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah which was aired on national television stations.

He said many structures directly facing the sea were still intact in comparison to those behind.

""When seen from the air, the Sikakap ferry terminal appears to be intact, but it's not the case from the ground, where it appears to have virtually collapsed,"" said Murti.

The number of evacuees in Pagai has reached 5,592 families, or 23,547 people, from the total population of 25,000 people. As many as 226 people were injured in the quake.

The majority of refugees have moved to higher ground and taken shelter under makeshift tents, most of which have been built using salvaged materials from ruined houses. The tents have no walls to shield occupants from the elements.

Murti said relief workers had distributed relief aid provided by the West Sumatra provincial and Mentawai Islands regency administrations on Sept. 16.

""The aid comprised of 23 tons of rice, but stocks only lasted for two days due to the large number of evacuees,"" he said.

Both administrations also distributed 200 tents.

""Assuming that three families share a tent, that means around 2,000 tents are required.""

He said relief workers had distributed aid to remote Sinakak village on the west coast of Pagai Island, which took seven hours to reach by boat.

The health of the evacuees has been affected, with some of them suffering respiratory illnesses. There are only six doctors on the island, a few nurses and a limited supply of medicine.

Murti said there was no special medical program that catered for infants and the elderly, despite the deaths of two infants at shelters.

""A naval ship arrived today loaded with 25 tons of rice.""

A Sikakap resident, Nurima, 55, who is taking refuge on higher ground near a small mosque said ""I'm afraid and have no appetite to eat because the tent we are living in has no walls to prevent mosquitoes from entering and we sleep cramped together"".

In North Siberut, local relief worker Andom Sabebegen said he was forced to sell 1.5 tons of the 5 tons of donated rice.

""I had to sell part of the rice assistance to get Rp 3.5 million (approximately US$388) to transport the relief aid because it arrived without distribution funds, and the district office has no funds,"" he said.

The cost to distribute relief aid to remote villages by small pompong motorized boats is quite high.

""The cost of transportation to the villages is expensive. For example, we had to pay Rp 600,000 to transport relief aid to Monganpula village by three pompong. We don't have transportation funds. Relief workers from Malancan village have not arrived to fetch aid due to the distance. They are still searching for funds to come here,"" Andom said.

The aid distribution situation on Sipora Island is similar. Public services provided by the regency administrative office in the capital of Mentawai Islands, Tuapejat, situated on the island, was still no running normally as of Wednesday.

Most of the employees and officials come from mainland West Sumatra or have relatives in the provincial capital Padang. They were on their pre-Ramadhan leave in Padang when the quake struck.

""Vice Regent Yudas Sabaggalet set up a disaster mitigation command post in Tuapejat on Wednesday,"" said activist Rapot P. Simanjuntak, from a local relief group in Tuapejat.

Despite the presence of a hospital in Tuapejat, Rapot said it was not well staffed and equipped. Furthermore, most of the equipment was destroyed in the quake.

Data from the Southern North Pagai command post indicates that 1,271 permanent, semi-permanent and wooden houses were severely destroyed in the quake. As many as 14 school buildings, four mosques and 40 churches were badly damaged.

In South Siberut, 770 houses were badly damaged and 688 slightly damaged. As many as 18 school buildings, five mosques, and 17 churches were badly damaged.

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