North Jakarta fire victims lack clean water

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 10/15/2008 10:29 AM  |  City

HANGING IN THERE: A mother and two her children watch over their clothes hung out to dry Tuesday. They are among some 650 poor families in Muara Ujung, North Jakarta, who lost their homes in Sunday’s fire. (JP/Nani Afrida)

Thousands of fire victims in Muara Ujung, Penjaringan subdistrict, North Jakarta, are dependent on disaster assistance and charity after a big fire razed their homes on Sunday.

Now they have nothing left, not even water. They are forced to use dirty river water to wash their clothes or bathe.

"We are relying heavily on aid and donations," Inah said Tuesday.

She lost almost all her belongings to the fire. Luckily, her husband and children got out and have taken shelter in a nearby mosque.

The blaze ravaged 650 buildings in the densely populated Muara Ujung area Sunday night, leaving 3,800 people homeless with six of them injured.

Simon, a neighborhood association employee, said the fire had burned through three of 40 neighborhoods in the subdistrict.

The victims had been directed to temporary shelter in tents or in a mosque; some moved in with relatives with houses.

The fire victims also worried about the water shortage because their only access to water is at the unsanitary river nearby.

The area water pipes was damaged due to the fire.

"For now, we're getting clean water from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). It's only for drinking. In this area, the ground water is salty because we are close to the sea," 55-year-old Inah said.

On Monday, PMI put up tents and organized a health station and public kitchen for the victims. They also provided clean water, instant noodles and other foods.

"We have to buy people clean water from the water sellers," said Yosep Yanto from PMI's North Jakarta chapter.

"We hope the city and its water utility PT PAM Jaya will provide clean water because it's an emergency and a basic need."

According to Yosep, the fire in Muara Ujung is one of the biggest to have occurred in North Jakarta.

Because of the fire, hundreds of Muara Ujung children failed to show up at school.

Eight-year-old Ida Nurhannah was visited by her teachers and friends in her temporary tent on Tuesday because she had not been in class.

"My books and uniform burned up in the fire. How can I go to school?" she asked.

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