We continue to confront our vulnerability to natural catastrophes. How much was the cost of the tsunami that hit Aceh in December 2004? What about the Aceh disaster followed by a huge earthquake that rattled Nias in 2005?
We still remember how people in Yogyakarta remain traumatized after the earthquake in 2006. Also the huge earthquake that tested Tasikmalaya in Ramadan of 2009. And last but not least, the heavy quake in West Sumatra and Jambi a week ago. The list doesn't end.
Government records for the two-year period between 2003 and 2005 show there were more than 1,400 disasters that occurred. Catastrophes have hit many parts of the country, and more than 10,000 people have been displaced.
It is estimated that more than 175,000 lives and more than US$5 billion in damage have been claimed by the series of natural disasters in the past five years. Such damage validates the vulnerability of communities to natural disasters, with the most vulnerable groups being the poor, women, children and the elderly. It was reported by international donor organizations that a primary cause of such huge damage was the lack of critical design features of buildings and houses.
With the support of international donor organizations, the government has produced a guide for managing the impact, for reconstructing and rehabilitating cities and villages in Aceh, Nias and Yogyakarta from the disasters, where community participation is involved. We do hope the government, donor organizations, NGOs and the community have learned the lessons from those disasters.
We do not expect to see similar issues come out for managing the emergencies in Tasikmalaya and West Sumatra, and we do not want to witness the many mistakes we made during the reconstructions and rehabilitation of Aceh, Nias and Yogyakarta. I would assume that a troop of volunteers, international and local NGOs, and donor organizations will flow into West Sumatra. I am worried that support for West Java and the Tasikmalaya earthquake will not become the focus. I do hope these troops really learned their lessons from Aceh, Nias and Yogyakarta.
The lessons of uneven distribution of emergency support, the lack of attention for emergency support that responds to different needs of adults and children, women and men, boys and girls, the young and the elderly, and other different needs, should not happen again. The cases of violence against against women and girls in camps for internally displaced persons (IDP) should not be tolerated.
West Sumatra has been prominent as a province with communities that are very innovative traders. Its regional income has been among the highest compared to the rest of Indonesia. With some reports to confirm that the United Nations' "cash-for-work" program has altered the economic structure of Aceh and created a sense of dependency in the people, I would really expect that the development actors and volunteers are really aware of it.
Without money, it has been difficult to mobilize the Acehnese to work and do things, even for the needs of their own people. This also happened in Nias. I don't expect to see the good value of the West Sumatran people altering because of the sympathy of works such as the cash-for-work program.
A more strategic way to help West Sumatra pass the emergency situation, reconstruct their area and rehabilitate the impacted areas is mandatory.
In the long run, the critical aspect of preparedness, including the availability of emergency units and services during emergencies, should also be taken care of. Availability of blood centers is critical. It was reported by the Health Ministry that about 30 percent of all districts do not have a blood center. Practices to properly manage blood transfusions at the district level are also reported to be unknown.
Lessons from the Aceh post-tsunami support to develop community-based mental health support, which have been positive should be reintroduced during the Tasikmalaya and West Sumatra emergency and reconstruction efforts, must help address past grievances as well as face other day-to-day issues.
Leya Cattleya
Jakarta
