90,000 families live without shelters in quake-hit Padang

Around 90,000 families still live without shelters in Padang, as a local team is verifying physical damages and losses two weeks after a powerful earthquake devastated the West Sumatra capital, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reports.

BNPB head Syamsul Maarif said in a press conference Thursday that while other basic needs, such as drinking water, energy, electricity and telecommunications had been fulfilled for most quake victims in Padang, providing shelters for them was still a problem.

“There are still 90,000 families without  shelters. We will fulfill about two-thirds of the need by the end of this week,” Syamsul said after attending a Cabinet meeting on the aftermath of the earthquake with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the office of the State Secretary.

“As for the remaining, Mr. Governor has initiated to distribute craftsmanship tools to the communities so that they can use them to build their own shelters until their houses are repaired.

“I’ve seen how people in the outlying areas build shelters from the remains of their houses,” he added.

Syamsul said his agency had actually prepared for the quake victims huge makeshift tents to be used as temporary shelters for large groups.

He added, however, that the victims had refused to use them and demanded smaller shelters to be used per family.

“They have a culture that makes them feel uncomfortable about living in one big tent even with their own in-laws,” Syamsul said.    

He added that a total of 3,100 makeshift classrooms had been built for school purposes.