Red Cross Blogs

Reporting from Indonesia: survivors cut off by landslides

By Sarah Oughton
October 7, 2009 at 12:12 pm

Guest blogger Sharon Reader is a communications officer in Scotland. After the earthquake which hit Sumatra, Indonesia, she was sent with the British Red Cross logistics emergency response unit (ERU) to report back on the situation.

I’m here in Indonesia for a few more days and will be seeing some large scale

distributions of aid goods tomorrow. Due to landslides, many of the roads have been left impassable so we think there are a lot of people who still haven’t been reached since the earthquake happened.

To be honest, I think the numbers we’re hearing will grow steadily over the next week and while we can get relief goods to people we also have to help rebuild their homes and businesses and get back on their feet again, which is why donations are so important.

Yesterday, I went to a Red Cross field kitchen – one of many set up throughout the area – which is serving proper cooked meals to hundreds of people left homeless and without food or cooking supplies.

I met Dedet Mulyadi, a volunteer who has travelled all the way from Jakarta to help out in the field kitchen. He said: “Roads have been closed and people haven’t any money so we’re here to make sure they have something to eat and drink. Since the kitchen opened we’ve served hundreds of meals and plan to start offering breakfast too.”

Over the last few days, the Red Cross has been using a helicopter to reach villages cut off by the earthquake and resulting landslides.

On the 4 October, between 8am-4am the medical team of one doctor, one nurse and an assistant reached four locations and treated 250-300 people. This was the first time these areas had been reached since the earthquake cut them off and many people required minor surgery for wounds caused by the quake.

Most of the search and rescue teams went home yesterday and the effort is

now moving into recovery. I saw trucks and trucks leave the Red Cross quarters in Padang loaded with relief goods like plastic sheeting, cooking sets, mosquito nets and food and water. My logistics colleagues have managed to get free warehouse space from an amazing gentleman who runs a cinnamon factory near Padang Airport.

We’re expecting two plane loads of aid tomorrow so the space will be vital for storing it and then getting it out to people quickly and efficiently. Mr Bambang said he just wants to do whatever he can to help. He too lost his home in the earthquake, but says he’s lucky because his wife was in Jakarta. He says he just feels grateful to have his health and his family.

I would beg you to think of how you would cope if your home and business collapsed and you were left with nothing. I know times are tough in the UK right now, but believe me they’re not as tough as it is here.

To donate go to www.dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 900

Image © Sharon Reader/BRC

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Tags: earthquake, Emergencies, emergency response, Indonesia, indonesia earthquake

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