Red Cross Blogs

Aid worker diary from Indonesia: remembering Yogyakarta earthquake five years on

By Sarah Oughton
May 27, 2011 at 3:25 pm

I don’t suppose anyone forgets the first time they’re deployed to a disaster zone: for me it was Yogyakarta in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, not far from an active volcano, which was bubbling merrily away.

On 27 May, five years ago today, this earthquake in Java, an island of Indonesia, killed more than 5,700 people and injured around 38,000.

As people in the ancient city of Yogyakarta reeled from this disaster, Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes on Java and just 20 km away, was continuing to erupt and thousands of people were being evacuated.

As I headed out on my first deployment with the British Red Cross logistics emergency response unit (ERU) I remember trying to allay my mother’s fears, telling her not to worry because I’d packed my running shoes. I’m not sure she bought my bravado though.

Fortunately, the Indonesian Red Cross is very experienced at preparing for and responding to disasters. In April 2006, when the Centre for Volcanology reported that Mount Merapi was entering an eruption phase and placing it on the highest level of alert, the Red Cross kicked into action and started stocking their warehouses with relief goods and bringing medical expertise into the area.

This meant that when the earthquake happened on 27 May, the Indonesian Red Cross already had a lot of stock and personnel in place ready to respond. However because of the scale of the disaster, international assistance was requested.

The logistics ERU is a four-member team and its role is to set up systems and warehouses for the relief supplies – such as food, tents, hygiene kits – coming into a disaster zone. It ensures those items are accounted for and well organised in order to get them to the people who so desperately need them as quickly as possible.

When I first arrived in Yogyakarta things didn’t seem too bad in the city centre. We quickly set up a warehouse with an office which is where I spent most of my time.

My role involved liaising with our relief team who are the ones who go out to find and meet the people affected by the disaster and assess their situation and what their needs are. The relief team and logistics team then work together closely, to arrange for the goods to be distributed.

One day I got to leave the warehouse and accompany the relief team on a distribution and that’s when I saw the real impact of the earthquake.

As we drove into one of the areas worst-affected by the quake I could hardly comprehend the endless mounds of rubble. It was hard to think about how this was the remains of people’s homes, for those inside there would have been no chance of survival.

The devastation was so widespread, there was nowhere for people to go, all they could do was clear the rubble to the side and live alongside it, putting up tents and tarpaulins where they could.

I met two survivors that day, Darwin and Mei, who told me what happened to them when the earthquake struck. Darwin said: “I was at home. After what had happened in 2004, we were all worried there would be a tsunami, I panicked and ran north. But then I came back because I realised my grandparents were too old and ill to run away.”

Mei said: “I was away from the village staying with relatives near the university. When I came back to all the devastation and witnessed the blood in the street it was shocking. It was so strange to see so many houses in my street flattened, a lot of my neighbours died. My eight-year-old nephew had run back into house as his father was inside – but he had already died.”

Both Darwin and Mei had started volunteering with the Red Cross in the aftermath of the quake.

The distribution itself was pretty amazing to witness and the Indonesian Red Cross had it so well organised. It took place on a football field under the blazing midday sun, where three 5 tonne trucks delivered food parcels, tarpaulins, hygiene kits and baby parcels for 300 people.

Previously the relief team had interviewed everyone in the village to assess their needs and then issued them a registration card entitling them to the relief package.

It was hard work unloading in the heat but lots of the village men, even some quite elderly were really keen to help alongside the Red Cross volunteers. It was a really good atmosphere with people smiling, relieved to be getting some help.

In the first few months after the quake the Red Cross distributed emergency relief items to more than 124,000 families. And over the following year it helped 325,000 people get back on their feet.

One image I will never forget is seeing some graffiti on a wall, which I was told translated as: That’s enough God, please do not repeat.

Since then there has already been a devastating earthquake in 2009, to which the Red Cross also responded, and we know it will happen again.

Indonesia is one of the countries located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so called because this area sees regular tectonic activity resulting in a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

But that’s why it’s important to be prepared and to support programmes which help communities to become more resilient to disasters.

Our Disaster Fund helps us to respond immediately when major disasters strike. Help us be ready in advance and save lives the next time disaster strikes. Please make a donation today.

Visit our website if you’d like to find out more about working for the British Red Cross overseas.

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 27th, 2011 at 3:25 pm and is filed under Emergencies, International. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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