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| IDEP Responds to Flash Floods in Aceh & North Sumatra |
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Background | Damage Assessment & Project Start Up | Relief Activities Undertaken | Project Donors | A story from the field | Conclusion
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Background
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During December 2005 unusually heavy rains fell for several days across several areas in Sumatra including the areas of Tamiyang, Langkat, Panyabungan, Lokseumawe, Besitang and Berandan.
Many of these areas were seriously flooded and in some cases the heavy rains and flooding triggered substantial landslides. During this deluge approximately 54,000 people were displaced and relocated into collective centres with 15 casualties were reported.
The flooding damage in the area was massive resulting in the displacement of approximately 54,000 people
The worst affected areas were Tamiyang and Besitang where the water level reached up to 4 meters above normal levels. Four rivers flow across this district, which increased the area’s vulnerability to flooding. Widespread deforestation in the surrounding areas also compounded the problem.
“Rivers of Mud” flowed from the mountains down stream where a hill had collapsed. The mud brought huge amounts of sediment as well as uprooted trees, which caused extreme damage in 11 Kecamatan (Sub districts) in Aceh Province and 1 in Sumatra Utara Province.
Although the communities affected have previous experiences in dealing with floods, this particular flood was beyond their capacity to cope, and major damage was caused to local houses and community assets.
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| Damage Assessment & Project Start Up |
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An initial rapid assessment conducted by IDEP / Bahari indicated that the worst affected people were living in the lower lying rural regions near the riverbanks. A total of 54,000 people were displaced across different locations during the floods. During the first week of the emergency, people gathered on higher dry ground, in public places or under emergency shelters. There was a lack of all basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and medical care. The mud had contaminated both the environment and houses of the villages. Houses destroyed in the area:
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| Level destruction |
Bukit Mas |
Sekoci |
Bukit Kubu |
Kampung Lama |
Swept away
Heavily damage
Lightly damage |
114
47
149 |
95
143
375 |
41
196
640 |
93
143
405 |
Debris from illegal logging swept through villages while any homes on the banks of local rivers were completely destroyed
Due to the destruction of the road leading to Tamiyang the main base camp for coordinating the relief effort was constructed in Besitang. The camp initially consisted of one 6 x 15 meter tent but was later moved to a house. After 3 days it was possible for the Bahari / IDEP team to access Tamiyang and provide further aid in that area. From these base camps Yayasan Bahari / IDEP distributed food, shelter medical and reconstruction assistance to the affected communities. Communications between the base camps and field operatives were facilitated by the installation of a VHF radio repeater. 4 VHF radio handsets were deployed with field staff along with 3 4WD vehicles, which were also fitted with VHF transceivers. A further 3 motorbikes and 2 rented trucks were also deployed in the field to facilitate the distribution of water and food supplies.
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| Relief Activities Undertaken |
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8 aspects of relief activities were identified and undertaken by the IDEP / Bahari team.
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1. Search and rescue in the acute emergency period
A team of volunteers from caving, climbing, rafting and trekking clubs, trained by Cahyo Alkantana in High Risk Rescue and Emergency First Response was deployed. During the first 3 days, this team evacuated people from flooded areas to safer areas. 2 Government helicopters and 5 rubber boats were used to assess remote areas and evacuate the affected people.
2. Sanitation and Reconstruction Shelter and Tools
During the 3 weeks following the flood the Yayasan Bahari / IDEP team distributed 250 tarpaulins and 500 blankets directly to those in need. Tool kits consisting of 1 wheel barrow, shovels, nails, hammers, rope, wire, construction buckets, a crow bar, an axe and a hand saw were distributed to 300 groups.
Delivery logistics for this response effort were extremely challenging. The team used a combination of boats, off road vehicles, motorbikes and trucks
3. Water and Sanitation
During the first 2 weeks after the flooding in Besitang 5,000 liters fresh water bladders were installed onto trucks to facilitate the distribution of clean water to areas where it was unavailable. The primary difficulty in achieving this was finding a clean water source suitable for filling the trucks. Bahari’s director met with the Pertamina Company who agreed to allow the trucks use their water source. At a later stage the local TAPIOCA factory also agreed to allow Bahari to fill bladders at their water source. Each 5,000-liter water truck made deliveries to the collection sites 3 times a day, delivering a total of 210,000 liters of water. Three 2,500-liter fiberglass water containers were also installed in Kampung Lama and Besitang to increase water storage and supply in those two areas.
The provision of clean water in the area was urgently needed. IDEP / Bahari were thankful to able to fulfill this need
4. Re-establishing Local Water Supply
The Yayasan Bahari / IDEP team used 5 water pumps to clean community wells in the effected areas. Over 100 wells were cleaned and disinfected in the 2 weeks immediately following the flood. The major constraint to this process was that the wells were filled with thick mud (80% mud, 20% water) making it very difficult to clean them even after buying further dislodging pumps. The teams were forced to pump as much water out of the wells as possible and then one team member had to descend into the well to remove the mud manually using buckets. Although this method was effective, it did not ensure 100% clean water. Therefore, all of the wells that were cleaned were also disinfected with chlorine to insure the safest water quality possible. Teams brushed the concrete rings inside the wells with chlorine solution and then filled the wells with several liters of chlorine. After waiting 24 hours, all the water in these lined wells was pumped out again and the well was tested for residual chlorine.
Completely inundated wells meant that the IDEP / Bahari team needed to work around the clock to re-establish water supply
5. Provision of Hygiene kits
In an effort to provide flood victims with basic hygiene needs, 250 hygiene kits were distributed. Each kit consisted of 5 bars of soap, 2 tooth brushes, 1 tooth paste tube, 250g of washing powder, 1 x 10-liter bucket, 1 water scoop, 1 pack of sanitary napkins, 1 plastic mat, 10m of rope, 5 pairs each of women’s and men’s underwear, 2 sarongs, a pair of scissor and a knife.
6. Medical Assistance
Yayasan Bahari / IDEP supported one local health clinic (Puskesmas) in Besitang by providing them with basic medical supplies to combat diseases such as diarrhea, skin and eye infections.
7. Provision of Nutritious Food Aid
A few days after the flooding occurred the Yayasan Bahari / IDEP team began delivering nutritious food aid to over 500 families who had not eaten anything for several days. The food supplies delivered were received with enormous relief and lasted the local families two weeks.
The team focused on three sub districts that were completely isolated, including Tamiang Hulu which is next to Kuala Simpang / Sigli, Tamiyang / Pulau Tiga Aceh, Northern Sumatra. Whole villages in these areas had been swallowed by floodwaters with residents escaping to find refuge on higher ground or trapped on the roofs of their houses. Roads leading to many of the affected areas were blocked due to both flooding and landslides, which is made access extremely difficult.
Crops in this area were completely destroyed, while food and seed stocks were inundated and damaged. Yayasan Bahari / IDEP assisted this area with major clearing efforts to remove mud and debris left by the floods.
In Tamiyang, Yayasan Bahari / IDEP and their partners distributed food including rice, noodles, high-protein biscuits and vitamins. Other basic supplies including blankets and tarpaulins were also distributed in Kecamatan Tenggulun, Desa Simpang Kiri, Si Siro, Pulau Tiga, Kecamatan Sikrak, Baling Kara, Suka Makmur, Solum, Juar, Pematang Durian, Sekumur, Tanjunggelumpang, Kecamatan Bandar Pusaka, Pengindam Sinting.
Food aid and basic sanitation and shelter supplies were extremely gratefully received by people who had not eaten for days
8. Provision of Education Tools
One school in Kampung Lama received a delivery of stationary so that children could resume some basic educational activities.
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| Project Donors |
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IDEP wishes to express its sincere thanks to these project donors:
- The Prem Rawat Foundation US$ 10,000 (IDR 8,850,000) for nutritious food aid and related distribution logistics
- FAR & Friends – US$4,000 (IDR 35, 622,000) for emergency aid and reconstruction needs
- The British Community Committee (BCC) IDR 30,000,000 for procurement and delivery of shelter, family aid buckets and distribution logistics
- Jakarta International School (JIS) Cares-JIS Peduli IDR 10,000,000 delivery of aid and related distribution logistics
- Other private donors - IDR 33,404,400
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| A story from the field |
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Ibu Ale from Desa Kampung Lama, Besitang, cried when she received the food aid provided for her family through IDEP / Bahari’s relief effort. Soon thereafter her husband joined the Bahari Well Cleaning Team and said that he was grateful to be able to be involved in the relief effort that was doing so much good in his area. When the Bahari team’s truck returned once again with some basic stationary supplies for the children in the local schools Ibu Alec said that she felt so much happiness and gratitude.
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| Conclusion |
Today the people of Tamiyang and Besitang are still struggling to recover from this terrible disaster, particularly those that live in the more remote mountainous areas surrounding the towns. In these areas houses have yet to be built, livelihood activities are difficult to re-establish without tools and machinery and other infrastructures on hand. They also worry about what will happen when the rains come again.
When asked about the disaster, officials said that a combination of heavy rains and widespread unregulated deforestation were to blame for the terrible flash flooding. By removing dense vegetation the ground is less able to absorb heavy rainfall, creating torrents of water that quickly overwhelm river systems. These floods and landslides were to a big degree predictable and could have been anticipated and prepared for. Educating local communities about what to do in the event of flash flooding and on the impacts of illegal logging and forest management is a critical need in this area as well as other areas of Indonesia that run similar risks.
Whenever possible, Yayasan IDEP and its partner organizations in Indonesia continue to work with communities throughout Indonesia to conduct Community Based Disaster Management Training and capacity building so that communities can be more aware about actions that can be taken to reduce the risks they face, and measures they can take to be more prepared for disasters if they happen. |
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| Click here for more information about IDEP and its disaster management programs |
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| To everyone that made this important relief effort possible, we express out most sincere thanks
Thank you so much for your kindness and your support.
All © PHOTOS BY: CAHYO, OJI, MAPALA SENAD, LEUSER |
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