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| IDEP responds to flooding & landslides in Morowali, Central Sulawesi |
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| Emergency response for flood & landslide survivors in Morowali, Central Sulawesi through rescue, water nutritious food aid distribution & re-establishment of local water supplies |
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Background and introduction
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After a week of heavy rains in the area, several rivers overflowed and massive flooding in the area began on July 21st, 2007. Four sub districts within Morowali, Central Sulawesi Province were inundated and serious landslides occurred.
Approximately 6,228 people (2,000 households) were displaced and fled to a refugee area that was managed by Satlak (the Indonesian Government Emergency Response Institution). The government reported 83 people deceased and 9 missing.
As well as the damage and destruction to houses and entire villages caused by the floods; the surrounding areas and its farmlands and homes were covered in mud, which put the local community at high risk due to lack of clean water supply and sanitation facilities. All of the fresh water sources in the area were contaminated. The longer-term impacts of this terrible disaster include community resistance to living in the area for fear of further similar occurrences, and the destruction of community farmlands, which has badly affected these communities’ livelihoods.
While local authorities struggled to respond to the needs of the thousands of displaced people in the area, the IDEP/Bahari Emergency Response Team immediately began providing assistance and conducting rapid assessments in the area. Local authorities were providing limited health services and distribution of some aid through public kitchens, as well as clearing some of the affected public facilities. But the response effort was challenged due to the scope of the disaster, extreme difficulty in accessing cut-off areas, and lack of available resources to meet the enormous needs.
While assisting with emergency search and rescue efforts, the IDEP/Bahari team’s rapid assessment concluded that there was an urgent gap to be filled especially in terms of the need for safe water and emergency food supplies.
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| Program objective |
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| This program’s objective was to provide immediate emergency response assistance for flood & landslide survivors in Morowali, Central Sulawesi through rescue, evacuation, water and nutritious food aid distribution as well as the re-establishment of sustainable local water supplies. |
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| Program activities conducted to achieve this objective |
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Assessment
Morowali covers approximately 15,490.12 km2, 22.77% of the total area of Central of Sulawesi. It includes 13 sub-districts, which are: Bahodopi, Bumi Raya, Bungku Barat, Bungku Selatan, Bungku Tengah, Bungku Utara, Lembo, Mamosalato, Menui Kepulauan, Mori Atas, Petasia, Soyo Jaya and Wita Ponda. There are 239 villages within the area: 132 of which are in coastal areas, 15 adjacent to rivers or in valleys, 27 of the villages of Morowali are on sloped areas, while the remaining 65 villages are on flat land.
The day following the flooding, a Bahari first responder team of 25 people trained for emergency rescue was deployed in the area to assist with search and rescue.
The rapid assessment conducted by the Bahari emergency team indicated that the worst affected people were those living in the Bungku Utara sub district.
The team identified that the survivors of the disaster were prone to serious health risks due to incessant rain and lack of appropriate assistance. Most of the meager remaining possessions (clothing, bedding etc.) that the displaced people had managed to salvage were soaked and getting increasingly moldy. There was an increasing level of ISPA (respiratory tract infections) and diarrhea cases were already widespread.
Search and rescue in acute emergency period of 4 days
As mentioned earlier, a team of 25 trained Bahari rescuers was deployed on the first day of the disaster. For 4 days, this Bahari team assisted survivors who had lost their homes, and those whose homes were in unsafe areas to move to the IDP (Internally Displaced People's) camp areas and / or to safer places on higher ground.
Water and sanitation
In this area, prior to the disaster, the communities in the affected villages had various means of accessing water. Some relied on the PDAM (government water provider) network, such as those in the Lemo and Taronggo villages; others used household wells and / or the river.
The flooding and landslides had seriously damaged the PDAM piping network, which meant that everyone in the area was forced to use water from contaminated local household wells and contaminated natural water sources. The wells and other water sources had all been inundated and were filled with dirty water and mud. In almost all of the wells, the water turbidity was higher than 10 NTU.
One of IDEP/Bahari's missions in its emergency response initiatives is to maximize the involvement of local communities in the process of disaster management and response. Through this approach local community members are able to support the initiatives by ensuring the maximum level of equitable, efficient aid is delivered in keeping with the local culture and needs. This approach also empowers local communities to “help themselves”, which gives them a sense of hope and fulfillment instead of being “objectified” as simply “recipients of aid”. Last but not least, with this approach, local communities are able to learn from Bahari's seasoned emergency response team effective techniques for re-establishing safe water supply so that in they are able to continue addressing needs in their communities.
The Bahari team quickly established four water sanitation response teams, each of which was equipped with water pumps and other tools needed to clean and disinfect the communities' wells. Each of these four water sanitation response teams included four local community representatives who received training and supervision support from the professional Bahari water sanitation team.
Over a period of one month, these teams cleaned, sanitized and re-habilitated 616 wells in several locations, including:
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Baturube
Tambarobone
Terongan Atas
Terongan Bawah |
Kalombang
Tanukaraya
Wompariki
Aemasi |
Tokala Atas
Tokala Bawah
Lindja/Posanke
Boba |
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At the conclusion of the project, the four water pumps used in the response effort were donated to the local community through the community leaders (Kepala Desa) in Boba, Baturube, Kalombang and Tokala villages.
Food distribution
In Uewaju, Tanakuraya, Boba, Tarongo, Beturube, Kalombang and Tolaka Atas, the Bahari team distributed the following nutritious food items to people in need:
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Powdered Milk |
2,000 |
boxes |
| 2 |
Rice |
10,000 |
kg |
| 3 |
Super Mie (Noodle Soup) |
6,000 |
Packets (150 boxes) |
| 4 |
High Protein Biscuits |
2,000 |
boxes |
| 5 |
Vitamin C |
2,000 |
packs |
| 6 |
Baby Powder Formula |
3,000 |
boxes |
| 7 |
Supplement Milk for pregnant women |
1,000 |
boxes |
The biggest challenge in this emergency response effort was access to cut off communities. Goods were purchased in the town of Makassar , from where they were sent by bus to Kolonedale, a twenty-four hour trip. From Kolonedale, the goods were loaded on small boats, which took the five-hour trip to Baturube. Some of the affected areas were only accessible by using small wooden rafts and transportation was somewhat hazardous. One of the Bahari team's pumps sank while a boat was crossing a flooded area. The pump was recovered, repaired and contributed to the community.
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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 (TPRF) for re-establishment of local water supply systems, nutritious food aid and related distribution logistics
- FAR & friends for re-establishment of local water supply systems, nutritious food aid and related distribution logistics
- Tan Bark Sales for distribution logistics
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A story from the field
Bpk Sao – Refugee from Makoto village
Before this help arrived the only aid were given was used clothes. What we really needed was clean water and food. We didn’t have any rice for over 2 weeks and we were using water from the muddy rivers. At night the children were very unsettled. They cried because of the mosquitoes, cold and hunger. We felt such sadness and wanted to help them but there was nothing we could do. We are so grateful for the help that we received.
Bapak Sao & his family
To everyone that made this important relief effort possible, we express our most sincere thanks.
Thank you so much for your kindness and your support |
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