Flood damage in Sumatra, Aceh Tamiang.
Photo by Otto Nodelan, CWS/NCA-ACT
Heavy rains caused severe flooding in the north, east and central Aceh regions and Sumatra in Indonesia. The flooding wrought extensive damage, claiming the lives of more than 100 people and displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes. Many of the those affected lost homes, livelihoods, and families in the tsunami that struck the region almost two years prior to the day.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Indonesian partners YEU, YTB, and CWS-Indonesia immediately responded to the survivors by providing emergency assistance of shelter, food, water and medical care. In addition, psychosocial care was provided.
Water and Sanitation
Clean water has been distributed to six points. So far, seven wells have been cleaned. Six of the wells are located in Rantau Bintang village, Bandar Pusaka sub-district, while the other one is located in Pematang Durian village, Sekerak sub-district.
A water purification unit from Meulaboh arrived in Rantau Bintang village, Bandar Pusaka sub-district. The purification unit was to be installed to cover the need for clean water in Bandar Pusaka sub-district and two other neighboring sub-districts.
Health
YEU’s main area of focus is in providing health services, with medical units located in the affected areas. So far, YEU has provided health services to a total of 1,522 people.
Psychosocial and Education
Based on an assessment done by a YEU team in three focus villages (Pematang Durian, Sekumur and Rantau Bintang), where transportation access is difficult, children in particular seemed to have managed to cope with the latest disaster. However, the need for education is a concern, as by mid-January there had been no clear instruction from the local education department to re-activate teaching learning activities. Schools had not been cleaned and most teachers had also been affected by the flood. Schools are expected to re-start in the coming month or two.
YEU plans to work with the children during this time, conducting play activities. One such activity has been conducted in Pematang Durian (some 30 children participated), with others also held in Sekumur, with some 60 children participating, and in Rantau Bintang, with some 25 children participating.
YEU will also distribute school kits to elementary school children in the three villages mentioned above, as well as in Suka Makmur villages. The kits contain bags, shoes, uniforms, writing books and stationery. YEU is currently assessing the data before distributing the school kits.
Food
YTB, in coordination with Gereja Batak Karo Protestan — Protestant Church of Batak Karo (GBKP), has been organizing assessment activities, procurement, distribution and activity evaluation.
YTB has been distributing food items such as rice, vegetables, cooking oil, spices, dried fish, instant noodle, biscuits and mineral water to 2,586 households in 20 locations in four sub-districts of Besitang, Aceh Tamiang, Sekerak and Tamiang Hulu.
YEU has also been providing supplementary feeding. From January 6 - 16, supplementary feeding was provided to a total of 787 children under five and 86 lactating mothers in Bukit Rata village (Mawar, Melur, Melati dan Kamboja hamlet), Sukamakmur and Pematang Durian village.
The supplementary feeding is conducted once a week and at the end of every month. Health consultations are being conducted, including anthropometric measurements. YEU is also working with local community cadres and midwives who are responsible for the Posyandu (Integrated Health Service Post) in the villages to run the program (arranging the menu, cooking meals, distributing meals, etc).
The three ACT Forum Indonesia members and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance partners are Church World Service-Indonesia (CWS-Indonesia), Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU) and Yayasan Tanggul Bencana Indonesia (YTBI).
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