Stories from the Field - On the frontline of the Indonesian earthquake

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By: Jean-Pierre Taschereau, Canadian Red Cross

Once again I’ve become a witness to the unstoppable force of nature, after seeing firsthand the destruction left by the latest disaster to hit Indonesia.

I’ve been in this country for over a year, as part of the Canadian Red Cross team working on post-tsunami reconstruction in Aceh province. On May 27, we received an urgent call from the International Red Cross.

At 5:54am local time, the thriving, busy city of Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, changed forever as a powerful earthquake caused massive destruction in an area spreading over 500 square kilometres. So far, over 5,500 persons have been reported killed, over 35,000 injured and over 48,000 homes had collapsed like a deck of cards. As well, over 120,000 houses are completely destroyed, more than 172,000 are badly damaged and 243,045 are damaged.

This disaster inevitably brought with it memories of the 2004 tsunami that left 130,000 dead and nearly half a million more homeless. Immediately after the earthquake, fears of another tidal wave sent thousands fleeing to the hills.

As I joined one of the first assessment teams to respond to the disaster, my mind raced to last year’s experience. I knew that airplanes were being loaded with emergency relief items, that a field hospital was already on its way to the worst affected areas, and that the entire Red Cross Movement was mobilizing to come and support its Indonesian counterparts.

And once again, I witnessed the inspiring heroism of the very people who were most impacted by the tragedy.

Just minutes after the earthquake, the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia, PMI) sprung into action. 200 volunteers immediately started search and rescue activities, medical evacuations, the provision of first-aid and the distribution of relief supplies. Within one day, those 200 front line workers were reinforced by an additional 200 volunteers from all over the island of Java.

As the international teams were gearing up and sending in Emergency Response Units, these young men and women assisted 40,000 people with food parcels, tents, hygiene kits and sleeping mats. In addition, they provided life-saving support to health facilities in caring for thousands of wounded survivors who were pouring into emergency rooms.

Within a few days, the local volunteers were joined by volunteers and rescue workers coming from other parts of Indonesia, including tsunami-affected areas, along with over 150 members of the Red Cross Societies from 18 different countries. Over the first week of the response, these International Red Cross workers provided health care services to an average of 1,400 persons per day.

While the response to this earthquake faced the usual challenges, one aspect really stood out from previous disasters. The lessons learned from the overall tsunami operations emphasized the importance of disaster preparedness by the Indonesian Red Cross.

It was no coincidence that warehouses with emergency supplies were easily accessible for relief teams, or that the initial response was led by well experienced rescue volunteers, many of whom had responded to the 2004 tsunami and were on stand by for the possible volcanic eruption of Mt. Merapi – only 20 kilometres away. They knew precisely what needed to be done.

It has only been 10 days since disaster struck, and I have returned to Banda Aceh. The first response teams have been replaced by larger ones, whose members will carry out the operation’s transition from the emergency phase to recovery.

My involvement in a disaster operation has never been as brief, and is not a reflection of a shortage of needs of survivors. The reconstruction effort is likely going to take years. My early withdrawal from my assignment is a tribute to the members of the Indonesian Red Cross who, faced with seemingly one disaster after another, become more resilient and better prepared.