Coping after the Quake
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Indonesian Quake Victims Resume Long-Term Development
June 26, 2006
For more than three decades, USC Canada has been supporting work in Indonesia in the province of Yogyakarta on the island of Java. On May 27 2006, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed more than 5,700 people in the area surrounding Yogyakarta, leaving tens of thousands critically injured and without food and shelter.
We are concerned about the health and welfare of the people of Indonesia, and the partners we have worked with over the past 30 years. The loss of life and the damage to infrastructure will have a serious long-term impact on the people and the region, but USC is now moving towards resuming its development projects with quake survivors.
Emergency Response
As of June 17th, USC’s primary partner in Indonesia – SATUNAMA – has reached more than 99.000 people with humanitarian assistance. SATUNAMA set up a Disaster Aid Centre on May 29th in collaboration with other local organizations. The team distributed tents, rice, and other basic needs items such as sugar, tea, tents, kerosene lamps, flashlights, drinking water, blankets, and medicine. USC Canada committed $10,000 in financial assistance to USC–SATUNAMA in order that they could purchase the necessary supplies, pack and distribute goods, and cover operational cost.
The Disaster Aid Centre is based out of the city of Yogyakarta, about 30 km north of Bantul – the district with the most casualties. On June 10th, SATUNAMA established five other centres in some of the worst affected districts: Bantul, Kulon Progo, Sleman, Gunung Kidul, and Klaten. These additional centres were set up to ensure a faster response to community needs.
The emergency response phase of this project is scheduled to end on June 27th. Afterwards, SATUNAMA will continue to help those affected to recover from the longer-term damage caused by the quake. Work will focus on helping victims develop the means to rebuild their livelihoods and empower their communities. Efforts will be integrated into ongoing SATUNAMA programs focused on a variety of activities, such as sustainable agriculture projects, income generation activities, and water and sanitation projects.
As a first step, SATUNAMA will distribute carpentry and farming tools and goods to meet basic needs, providing the equipment needed to clear the affected areas and allow communities to resume their lives and start earning an income.
Standing on their own
SATUNAMA has years of experience with relief work throughout Indonesia, and that experience has shown that recovery works best if it involves more than simply providing materials for re-building and reviving income resources. The task of an NGO is to help victims learn to stand on their own, using their own resources. It is important that those affected begin as soon as possible to meet their own daily needs. If not, they risk becoming dependent on outside support.
New Partner Communities
Prior to the earthquake, SATUNAMA did have projects in some of the hardest hit communities near Bantul – including Kulon Progo and Klaten. The recovery work will continue with those communities as they continue to move towards long-term development. In addition, SATUNAMA will also work with new community partners in Bantul. Prior to the disaster, SATUNAMA had no contacts within in Bantul, and this is an opportunity to expand USC’s role in the region.
We at USC Canada would like to offer our sincere thanks, not only to SATUNAMA for their continued good work, but also to our donors, without whom this relief and recovery work would not be possible.
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