The Jakarta Post, March 10, 2007
Flores landslide victims face food and water shortages
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
Some 1,000 landslide survivors in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, are still
experiencing food and drinking water shortages almost a week after the disaster that
killed 40 people struck.
Manggarai's deputy regent, Deno Kamilus, said Friday that the shortages were being
experienced by 1,050 displaced residents from the villages of Perak and Gapong in
the worst-hit district of Cibal. He blamed poor transportation for the shortages.
Deno said the two villages were still isolated and that roads leading to the affected
areas were buried under some six meters of soil from landslides.
Volunteers have been forced to trek through 13 kilometers of forestland in order to
distribute aid.
Speaking from a disaster relief and mitigation post on Flores Island, Deno said
volunteers could reach the two villages only by foot, which takes some 13 hours.
"We're facing problems in deploying heavy equipment to clear dirt from the roads
because the roads have been cut off. This has disrupted relief aid distribution,
especially of food and medical supplies, to the two most isolated villages," he said.
Poor weather and terrain, he added, have forced relief workers to carry the aid on foot,
while also carrying rice sacks, tents and medical supplies for the displaced residents.
"Each personnel could only carry a 10 to 15 kilogram load comprised of rice, cooking
oil, instant noodles and medical supplies," Deno said.
Because of the shortages, he said, many displaced residents have been forced to
consume either rainwater or river water.
"Maybe because they're consuming unhygienic water, many of the residents have
started falling sick," he said.
Most landslide victims, he said, suffered either breathing problems, infections, fever or
diarrhea.
"Many displaced people were suffering from stress, while others have been sleeping in
open spaces only with a thin mat as a bed."
He said the Manggarai regency administration would return displaced residents to
their homes once the weather improved.
"But those living in landslide-prone areas will continue living in shelters and await
relocation," he said.
The administration said it would end the emergency phase Saturday, a week after the
disaster struck, but that efforts to find 34 residents still missing would continue.
Meanwhile, Benteng Java parish priest Piet Kanis Ali said that his parish had became
a shelter for some 1,600 displaced residents in Cibal district.
"We have enough food supplies in Benteng Java and if there are sick residents, a
medical team will take care of them," the priest said, adding that the administration
had not yet informed residents as to its relocation plans.
"We hope the relocation plans will be made aware to residents earlier so the
administration faces no problems in implementing them," Piet said.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo said in Kupang that there were no major
problems in handling the landslide victims.
"It's true there are several hard-to-reach areas, but generally there are no serious
problems. There is enough food and medical supplies and medical workers have
treated displaced residents in shelters," he said.
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