OCHA Situation Report No. 6 Indonesia - Earthquake 19 June 2000
The present report is a summary of a mission report prepared by the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team deployed to Indonesia from 5 to 16 June 2000. The full mission report will be posted on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int SITUATION Nature of the disaster 1. On 4/5/6 June 2000 a series of earthquakes struck the area southwest of Sumatra in Indonesia. The epicentres were located about 100 km west of Sumatra with the highest recorded magnitude at 7.9 on the Richter scale, although some authorities gave lower readings. Many aftershocks measuring over 5 on the Richter scale were recorded days later. Aftershocks are still occurring as late as 16 June. Area affected 2. The limits of the earthquake damage stretched from approximately 15-20 km north of Bengkulu city to a few kilometres south of the town of Manna and all of Enggano island in Bengkulu province. No casualties or damage are reported from any other neighbouring province. Impact 3. Updated damage figures reported from the provincial government as of 14 June are as follows: Dead Seriously injured Slightly injured People 90 788 1,789 Totally Seriously Slightly destroyed damaged damaged Houses 1,800 10,196 16,776 Hospitals 3 Health centres 8 72 49 Schools 2 130 73 Administration buildings 1 120 41 Bridges 4 11 20 Electricity - The electricity supply is still functioning at 30% capacity. Water supply - The piped water system in Bengkulu is functioning at 20% capacity. Enggano island - Up to 95% of 300 families are reported to be seriously damaged. - 4 churches, 5 mosques, 1 health centre, 6 schools and all government buildings have been destroyed. UNDAC TEAM DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FINDINGS 4. A 5-person UNDAC team was dispatched to Indonesia from 5 to 16 June. Some of the members conducted an assessment of the affected province from 9 to 14 June with support from two experts from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and staff from WHO, WFP and UNDP in Jakarta as well as a representative from the Indonesian Bakornas PB. Following is a summary of the findings: Hospitals and health centres 5. The worst affected areas are in Central and Southern Bengkulu districts. In Bengkulu city there was major damage to the General Hospital with a 250-beds capacity. The hospital continues to operate utilizing tents provided by the international donors. To estimate the full extent of the damage a proper assessment by earthquake engineers needs to be made. The other two hospitals (private and military) in the city were slightly damaged and are operational. 6. In Manna, one hospital is functioning but it has medical supplies for only 2 weeks. Staff made no request for any medical help, but there was a clear need for the rebuilding of damaged facilities. 7. On Enggano island, there is one health centre that was severely damaged. It was partially repaired by the Dutch Navy who also replenished it with medical supplies. Rebuilding of the health centre and dwellings will be a major rehabilitation need. Infectious diseases 8. About 75 % of the population living in the rural areas rely heavily on well water and the people living in these areas have no problem with water availability. Many of those living in Bengkulu city have limited availability of water and even those normally supplied with piped water may now have to rely on delivery by water tankers. As long as people continue to boil drinking water there is little risk of a major water-borne infectious diseases outbreak, although some of the health centres reported an increase during the week following the earthquake. 9. Generally, there is an increased risk of Malaria among the homeless and people who are sleeping outside their houses in makeshift shelters without the protection of mosquito nets. 10. Officials report no increased in stress related symptoms among the patients seen in the hospitals. Field visits to the outlying health centres also indicated that this was not an immediate issue. However, the situation needs to be assessed by a psycho-social (trauma) expert. Food security 11. In general food security is not affected. However, community members affected feel that food is their priority need. The potential target groups for a food aid program are the urban poor in the city of Bengkulu (and perhaps Manna) and fishing communities with no savings or other emergency support to replace lost access to food resources. DOLOG (government sponsored logistics agency) has a warehouse in Bengkulu with a capacity of 14,500 MT of rice (currently filled with 10,000 MT) and in all district capital towns, including Manna, with a capacity of 1,000 MT each. Water supply 12. The main delivery problem in Bengkulu city is damage to the reticulation system that has led to significant freshwater loss. To counteract this loss, a distribution system using trucks with water tanks has been organized. To increase water availability in all of the affected areas, some large water storage tanks with proper delivery taps are needed. They can be placed strategically in selected areas that are easily accessible to the public. The immediate needs are for about 10 of 5,000 to 10,000 litres transportable water tanks with valves, and over 20,000 individual collapsible water containers of 10-20 litres capacity. The distribution system for the water needs to be organized and strictly controlled. 13. Some wells are cracked, allowing increased leakage of potential pollutants into the water. They need to be cleaned out in a sanitation program, which should also cover waste-water management. Electricity 14. Electricity supply is not a major problem resulting from this disaster. Roads and bridges 15. Most of the roads in Bengkulu city and its surroundings are operational and most of the bridges examined are still standing and being used. However, the foundations of the support pillars need to be checked carefully because protection around the base may have been affected. Assessment by a specialized bridge and road construction engineer is needed. Private accommodation 16. The basic cause of destruction of private houses is the very poor construction technique used. In the reconstruction period, public education and awareness activities for badly affected communities should be seriously considered. The necessary knowledge and skills are available in Indonesia and should be mobilized, either with support from the national and provincial governments or through a donor agency. 17. To meet the immediate shelter needs for families who have lost their houses, shelter materials such as plastic sheeting, timber, nails, and corrugated roofing iron are needed. Public buildings 18. A detailed structural assessment of public building such as schools and administration buildings must be made before using it again. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNDAC TEAM 19. Despite the magnitude and duration of the original tremor and the number of major aftershocks, the number of casualties was fairly low and the amount of damage remarkably light. Bengkulu province is a fertile and relatively rich province which, although lacking major manufacturing resources, should have the resources to recover in a relatively short period. Individuals, particularly in some vulnerable groups, can be expected to take longer to recover and may require extended assistance. 20. The emergency phase of the disaster is almost finished. The province is undergoing assessment for rehabilitation. The recovery and rehabilitation needs must now be given priority. As a first step, provincial authorities will need to conduct professional assessments of the damage to buildings and facilitate rapid repair. A major public education campaign is needed to demonstrate to people how they can rebuild to acceptable earthquake resistant standards and to strengthen existing buildings to enable them to resist future seismic events. Indonesia has the resources to carry out these tasks. The cooperation of national and provincial governments as well as the participation of such agencies as the universities and professional bodies will be needed. 21. In discussion with the Bengkulu provincial government, the UNDAC team has identified the following areas in which international assistance is required: 22. Medical and health - An urgent need to conduct a professional survey of the condition of the general hospital in Bengkulu as well as health centres destroyed or seriously damaged and to carry out repairs and rebuilding as quickly as possible. - 3-5 small ambulances to support the hospital in Bengkulu. - Mosquito nets to avoid any increase in the incidence of malaria, particularly for those living outside destroyed or damaged homes. 23. Water and sanitation - Assistance with repair of the damaged Bengkulu city water treatment plant and water reticulation system. - In the interim, provision of additional flexible or prefabricated tanks that could be positioned in districts without reticulation, and small water tankers (or pillow/bladder tanks for mounting in trucks to turn them into interim tankers). - Improvement of rural water quality and extension of the water reticulation system in Bengkulu city would be major development projects. 24. Shelter materials - The provincial government is considering the provision of the building materials, together with 10% of the cost of building, to eligible families. The government can provide timber and cement for this project from its resources but seeks international assistance to purchase corrugated iron roofing material and nails for up to 10,000 houses. Both the roofing material and the nails are available from the island of Java. 25. School buildings - Assistance with rebuilding and re-equipping the destroyed or seriously damaged schools. The amount of assistance needed has not yet been quantified. 26. Bridge engineer - A specialized bridge and road construction engineer to assess many bridges in Bengkulu province. 27. Disaster management capacity building - A specific request for training and capacity building in all aspects of disaster management. The UNDAC team strongly supports this request and considers that it may be a project that could be applicable to other provinces. 28. Needs priorities - The UNDAC team considers that the following are the priorities of the needs listed above: 1) Shelter materials 2) Water tanks and containers 3) Bridge engineer 4) Mosquito nets 5) Ambulances 6) Repairs to main hospital and health centres 7) Repairs to Schools 8) Disaster management capacity building NATIONAL RESPONSE 29. The response to the earthquake is being coordinated by the Bengkulu provincial government An emergency operations centre is operating from tented accommodation outside the Governor's Office, which is damaged and considered unsafe at present. Sub-operation centres of the respective level of government are operating in the affected areas. 30. The central Government is committed to supporting the provincial government in its long-term rehabilitation efforts and will put together a programme to this effect. 31. Initial deliveries were of food (mainly rice and instant noodles) but from 11 June there has been some distribution of tarpaulins, plastic sheeting, sleeping mats and sarongs (clothing). Supplies of food, drinking water, sarongs, water containers and tarpaulins continue to arrive in the province. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE 32. Contributions to this disaster may be found by clicking on Financial Tracking at the top of the page for this disaster on the OCHA Internet Website (http://www.reliefweb.int). Donors are requested to verify this table and inform OCHA Geneva of corrections/additions/values. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardized Contributions Recording Format, available electronically in the above mentioned Financial Tracking Website. 33. IFRC has launched an International Appeal for CHF 4,872,921 (USD 2.9 million) to assist 80,000 beneficiaries for 4 months on 15 June, which replaces its preliminary appeal of 6 June. Some of the most important features of the Appeal, including the dispatch of a field hospital and the procurement of shelter and relief materials, are already being realized. Urgent needs are for funding for the remaining relief items, for the disaster preparedness promotion and capacity building and for the delegates who will support the implementation of projects. 34. The Government of Italy has decided to allocate USD 100,000, utilizing the Italian Bilateral Emergency Fund with OCHA. 35. OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations in the United Nations system. Funds should be transferred to OCHA account No. CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at the UBS AG, P.O. Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference: OCHA - Indonesia - Earthquake. OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed. 36. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, of bilateral relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. 37. OCHA is in close contact with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and will revert with further information if the situation warrants it. 38. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34 Press contact: (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (in NY) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -