Indonesia: Activists set up Merapi disaster relief centres

Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal readers can make donations to those affected by the Mt Merapi eruption to the following account:

Bank: (Bank Central Asia) BCA
Branch: KCP BCA Tebet Barat
Account holder: Tejo Priyono
Account Number: 436 149 72 14

Transfer confirmation can be obtained from A J Susmana at +62 817 654 6427.

* * *

Translated by Rismi

November 9, 2010 -- Berdikari -- According to the Data Communications Center of the health ministry, the death toll of the Mount Merapi eruption on October 26, 2010, has increased to 168, while 1105 others were injured and still hospitalised and 279,779 evacuated.

Therefore, in solidarity with the victims of the Merapi eruption, since November 1, the Indonesian Poor People’s Union (SRMI) has set up disaster relief centres (posko) in eight districts, namely Mungkid, Salam, Ngluwar, Salaman, Muntilan, Mertoyu, Srumbung and Borobudur districts.

The main information centre was set up in Dusun Menayu, Muntilan District, and has been providing shelter for women, infants and the elderly.

According to the coordinator, Wahyu Sukmahadi, the SRMI has raised aid in the form of funds, food and clothes to be distributed by the SRMI's members, sympathisers and other communities.

“The government works very slowly, so we took the initiative to help the victims“, said Wahyu.

He told Berdikari Online that many babies are suffering from lack of milk, porridge and clothes. One of the obstacles for the refugees today is the very limited amount of shelter.

Although Merapi seems to have calmed, refugees are still not allowed to return to their villages as the threat of another eruption still looms.

Wahyu hopes that people can send more aid especially medicines, food and baby supplies to help the relief effort.

Since November 7, Berdikari Online has allocated relief funds and aid to the relief centres below that provide shelter and assistance to refugees of Mt Merapi eruption:

1. Posko Peduli Merapi SRMI, Dusun Menayu, RT03/RW02, Menayu Village, Muntilan district, Magelang municipality.

Aid in the form of food, medicines, clothes and other kinds of goods can be delivered to the Berdikari Online office at:

Jl Tebet Dalam 2G no. 1, Jakarta Selatan 12810,
telp/fax: 021 835 4513.

Money donations can be sent or transferred to the account below:

Bank: (Bank Central Asia) BCA
Branch: KCP BCA Tebet Barat
Account holder: Tejo Priyono
Account Number: 436 149 72 14

Transfer confirmation can be obtained from A J Susmana at +62 817 654 6427.

By Data Brainanta, Jakarta

November 12, 2010 -- Berdikari via Green Left Weekly -- Unless the Indonesian government carries out a comprehensive recovery, hundreds of thousands of Merapi volcano eruption victims are certain to face economic and social destruction.

“One of the worst impacts of the eruption is the destruction of people’s livelihood; the land cannot be used to grow plants and economic activity virtually stops”, said Agus Priyono after visiting disaster relief centres set up by the Poor People’s Union (SRMI) in Magelang municipality.

“Without recovery effort by the government, especially in infrastructure – road, bridges, irrigation, etc – and the replacement of destroyed crops, many people will fall into poverty.

According to the relief centre coordinator, Wahyu, SRMI relief centers has not received adequate aid from the government, while government-managed relief centres are well stocked.

The government has centralised refugee shelter and aid distribution but the refugees are spread out.

Bank: (Bank Central Asia) BCA
Branch: KCP BCA Tebet Barat
Account holder: Tejo Priyono
Account Number: 436 149 72 14

Transfer confirmation can be obtained from A J Susmana at +62 817 654 6427.

Magelang municipality recorded the highest number of refugees among the other municipalities, which was 82,944 people, on November 8.

“In the relief centre in Gondosuli village that shelters two hundred refugees and is located near the 20km volcano danger zone, the government so far had only given a kilogram of rice and a package of instant noodle for each family,” said Priyono.

The centre has also received some aid in the form of rice from nearby Catholic church, while activists and peasant group in unaffected areas nearby have donated their agricultural produce and vegetable.

“They need children's and baby food, because most of the food that people donated were suitable for grown-ups,” explained Priyono.

Foodstuffs, bottled water, baby’s needs (including diapers), soap and detergent are some of the goods that are urgently needed

One house to shelter two refugee families

Apart from managing disaster centres in eight districts, the SRMI has also carried out a one-house-for-two-refugee-families program in order to provide more fair distribution of aid to volcano victims.

Locals who are still able to stay in their own house have also become victims that have suffered many losses, therefore they should also receive aid. The SRMI has carried out programs in three villages, involving a total of about 450 people, to help such victims.

The SRMI disaster relief centre that shelters the largest number of refugees, about 300 people, is located in Sedayu village.