6.3 QUAKE HITS BANYAK ISLANDS

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake IN SIMEULUE, INDONESIA has occurred at: 2.21N 96.80E Depth 39km
Thu Apr 28 14:07:36 2005 UTC
Time: Universal Time (UTC) Thu Apr 28 14:07:36 2005
Time Near Epicenter Thu Apr 28 21:07:36 2005

Felt this on board Batavia. We are all thinking about the SAI boats out in the Banyaks. This quake was almost in the same place as the March 28th shake that caused so much damage on Nias and Simeulue and almost as strong as the April 10th quake that terrified Padang and the Mentawais.

GFC & ROTARY GERALDTON-GREENOUGH ADOPT ELM

Fishermen Helping Fishermen

Electric Lamb Mission Receives Much Needed Boost from Local Co-operative


Jane's fishing camp on Post Office Is, Abrolhos Island Group just
over 40nm off the coast of West Australia. Jane lives on this tiny
coral patch for 3-4 months every year.

GFC fisherman and shareholder Jane Liddon, together with her partner Rick Cameron, are coordinating tsunami relief efforts in Western Aceh. Jane and Rick were running their surf charter business in Sumatra when the tsunami struck. Known as the Electric Lamb Mission (named after their charter boat), Jane and Rick are now operating a 200 foot ship called the Batavia, gaining access to isolated parts of the coast line which are inaccessible by road and fixed wing aircraft. The ELM now has a team of medical and general volunteers providing much needed assistance to small fishing communities that few other groups are reaching.

Fishermen and staff of the Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative have donated over $12,000 to assist Jane, Rick and the Electric Lamb Mission continue their work. The Geraldton-Greenough branch of Rotary has formally adopted the ELM project, which has received Rotary Australia endorsement. Importantly, 100% of donations will be directed to the ELM: there are no hefty administration fees.

Donations and volunteer relief workers are still needed to ensure the continuation of this unique, grass roots mission.

Quotes:

John Fitzhardinge (GFC Director): “Australian's have been exceedingly generous so far towards the survivors of the tsunami. However, many have valid concerns about whether the money is really getting through to where it is needed. Jane and Rick have provided a rare opportunity to ensure that donations will get through to isolated fishing communities. They know the people and speak the language, and are providing precisely the kind of assistance that is required.”

Jane Liddon (ELM founding member, Geraldton fisherman): “We are reaching people in remote fishing communities where few other relief agencies go. The need for assistance will not diminish for many months. It is important that we continue our work in Aceh, and for that we need ongoing support. We are very grateful to the fishermen and staff of the Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative for their generous donations.”

Media Contacts
Wayne Hosking
General Manager
Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative
9965 9035
wayneh@brolos.com.au

Jane Liddon
Director
Dog Rock Pearls Ltd
0428 381 275
jane.liddon@mac.com
www.dogrockpearls.com
NB: Call Jane after 6pm or leave a message

CATCH 22 - FUEL BLUES

The Nias quake coupled with tsunami relief efforts further north is placing a heavy load on existing infrastructure in the region. The March 28th quake destroyed a large section of Singkil harbor and township and Sibolga is the next accessible port down the coast. The harbor is tiny and now totally overloaded as LCDs and Ro-Ro ferries wait for dock space to load trucks.


...Catch 22... so near yet so far...USN Yukon refueling USNR Mercy
just a few miles from BATAVIA Wednesday last week

BATAVIA ran low on fuel on the SE coast of Nias last week. We checked all options and even arranged to load fuel at sea from the US Navy. They had just bunkered from a tanker and had plenty so we called up the captain of the Niagara Falls to see if they could help. We explained that we wanted to continue our work and that the only alternative was to steam all the way to Sibolga and wait in line. The answer was a thumbs up and we agreed to head to calm water in the lee of Nias about 2 hours north. The sea was glassy flat and ideal to raft up so Niagara Falls sent a RIB over to check us out. Their engineers came aboard and measured and photographed our fuel filler cap so they could match it up with their hoses. Captain Dan on NF agreed that refueling was feasible but asked us to wait while he checked with head office.... a long wait turned into hours. Finally he called and said "Sorry, our onboard legal advisor says we have liability problems... oil spill risk in Indonesian waters..... regret it is No Go".

After thanking Dan and his crew for trying so hard to make it work we started engines and headed for Sibolga. A quick phone call to our agent confirmed what we feared. No fuel in town and no dock space! I urged him to try all avenues and advised him that we could get fuel tankers to drive down from Medan if there was no other alternative.

Thursday morning we were anchored in the outer harbor. After half a day of meetings and phone calls our agent smiled and said. "Good news! Pertamina (state owned fuel company) say their tanker is due in port next morning so we don't need the tankers from Medan" Sounded good, except for one tiny detail. We had missed banking hours, Friday was a national holiday, and the funds we had arranged were in a Medan bank!

Making the best of a bad situation we agreed that the ships crew could take some R&R over the weekend and we arranged for fueling and dock space on Monday morning.

Sounded like we were all set. Our fresh NW Medical team arrived on Saturday and we arranged for more boat drivers to drive up from Padang.

Monday morning we arranged to cash our funds in Medan and walk them to our agent's bank to ensure they would clear instantly so he could pay Pertamina and get the PO for the fuel as fast as possible... and then the call came. "The Sibolga branch of BNI is off line and they are trying to fix it!" We waited and waited and watched as our slot on the pier was taken by another ferry. The agent called "they have fixed the computer and I am standing in a long line" Bank customers had been waiting all day. The line at state owned BNI got slowly shorter but the clock hit 3pm and true to form the bank staff told the rest of the crowd to go home! Kissed goodbye a Monday departure and resigned ourselves to Tuesday.

Made sure our agent was first in line at the bank and walked our cash to Pertamina. Got our PO from them and left the agent to find us somewhere to load. At 2pm he managed to get BATAVIA alongside a Ro-Ro ferry and we were given permission to drive our water and fuel tankers on and off as they filled us. Water went smoothly... and then the knock on my hotel door. The agent was standing there, hat in hand and in this culture that is bad news. "Pertamina say they still have no fuel"

Resisting a strong urge to say something less than charitable about the state of the state, I bit my tongue and asked "Why did they take our money if they had no fuel?"

I knew that I was asking a question that could not be answered but sometimes I forget where I am and think that it should not be this way. Wednesday is a new day and we will try again. My mind turns to an old joke about lawyers and the Atlantic.

BATAVIA RAPID RESPONSE PLAN - April 2005

Seismologists are in general agreement that there will be further major events as the fault adjusts in a southerly direction, the question is "when" and not "if".

We propose to work with a basket of NGOs and Agencies, so that the cost of funding Batavia can be spread among many over the months ahead. NGOs and Agencies will benefit by having access to a regular resupply/staff rotation service. Land based poskos in remote locations will become more feasible and less dependent on air support.



BATAVIA RAPID RESPONSE PLAN - April 2005

AIM: To keep BATAVIA in readiness for anticipated major seismic events while continuing to service areas already supported.

SCHEDULE: Regular trips from Padang/Sibolga to BA and back with loading each port every 10-14 days.

PROGRAM: Batavia will stop for distribution/medical support in all the areas we have identified as being too remote for mainstream aid to reach. We want to maintain contact with the communities we have supported in the past and help new areas as we identify them. As far as possible we want to work with smaller boats & to resupply them to extend outreach more efficiently.

SUPPORT: In addition to health clinics, our multitalented volunteers will work with local communities to implement:

- Water supply and sanitation needs.

- Vector control for Malaria and Dengue as well as residual spraying of tents & buildings.

- Fisheries rehabilitation and boat repair or new building.

- Bagan (fish platform) rehabilitation and new building.

- Education - supplementary activities, support and sports

- Shelter initiatives during the lead time needed for permanent housing to be completed.

- livelihood initiatives to restart agriculture and mariculture

- technical and trades support for reconstruction efforts

BUDGET: Assuming current costs:

A pool of 5 donors could contribute $20,000 per month each

A pool of 10 donors could contribute $10,000 per month each

A pool of 20 donors could contribute $ 5,000 per month each

Or a mix of the above. Considering that a single mission by a heavy lift chopper can cost US$10,000 we can possibly save some organizations a substantial amount.

Each donor to support supply of appropriate aid materials for loading according to the schedule. Direct donations to ELM will be sought to contribute towards capital items or specific mini-projects.

Universities will be approached on the basis of donations to secure space for participating student volunteers seeking field experience in aid work.

We are in negotiation with funders to secure the purchase and upgrade of the Batavia and if successful a substantial saving will be realized.

Contact us and lets work out the best way to support your NGO's ability to support remote communities.

HULU RECOVERING ON MERCY

Hulu has responded well to intensive care on the Mercy and is heading towards a full recovery. Our medical team were dropped in Sibolga by a Mercy chopper after several days aboard. Mercy will depart Nias bound for East Timor by the end of the month but she will never be forgotten by the people of Siraha village. We are keen to return to Gomo to visit other remote villages in the area. IRC and TNI have choppers available in the area for life-and-limb emergencies. Thanks again to our intrepid medical team who climbed the mountain to help this remote community.
- Obor Berkat Indonesia (Dr Romy and staff)
- North West Medical (Dr Dave & Nancy and staff)
- ELM (Dr Aliza)

NIAS - DECONSTRUCTION BEFORE RECONSTRUCTION

Based on our team's visits to SE Nias around 60% of houses in Gomo/Lahusa area are concrete structures. Between 70% and 80% of these are damaged beyond repair. The huge job now facing the owners is to demolish these dangerous structures and dispose of the rubble. Steel can be salvaged and resold as scrap but the task of smashing up entire buildings with hand tools is almost beyond comprehension. Many of these structures are still standing and they must now be demolised while unstable adding to the danger and difficulty of this essential work.

Land parcels are small in Nias and most home owners do not have enough space to build a new structure anywhere but on top of the existing foundations. There is no choice. The buildings must be knocked down and in most cases the foundations themselves will have to be removed and replaced. While it is true that some of the roofing materials in the standing buildings can be reused, the huge investment in masonry and concrete is now an equally huge liability. The area needs dozers to knock dangerous structures down and air powered stone hammers and power chisels to smash up the remains to remove the steel.

In Gomo district most people were working on clearing their building sites using their bare hands. Tools like sledge hammers are urgenly needed until earthmoving machines arrive.... or more accurately because there is almost no chance that the equipment will every arrive. Wooden houses are easier to salvage and some may be possible to reinforce with cable and steel brackets so they can be reused.

BATAVIA NOW LOADING IN SIBOLGA

Saturday, 23 April. KM Batavia is available for loading aid supplies bound for Nias, Simeulue and Aceh coast. We will complete our Aus Aid charter in Nias and then continue with our medical missions as we proceed up the coast. Agencies should be aware that we are not providing a free door-to-door delivery service but rather a platform for efficient aid distribution to remote and isolated communities. We have space for volunteers or staff to assist and supervise distribution of any aid loaded. Batavia will depart Sibolga late Monday the 25th of April for South Nias.

NIAS - A TRAGEDY IN PROGRESS

Recent comments by food distribution agencies indicate that the urgency of the situation in Nias is not yet well understood. Our team have just returned from one of the hardest hit and poorest parts of the island:

1. The Gomo subregency has a population of over 40,000 (estimated may exceed 50,000)and there is only one very badly damaged road into the town. Beyond the town there are no real roads. Motorbikes can make it back 2-3 km in some directions before hitting the mountains.



2. The traditional village just west of Gomo town is considered to be the first area settled on Nias. The tiny valley has very rich soil and good water and every inch of river flat or foothills slope is intensively cultivated with wet rice. There is very little land suitable for rice as the mountains are very steep and convoluted starting both sides of the township. There are 38 villages around Gomo and none can be reached by wheeled vehicles.

3. The entire area has been stripped of forest leaving poor regrowth that is now a patchwork of slash and burn subsistence crops. Cassava is the most common and some slopes are literally too steep to work standing. The people crawl to hang on. Soil erosion is happening on a massive scale.



4. Coconut groves are only found around the flat land and villages. There are not many compared to other parts of the island. Coffee, cocoa and nilam are grown as cash crops on land that is too steep or too poor for rice cultivation. Every possible area of land that is flat or gently sloping has been converted into rice terraces but these are few and far between. Much of this rice is rain fed rice and not irrigated so maximum of 1-2 crops per year rather than 3. No pesticides are used as the people cant afford them. Rice is fertilized with urea and the purchase of this is a big burden on the farmers.



5. Slopes are very unstable after the quake. There are many landslides visible and every ridge has huge crack running along the footpaths indicating that these will slide off as soon as heavy rain hits the area. Many irrigation ditches have been destroyed by the quake and pipes from springs have been damaged badly. The village we stayed in had no water nearby and no functioning toilets. Everyone was using the forest for ablutions and there is no water to wash afterwards. This is unthinkable for most Indonesians and there is now a huge risk of epidemic outbreaks due to direct contact with human waste. Pigs and dogs are not keeping up with cleaning up the supply.

6. Livestock numbers are very low. Very few buffalo, not many pigs and even chickens are scarce. I did not see any sago in the area.

7. The floods 5 years ago wiped out large areas of rice paddy and buried it under tons of sand. It is now too poor for intensive cultivation and used for beans or nilam. The markets are almost non-existent and produce very expensive and poor quality.

8. We heard stories from many people that indicate that villages have to bid for access to rice supplies handled by local authorities. We could not verify but there were few signs of WFP food in homes and the last distribution only reached 25 out of 121 families who lost homes. Assume that is what David was alluding to when he quoted Rp300,000 per Kg?? Nobody could pay that amount. That is the going rate for the village to pay to ensure that a little rice gets to everyone…. Or some.

9. We were the first westerners and the first medical team to visit the village. There were still many untreated wounds dating back to the quake and one person in critical condition. We arranged medivac by chopper but it was very hard to find a safe landing area without a house on it. The locals have no idea how to deal with a chopper landing and will rush too close out of curiosity more than anything else.


Husband and son died when this traders home collapsed in Gomo.

10. Almost all the ethnic Chinese traders who form the backbone of the Nias economy have suffered terrible loss. Their buildings were the biggest and almost all had two or more floors. A disproportionate number of traders were killed in the quake when their "ruko" style shop houses collapsed. The survivors are deeply traumatized and they may never return to the island. Nias farmers can no longer sell produce and buy rice to eat as has been their practice for decades. The chain is broken and it is hard to see how it can be fixed.

11. Crime is a way of life and stealing is so bad that there is no point in working hard to build up a surplus. It will be stolen before it can be used.
Most buildings still standing are dangerous and will have to be demolished adding to the work load. There are very few tents and those are only near the road. There were no tents in the hills and people were living in hovels made from scraps salvaged from wrecked buildings or still living in homes that have been braced to stop them collapsing. People are busy trying to deal with shelter and hardly anyone is working their land to grow food.

12. Expect the area to flood and to suffer massive landslides as soon as heavy rain falls. The last floods killed many thousands more than the March 28th quake. Disease kills many more than the floods.

We can assure readers that the rice is not getting through to a lot of people who desperately need it despite the very best efforts of some of the world's most experienced and well funded agencies. To ensure fair distribution requires a lot of manpower and a knowledge of local culture and social structure. To guide and encourage communities to adopt sustainable agriculture will take an enormous effort and an atmosphere of cooperation between the agencies responsible. We live in hope

SAVED BY THE 'WINDSHIP'

Half our medical team is back from the mountains west of Gomo exhausted by the 4 hour descent. The rest flew out on a Mercy chopper with a critically ill patient.

ELM volunteer doctor Aliza Weinman reported from the USN Mercy this morning: "Hulu Hukkubah had almost 2 liters of purulent fluid removed by chest tube from his left lung, which almost certainly saved his life. He is on strong antibiotics and is improving."

Hulu (60) suffered a heart attack when his village split in two during the quake and his family feared he would not survive being carried down the mountain. They did not understand what had happened to him and nursed him as best they could for the past weeks. Pneumonia set in and his body functions started to shut down.

Our ELM/OB/NWM team were the first westerners to ever visit this remarkably remote village and there has been no local medical support to the area before our arrival. Dr Dave Lange took one look at Hulu and asked me to call the Batavia to arrange a medivac. After struggling with a non functioning sat phone for a while I took a walk to the highest point in the village. Looking east I saw the ocean and as my eyes followed the ridge I spotted a white dot in the deep V of the river gorge that is the only way into these highlands. Not believing my eyes I turned on my hand held VHF and called the ship. We were at least 30km inland and I had no real hope of reaching anyone. The village people around me jumped in amazement as Adam answered clear as a bell! VHF is line of sight and had the ship been anchored a few hundred meters north or south I would never have seen her and the radio would not have worked. The rest was easy. Formerly enlisted US Navy Coms operator Marshall Bailey took over on Batavia’s bridge and soon we radioed thru the lat and long using Dr Dave’s hand held GPS. Mercy confirmed that they would arrive at 6.45am if we could clear a landing area as the sun was setting and a night operation was deemed too risky.


Dr Rommy from OB at work

After our night clinic finished at 10pm, the village men took the only pressure lamp and started extending and clearing the only piece of flat land in the vicinity. Small trees were cut down and a rough rice bag H pegged out with bamboo spikes.



As we were about to climb into the traditional house’s loft, a vicious aftershock hit. The men grabbed a child each and sprung out the door with the women clutching babies close behind. We were much slower and we stumbled out in confusion leaving poor Hulu to watch as the structure swayed and groaned. Suddenly we understood why everyone wants to live in a tent. Until you feel the fear , see the buildings sway and hear the noise, it is all a bit academic.

We enlisted the help of Dr Laia who lives in Gomo to help us explain to the nervous village what we knew about earthquakes and aftershocks. We eventually managed to convince ourselves that it was safe to sleep upstairs and all of us climbed up the narrow ladder to retire on the floor boards. The village had no spare bedding, no water for washing and no toilets but we were past caring and did our best to sleep while Hulu coughed and moaned below us. It was a long night.



The chopper arrived on time but after a few attempts they winched down a crewmember and hovered about 10m above our now clearly tiny helipad. “Tail rotor is too close to the trees and the slope makes approach too dangerous” yelled the flight crew. We helped strap Hulu into a stretcher and braced against the rotor wash as one by one our team followed up the wire. In 30 minutes the chopper moved maybe 1 or 2 meters at most. An awesome display of skill.



Minutes after the chopper climbed and the blast died down the Kepala Desa ran to me and said “We must make a new place for the WindShip to dock! Please show us where is the best place” We walked to the edge of the small helipad and I was shocked to see that we were looking into the void left by a massive rift that stretched from the village way up into the mountains above us. I moved everyone back and wondered if the weight of a chopper might bring the whole area down in a land slide. We set off to look further up the ridge.



Hilimbaruzo is a deeply traditional kampung. It lies at the end of a blind ridge a 5km hike up from Gomo. It is one of 38 villages in the Kabupaten (subdistrict) that can only be reached by foot. The village dates back at least 150 years but now the residents are all convinced that they will have to move.



The March 28 quake dropped a 150m wide section of the village (Dusun Siraha) straight down at least 50m. Most of the trees are still standing but they are all skewed at crazy angles. A few houses lie almost intact but 7 were swallowed by the earth and there is no sign of them. Miraculously only 2 people died and they described their descent as slow enough for them to run to hang onto trees as the earth buckled and fractured all around.

The visual impact is difficult to capture with a camera. The rift subsidence extends several kilometers to the east and then curves past the village to the west. Sheer walls of gravel and clay overlook the jumbled landscape that has dropped vertically without any sign of a land slide or horizontal displacement. An unforgettable sight and one this community must now live with and reconcile with their future.

NIAS - EASTER ISLAND SYNDROME

We ran an anchor watch last night to protect our beach skiffs. One local boat showed up at midnight but anchored nearby and made no trouble.

We know the UN and many NGOs are dealing with far more dangerous situations every day in other parts of the world. We dont feel that any of the anger we see is turning on us. The tactics the gangs use is to create a crowd, press in on the aid and then incite the onlookers to act badly.

The locals dont understand birth control or maybe they are encouraged against it by their churches. Will try to find out more about this. Families have 5,6 7 kids. The forest is gone and the consequences are inevitable.

Easter Island syndrome. Nias could not support its population before the quakes and now their options are running out. Sago is the staple and traditional diet. It could be the answer if cultivated rather than harvested wild. Bamboo could be grown for building rather than the trend over the past 20 years to use concrete. Fishing could bring the area income. The Nias are great seapeople.

There are sustainable options to get the population of the drip but right now we need to feed a lot of people and the answer is the army. TNI secured the coast of Aceh. They could make this easy for the NGOs and I'm sure someone will be working on this... well I hope someone is working on this. Will call a few people I know and see what can be done.

A few army uniforms would fix this. We dont need guns. We are mobilizing our diversion now and will update tonight.

MERCY MISSION

Batavias medical team are sending a serious burns case into town and will try to get him referred to Mercy for skin grafts. Maybe we can ask them for help with charts at the same time.

Rorogo Odraha is an amazing man. He is caring for 2 daughters 4 & 6 years old after the death of his wife 4 years ago during child birth. He is a fisherman and a skilled chainsaw operator. He lost his chainsaw and his boat was damaged during the March 28th quake and tsunami at Tanjung Onolimbu.



He was my guide all day yesterday and we walked for miles. I asked about his limp and he did not want to talk much about it. After a while I noticed stains on his track suit and I saw he was in pain. He told me his story. 9 day after he lost his wife, he tried to fill a pressure lamp and picked up the wrong jerry can in the dark. It was his chainsaw fuel.It exploded buring him and several others. His legs were ablaze and he jumped into the swamp to put them out. Half his house was destroyed.



After months in hospital he was sent home. The burns just wont heal behind his knees and he has to work to support his family every day. New skin grafts are needed and then he will have to lay still till the grafts bond well.

UPDATE Saturday morning: We have just heard from ELM volunteer Marshall Bailey that Rorogo will be helicoptered to the Mercy today for his grafts!

ONOLIMBU MEDICAL SITUATION REPORT - APRIL 13-15

Weighing anchor at daybreak on 4/13, the KM Batavia left Gunung Sitoli and headed for the Onolimbu area on Nias’ SW coast. Arriving just offshore from the village of Tagaule, we could see houses submerged in the water. It appeared that the land in this area had susided (as opposed to the area on the southwestern coast of Simelue, where coral reefs now bake above water in the hot sun). Damage here looked much worse than what we have seen elsewhere. When we took the motorboat to shore, our initial impressions were confirmed. The villagers spoke of the day the earthquake shook their village: “the earth cracked everywhere and water came up out of it, swallowing our village.” The foundations of many of the houses were several meters below the surface of the water, with only rooftops visible. Others flooded with every rise in the tide.



The two villages closest to the sea are Muslim while those further inland are Christian. The mosque in the village of Tagaule had collapsed, and it was a strange sight to see the ruins surrounded by wooden fishing boats and crabs crawling around its perimeter. The Kepala Desa (Village Chief) told us that the bridges in the area were down, so that they were only able to access the larger towns to get supplies and food by walking for 8km through the swamps. They had received some tents and a few supplies by helicopter, but were in great need of food, tools and other aid.



Buckets were filled to be used as family kits (utensils, soap, towels, pots, candles, etc) and we also distributed woks, lamps, kerosene, boots, tarpaulins, nails, wheelbarrows, and other tools. Meanwhile, our medical team set out on foot (in our knee-high boots) to hold a clinic. Carrying our supplies and equipment over 1 km on a muddy trail cracked in some areas from the fault and submerged in other areas, we finally arrived at a schoolhouse in the village of Botohainga. This would be our medical clinic and school for the next two days. The team consisted of OBI, Northwest Medical Team, Mirta Peduli, and ELM doctors and nurses. The villagers here had a wide variety of problems, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), wounds sustained during the earthquake, burns, and other more chronic conditions such as malaria, severe tophaceous gout and elephantiasis. One patient had such severe PTSD that he was practically catatonic. He was alert with a normal neurological exam, but would not utter a sound, stared straight ahead, and held his body in a rigid position. Several patients with infected wounds required debridement.

A total of 380 patients were examined and treated. One patient had severe 3rd degree burns covering the backs of both legs which he had sustained several years previously. The scar tissue was so extensive that it restricted his ability to walk. He had a large open wound on the back of his right knee where the strictures gave way as he straightened his leg. We arranged to transport this patient to Gunung Sitoli by motorbike in the hopes that the USS Mercy will be able to perform a skin graft to the back of his knees enabling him to lead a more normal life.

While the medical team was busy seeing patients and the distribution crew was giving out supplies, Julie and Evika set up class under a tent in the schoolyard. Refugee families had set up tents in the schoolyard and the classrooms had sustained some damage during the earthquake, so that school had not been in session since the most recent tragedy. Julie taught some English and had the children draw. Later, the sound of children singing filled the air. It was a joy to hear happiness in their voices once more. The next day, to our complete surprise, the classrooms had been cleaned and the children had returned in their uniforms. Classes were back in session!

ELECTRIC LAMB MEDICAL REPORT 13 – 15 APRIL, 2005

Supporting Medical Agencies: Obor Berakat, Northwest Medical Team, Mirta Peduli, and St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Medical Center in New York.

Date: April 13 – 15, 2005
Location: Botohainga, Onolimbu area, Nias; Mobile non-permanent site
Availability of medical care: inadequate
Total Physician Providers: 8
Total Consultations: Outpatient – 380
Total Referrals: 1
Total Deaths: 0
Top 3 diagnoses; URI, Skin infections, Anemia

ONOLIMBU VILLAGE UNDERWATER

Have been in the Onolimbu area for the last two days dealing with an extrordinary situation.
Most of the coastal part of Tagaule village submerged during the quake. 58 homes underwater and the rest half buried in mud.

The locals describe great cracks opening in the earth as they ran from their buildings and water gushing up to engulf them. A mile up the coast no subsidence but a 2m high tsunami just after the quake that took out most of the beach front houses. Almost all houses along the coast have been destroyed and a town of 350 will have to be relocated as it is now completely submerged or at best a tidal zone. Some parts seem to have sunk over 2m, maybe as much as 3m.

Some villages just inland have had tents heli dropped but very little food. They do have sago and natural shelter materials but transport is very difficult. Nearest village with any kind of road is 8km through the swamps. River is silted up and blocked with trees that came down cutting that form of transport. No boats capable of the trip to GS left afloat.

We have done medical and most of the distribution now and will move south tomorrow.

Fear for these communities when the rains come. Area is dirt poor and the people very worn out and some seem quite desperate. These people are terrified of future tsunamis. They have nowhere to run. In one village they had made rough timber rafts. The photo shows the most advanced model built by the richest man in town. None of the others had drums in the corners. Tsunami escape vehicles. Heartbreaking to know that they would be useless yet the best that could be done. Feel we could provide a variation on the modified tents we built in Lho Kruet. With bigger drums and better platforms. Small investment would provide great peace of mind for these remote swamp villages.

We had some trouble at first with arguments among villages over our distribution plan but found a way to calm everyone down. Got all the villages to sit separately and then sing traditional songs in rotation. Worked a treat. Pass it on to others.

Where humor is impossible try music.

ONOLIMBU - SUBSIDENCE or FAULT DISPLACEMENT

We cant comment yet on the submersion being a fault line displacement or subsidence due to soft liquid soils. I saw evidence of a fault line with a step of over a meter well inland.

Incredibly many traditional structures survived the intense shaking fairly well.
Even well built concrete buildings floated through it intact. The real problem is that the entire area is now not only vulnerable to future tsunamis but certain to flood badly.

The tsunami escape vehicles may be needed when the rains come and that is not acceptable. This area needs special attention

There are some interesting steel solutions that Blue Scope Lysaght have developed for flood prone areas. Floors float up the columns keeping everything dry then drop down for ease of access when the waters receed.

Any other ideas?

MEDICAL REPORTS FROM SIMEULUE WEST COAST

Batavia's medical teams can work jointly or can split up into 2 or 3 teams depending on the requirements in the field. It was not possible to provide advanced warning of our visit to the local authorities during our initial visits to these areas and it is reasonable to assume that the number of patients that did not hear in time will far exceed the number who could get to the clinics. Ideally Batavia should spend 3-4 days in each area to ensure that more remote villages are given sufficient time to travel to the clinic location or alternatively, to give our teams time to reach these remote areas.

ACCESS ISSUES
Each location visited presents specific challenges. All locations to date are isolated from 4 wheel transport. Motorbikes are the only option for towns on the mainland and the condition of roads is very poor especially after rain. Bridges are either destroyed by tsunami/quake damage or under construction with temporary coconut pole causeways limited to very light traffic. Many of the coconut causeways were damage in the March 28th quake. About 50% of smaller bridges have suffered abutment collapse resulting in very steep approaches and level changes of between 30cm and 60cm. Timber is available in some locations but not all making even motorbike travel dangerous in wet conditions.



Heavy surf restricts landings to a few beaches or coves. Uplift has complicated approaches to these locations and no revised marine charts are available. Each location requires a detailed survey and final approach by speed boat. Very few local boats remain in service after the Dec 26th tsunami.

No security issues encountered by our medical teams and the local community very appreciative of help offered. Rental of local vehicles is expensive. High prices paid by international aid agencies are 3 to 4 times local rates and it is a sellers market. Fuel prices are 200% of the official retail rate. (Rp5-6,000 per ltr).

PROGRESS - COMPLETION
Total catchment we have been asked to assess totals 24,000 persons. The villages included in the clinics to date total less than 6,000 so there is a pressing need to continue this work as soon as possible. A total of 1,310 patient consultations were completed and medications provided to most.

Medical Mission to Simeulue is 25% complete based on RI Govt requests. The remote Salang subdistrict has not been assessed yet.

SUPPORTING MEDICAL AGENCIES
Northwest Medical Teams International, Mirta Peduli, and Obor Berakat.
Total team:
2 Doctors NWM, 1 Surgeon's Assistant, 1 Reg Nurses
5 Doctors OB, 2 Reg Nurse
3 Doctors MP, 1 Reg Nurse
Total 15 persons

In response to a request by the BUPATI of Simeulue, our teams have visited the following locations:

Date: 8 April 2005
Location: Palau Teupah, Simeulue. Mobile, non permanent site. Access by boat and foot.
Availability of medical care: inadequate
Total Providers: 9
Total Support staff : 6
Total Consultations: Outpatient-154
Total Emergent Referrals-0
Top 3 diagnosis: Upper Respiratory infections, Rashes, Anemia, Suspected Malaria

Date: 8 April 2005
Location: Catchment area** of Sumur (including Puskesmask) Access by boat and foot.
Availability of medical care: Adequate in town but transport very difficult for IDPs in more remote camps.
Total Providers: 1
Total Consultations: Outpatient—survey, less than 10 persons
Total Emergent Referrals—0

Date: 9 April 2005
Location: Catchment area** of Kampung Aie (including Puskesmask) Access by boat and motorbike/trike & borrowed vehicle
Availability of medical care: Adequate in town but transport very difficult for IDPs in more remote camps.
Total Providers: 9
Total Consultations: Outpatient-562
Total Emergent Referrals-0
Top 3 diagnosis: Gastrointestinal complaints, Rashes, Upper Respiratory infections
**Desa Kuta Baru
Desa Latitih
Desa Laureeh
Desa Aie
Desa Lemayang
Desa Kuta Padang

Date: 10 April 2005
Location: Catchment area** of Kampung Aie (including Puskesmask) Access by boat and motorbike/trike & borrowed vehicle
Availability of medical care: Adequate in town but transport very difficult for IDPs in more remote camps.
Total Providers: 9
Total Consultations: Outpatient-594
Total Emergent Referrals-0
Top 3 diagnosis: Anemia, Gastrointestinal complaints, Rashes
**Desa Luansurip
Desa Lambayah
Desa Latubang
Desa Seube
Desa Borengan

BATAVIA AQUA

After overcoming some big logistics challenges, our watermaker was delivered aboard the surf charter yacht Sanssouci II via KL and then Langkawai. Electrical compatibility problems delayed final installation but last night we toasted "Batavia Aqua" and our fantastic donors. Thanks to Hamilton Miller LLC of Denver Colorado and especially the congregation of the Jubilee Fellowship Church in Littleton Colorado! Your efforts and the generous discount offered by Village Marine combined to deliver us 5 precious tons of drinking water per day.



ELM volunteer Christina Rambu Mbangi Ledu invited a group of Nias islanders to be first to sample the water after explaining that we pump seawater into the unit and convert it into freshwater.

"Manis! Manis! (sweet) was the verdict. The unit features heavy duty components and Village Marine are one of the largest suppliers to the US Navy. We the best available technology aboard and the unit will have a large impact on our ability to bring relief to remote areas in Nias and Aceh.

Five tons per day is more than the ship needs to remain at sea and the surplus can supply the needs of a village of several hundred people in areas where dry wells need rehabilitation. More importantly, we no longer need to load 90tons of water in port. Batavia can carry over 50tons of extra food supplies to remote areas and extend our field missions.

All aboard Bavavia join me in sending our heartfelt thanks to our donors, their staff, congregations and families. We salute Chris Ranken back in head office for coordination the freight and logistics.

ONOLIMBU VILLAGE UNDERWATER

Have been in the Onolimbu area for the last two days dealing with an extrordinary situation.
Most of the coastal part of Tagaule village submerged during the quake. 58 homes underwater and the rest half buried in mud.

The locals describe great cracks opening in the earth as they ran from their buildings and water gushing up to engulf them. A mile up the coast no subsidence but a 2m high tsunami just after the quake that took out most of the beach front houses. Almost all houses along the coast have been destroyed and a town of 350 will have to be relocated as it is now completely submerged or at best a tidal zone. Some parts seem to have sunk over 2m, maybe as much as 3m.

Some villages just inland have had tents heli dropped but very little food. They do have sago and natural shelter materials but transport is very difficult. Nearest village with any kind of road is 8km through the swamps. River is silted up and blocked with trees that came down cutting that form of transport. No boats capable of the trip to GS left afloat.

We have done medical and most of the distribution now and will move south tomorrow.

Fear for these communities when the rains come. Area is dirt poor and the people very worn out and some seem quite desperate. These people are terrified of future tsunamis. They have nowhere to run. In one village they had made rough timber rafts. The photo shows the most advanced model built by the richest man in town. None of the others had drums in the corners. Tsunami escape vehicles. Heartbreaking to know that they would be useless yet the best that could be done. Feel we could provide a variation on the modified tents we built in Lho Kruet. With bigger drums and better platforms. Small investment would provide great peace of mind for these remote swamp villages.

We had some trouble at first with arguments among villages over our distribution plan but found a way to calm everyone down. Got all the villages to sit separately and then sing traditional songs in rotation. Worked a treat. Pass it on to others.

Where humor is impossible try music.

MOUNT TALANG ERUPTS NEAR PADANG

After 40 years of dormancy, 2,896m Mount Talang erupted violently yesterday sending another wave of panic through Padang and the surroundings. Smoke and ash reached a height of 10,000m and the eruption was heard and felt over a wide area. Talang is a stratovolcano and experts say that there is a high risk of an explosive eruption. Villages in the vicinity of the mountain have been evacuated. No casualties have been reported. Mount Talang is about 35km SE of Padang and less than 10km from the city of Solok. Prevailing winds for this time of the year are from the SE to SW placing both cities in the ash footprint.

Many Padang residents have left the coastal capital over the past 2 days fearing a tsunami after the 6.8 quake on the 10th of April and those who are staying with family and friends in the Solok area must be wondering if anywhere is safe. Mount Talang initially released smoke and ash but last night lava flows were visible from the main highway between Solok and Padang.

Just north of Solok, Lake Sinkarak water levels have been dropping since the quake and there are serious concerns that the hydro electric power plants that tap the lake’s run-off may be affected.

Mid way between Solok and Bukittinggi, Mount Merapi (2,891m) is belching smoke and steam. Talang and Merapi lie on the same major fault line and clearly the recent Mentawai quake has reactivated these long peaceful volcanoes.

Economic activity in Padang has virtually ceased. Schools and Universities are closed, hotels are empty, Government offices are running on skeleton staff or shut. Many multistory buildings are considered unsafe as a result of quake and aftershock damage. Constant tremors associated with the volcanic activity now add to the tension.

Padang (750,000) has experienced multiple panics since the Dec 26th mega quake.

Rumors of rising water, false tsunami alarms and the more recent quakes have stressed the population and slowed construction projects. A large proportion of the population have headed inland to Solok and Bukittinggi where they are now living in the shadow of a chain of giant volcanoes.

SURF AID INTERNATIONAL MOVE IN

Dr Dave Jenkins called yesterday to ask if SAI could move their office to ELM headquarters in our home at Bukit Gado-gado, Padang. The structure of the hotel where the SAI office is located has been compromised by the quake and masonry wall panels are no longer bonded to the concrete structure’s frame. SAI staff Eric Lee described the problems in the old hotel structure over the phone and it is clear that the building is unsafe. Having just observed the ruins of similar structures in Gunung Sitoli and knowing where their hotel office is located, I urged them to move immediately. Earthquake engineers all agree that the vast majority of deaths and injuries from earthquakes are caused by bad buildings. The combination of inadequate foundations, sedimentary or reclaimed subsoil conditions and shoddy structures is particularly deadly.



Jane and I designed our mountain top home with earthquakes in mind. Built on bedrock, the split level house has an organic spiral plan form and the reinforced concrete structure is over-built. Only a week after we installed the glazing Padang was hit by the shockwaves from the devastating Bengkulu quake of June 04 2000. We were staying on the 7th floor of the Bumi Minang Hotel in Padang and the quake severely cracked the walls and broke plate glass windows in several areas. We rushed to the unfinished house and found no sign of cracking or foundation movement at all. Our Padang staff have confirmed that the recent quake caused no cracks or damage.

Most of our Padang staff and their families moved to the house the day of the quake and have remained there since. They will host SAI in our absence. (Jane is fishing in West Australia and I am on Batavia)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - GUNUNG SITOLI

"An old man wanders dazed through the rubble. He has part of a shop scale and seems to be searching for the rest of it. His eyes never stop wandering over the wreckage but there is no sign of focus on any particular point. He is barely aware of me and can only nod in answer to my questions"

From out at sea Gunung Sitoli looks like a green town in a lush tropical setting. Then as the distance closes, the jumble of fallen buildings and skewed roof tops starts to dominate. Up close it is worse than a war zone. The destruction on the flat city center is total. What still stands is cracked and precarious. After a while a pattern emerges and I start to talk to the locals about what happened the night of March 28th.



Muhammad Oman has his hardware shop door opened a crack and I ask him about buying a hand fuel pump. The one we have carried all the way from Banda Aceh for WFP has been stolen by the local boat crew who carried WFPs fuel and stores to shore... along with 3 drums of fuel! and I want to help them out buy getting one to replace it. They hired the boats but in the face of so much destruction there is no one to blame. Muhammad has no stock. "The shop next door was much bigger than mine but they are all dead". I ask if he lost family and why his shop still stands with most of its contents intact.



"I'm from Padang and my shop is small and only one floor. The other shops were owned by Chinese and were 3 or 4 stories high. They all sleep on the top floor or on the roof in hot weather. When the quake started they all ran downstairs to get outside. We were all afraid there would be a tsunami and we were all told to run to high ground if a big quake hit us"

"The Chinese always have three sets of security doors and when the power failed they could not unlock them fast enough. Almost all the bodies were found on the ground floor" (there are unconfirmed reports that 80% of the dead in GS were ethnic Chinese Indonesians)

"I ran for my front door but everything fell off the shelves and I could only get it open a crack before it jammed. I could see the houses going down all along the street one after the other. Like they had bombs under them... boom, boom, boom"

"Some shops like mine survived because their walls run East-West like mine. The waves shook us from East to West and I was thrown up in the air and kept falling down. Then the fires started all around. The flames lit up the town and my friends helped me to open my door and get out".

A few hundred meters away the ground rises and a low hill is the site of a Catholic school built by German missionaries 80 years ago. The old timber buildings are in perfect condition and packed full of families who have fled the flat land. Next door a modern concrete structure is standing without a crack. They are built on bed rock.

Gunung Sitoli in common with most Indonesian cities has been built on sedimentary reclaimed swamp land close to a river mouth. Rivers kill the coral that otherwise fringes the coast and so they are the only place boats can land.

One has to wonder what percentage of Indonesians live in houses built on low lying swampy land. In Padang the number must exceed 80% of the entire city’s population.

SITUATION REPORT

Medical team second visit to the Sinabang Hospital.
Surgical Kit from WHO is not urgently needed but they have space to
store it in the tents. 10,000 person IDA medical kit should remain
aboard as they have no space and have already received several kits.
Will clear this with WHO BA.

Request from the Head of Dinas Kesehatan, Dr Tagwallah for Batavia to
support medical assessment and field clinics in the following
Subregions:
Teupah Barat, 18 villages 1,597 families 6951 population
Simeulue Tengah, 24 villages 2,211 families 9431 population
Salang, 16 villages 1,718 villages 7,912 population
Totals 58 villages 5,526 families 24,294 population

Only the southern 9 villages in Teupah Barat have received any medical
help since the quake on the 28th March. Some non-medical assessment
teams have reached the central coast on motorbike and report IDPs are
all in hills and some have fractures and injuries that are not being
treated.

Dr Tagwallah later met with the BUPATI, Drs Darmili and arranged for a
formal letter approving our mission to the West Coast areas defined
above.

Save the Children took delivery of own material sent from Banda Aceh
stores :
This aid includes:
140 Wheelbarrows
81 Tarps
300 Pickaxe
300 Mattock
600 Handle
300 Shovels
150 Boxes Detol soap
40 Childrens recreation kit
67 Floor mats.

Save the Children then re-assigned the following material for ELM to
distribute to the West coast villages we are planning to visit.
Material assigned:
3 Recreational Kits
18 Tarps
90 Boxes Detol soap (damaged by rain before loading Kurent Raya)

ELM assigned 25 PCI tents to Save the Children for distribution in
Sinabang township.

OB, MPI & NWM Medical teams visited IDP camps on hill tops around town.
General conclusions are:
- Health and nutrition generally adequate.

- Shelter issues are directly related to fear of a predicted tsunami.

- A proportion of wooden houses are repairable or habitable but the
trauma of the quake will keep people from returning. April 19th has
been quoted as a date after which people might return to their house.
No one can say why that date is significant.

- Surviving masonry houses and structures are unsafe. Reinforced
concrete beams and columns are damaged beyond repair at corners,
post/beam intersections and cement block wall infill is cracked and
unstable. Aftershocks are causing panels of masonry to fall and this
will continue. These buildings must be demolished and that is a huge
and dangerous task.

- The perception that the ocean has receded is the cause of great fear.
It is very hard to explain the difference between what has happened on
the 28th of March and what happened on the 26th of December. The
Simeulue people have a strong oral tradition that dictates quake and
tsunami response. This tradition is based on a catastrophic tsunami in
1907 that killed many thousands on the island. The reason that the Dec
26th death toll was so low in Simeulue is a direct result of this oral
tradition or adat and now it is the reason that village people refuse
to return to their villages and houses near the shoreline. See this as
a major problem for health and relief workers to deal with.Tthe fact
that the population were better prepared to deal with both the quakes
and the tsunami has resulted in far lower death toll than on Nias.
Damage to infrastructure in non-urban areas is very serious in
Simeulue.

1800 Attended UN coordination meeting at Save the Children tent.
- Telkomsel service has resumed (no Mentari)
- SMAK have resumed flights to Simeulue twice per day.
- WFP 300tons of food will arrive 7th April
- Irish seismological stories are being taken seriously by all and
emergency measures in place for all NGOs to evacuate to high ground.
- Several long span bridges are down in Alafan, Salang and at Dihit?
- CARE Water treatment equipment has arrived but no technicians avail
to install yet. Hopefully tomorrow.
- General concern about West Coast area as no health work or supplies
to that area since the quake.

NWM team examined the 4yo with the swollen head and determined that the
child needed scanning and a shunt to drain pressure from cranial
cavity. Beyond any facilities in Sinabang and not appropriate for US
Mercy. Child will require a long period of outpatient monitoring and
possibly a long initial observation period after the shunt is fitted
and this all best done in Medan or other larger hospital. Decision
should be made by the main hospital. Not a life threatening condition.

Surf Aid International took delivery of 20 PCI tents for distribution
to North Simeulue villages.

Following a formal request by PEMDA, SATKORLAK took delivery of 25 CARE
tents for distribution in Sinabang. A request for wheelbarrows and
shovels was referred to Save the Children as they have a large stock
and intend to support cleanup work in the town.

We experienced several strong aftershocks that shook the ship and
caused wave action in the harbor basin.