SINABUNG REFUGEES NEED AID AS DISEASES BREAKING OUT

 

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 30 (ANTARA)  - About 30,000 refugees from the  Mount Sinabung  eruption in North Sumatra  that happened early Sunday are in urgent need of medicines and other humanitarian aid as various diseases such as respiratory problems and diarrhea have begun to break out.          A member of a medical team in an emergency clinic in Brastagi, Maria Tarigan (28), said she had received reports from refugees about diarrhea outbreaks  on Monday. In the meantime, respiratory problems have also begun to affect the displaced persons.          Hariati Sebayang (38), an evacuee in a refugee tent in Brastagi, said she and two other members of her family were suffering from respiratory problems.          According to Maria Tarigan, her team had provided medication. "The government has distributed different kinds of assistance such as blankets, food, medicines. "We found in the field that the diarrhea mostly affected children," Maria Tarigan  said.          In order to help evacuees, the central government has set aside funds totaling Rp15 billion to assist the victims of the Mount Sinabung eruption for 10 days.          Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono said on Monday that the funds would be used to provide food, medication and security. "We hope refugees will  be assisted so that they will  at least enjoy a little  convenience because it is not comfortable to stay at emergency or makeshift shelters," he said.          He said  the funds were taken from the state budget and  disbursed by the National Disasters Mitigation Agency (APBN).          Agung Laksono said that up to Monday, the number of evacuees had reached 30,000, but he expected that conditions would improve and the number of refugees returning to their homes would also increase.          "Assistance needed by refugees such as blankets, food, milk for infants and sarongs are being supplied. In the emergency tents, they need blankets because rains also often fall and the weather is cool. The latest information said conditions are beginning to improve, the thick smoke has started to dissipate  and many evacuees are preparing to return to their homes," Agung Laksono said.          He said  the government felt it was not yet necessary to declare the volcanic  eruption a national disaster. The central government had also instructed regional government heads to provide assistance.          "I received a report this morning that many people are ready to extend a helping hand. We have instructed the regional governments both at  provincial and district levels, to assist them," he said.         In the meantime, the Ministry of Social Affairs has also sent logistics and shelters for the victims of Mt Sinabung eruption.         "Logistics and shelters have been channeled through the social affairs services of North Sumatra," Syafii Nasution of the Social Affairs Ministry said.          He said that the assistance consisted of  50 tons of rice, 960 bottles of soy sauce, 400 cartons of sardines, 120 bottles of cooking oil, 5.000 pieces of blankets, 27,000 face masks and 76  tents.          The ministry had also channeled 3,000  sarongs, 2,000 long-sleeve and long-pant  clothes, 200 mats, 4  mobile public kitchens, one truck and one mobile water tank to meet the evacuees' emergency needs.          He said that based on updated data, the number of refugees until 11 am on Monday was recorded at  between 18,834 and 20,000 from 29 villages in 17 sub districts of Tanah Karo district where Mount Sinabung is located.           Because local residents fled their homes, most of the villages on  the slopes of the mountain were almost totally deserted, but police and military personnel were mobilized in the region to maintain order and security in the deserted villages.  A total of 486  servicemen and  378 police personnel were deployed.          Refugees shelters lay  scattered in a number of places such as the city of Brastagi and Kabanjahe. Some stayed in Jamburs (village halls) which are normally  used by Karo tribal people to hold  meetings or marriage parties.          Agung Laksono asked the refugees to remain in the emergency shelters  or other safe places until the alert status of Mount Sinabung was lifted. "As long as  the alert status is still in place people are asked to remain in the evacuation centers. They are still staying in 15-17 places," he said.           According to BNPB data, up to 9 am on Monday, two victims had died. After the Vulcanological and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) raised Mt Sinabung status to alert level, the BPBD directly observed the location and coordinated the establishment of public kitchens, drinking water tanks and washing, bathing, toilet facilities at the refugee camping sites.          The 2,460-meter-high Mt Sinabung showed its first volcanic activity on Saturday, Aug 18, 2010 and spewed black smoke that completely covered its crater. It erupted at 0.15 am on Sunday, after lying dormant for 400 years. It last erupted in 1600. On Monday it erupted again, spewing white clouds of smoke and ash more than 2,000 yards (meters) into the air.***3*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/22:15/H-YH) 30-08-2010 22:24: