Dateline ACT

 South & south east Asia/Indonesia 05/05

A future for the people of Suak Nie after the horror of the tsunami

By Gesine Wolfinger, Diakonie Emergency Aid/ACT International

Meulaboh, Indonesia, March 6, 2005—Muhamad Nurdin is very busy these days. The 53-year-old man is the leader of Suak Nie, a small village close to Meulaboh on Indonesia's west coast. Before the tsunami of December 26 last year, Suak Nie was home to 47 families. Now, only 25 are left. The village was nearly completely destroyed by the waves – the land itself spoiled by the salt water. Survivors of the disaster now live in a camp three kilometres away from their former homes.

The camp with its green military tents looks empty, as many of the people living here are participating in a cash-for-work programme set up by the Indonesian Government to repair the damaged road between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. They receive 35.000 Rupiahs a day (four US dollars) and for many of them, this is their only source of income. Muhamad Nurdin however is dealing with plans for the future—his community has already bought new land where they will be planting fruit and vegetables again. A new Suak Nie will be established. But until this happens, Muhamad Nurdin still has to discuss many things with the authorities.

"It is time to look into the future," says Muhamad Nurdin. This comes from a man who lost nearly his whole family. Only two of his five children survived the horror of that fateful day. His wife also died in the resulting flood. "We were looking at the damage caused by the earthquake on December, 26^th", he recalls. "Suddenly, the sea went back from the coast round about 200 metres. And than a huge wave came, as big as a mountain."

Muhamad Nurdin and some of his neighbours managed to save their lives by running away. He did not know what had happened to his family. "First of all I thought they were all dead. I thought it was Judgement Day. I started to pray and then I heard my daughter calling me." Eleven year old Nurlisma survived by clinging to a tree.

The story of the community leader is not unique. Many families who now live in the camp are mourning the loss of friends and relatives. Forty-year-old Airda Mardia lost her youngest daughter. Her three other children and her husband were saved. Her brother Arman found his wife and his five-year-old son 20 days after the tsunami under the rubble of their house—a sight he will never forget. "

After we fled from the tsunami we lived three days on the road with nothing to eat," recalls Airda Mardia. "Only on the fourth day help came." The tsunami destroyed the main road between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. It is now covered with rubble and the sea has flooded some parts. The first days after the tsunami, access to people who had survived was very difficult. Now, most areas can be reached, with a few areas still only accessible by helicopter or boat.

Church World Service (Indonesia), a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, is assisting the people of Suak Nie by providing drinking water, which is stored in a tank provided by the agency. The water is replenished daily. Latrines and places to wash have also improved general hygiene. Along with another member of ACT International, Norwegian Church Aid, CWS/ACT is managing two water purification units in Meulaboh and providing water to nine different camps and villages.

CWS/ACT is also exploring the possibility of supporting the people of Suak Nie by assisting them in rebuilding their village. This kind of assistance is welcomed by Muhamad Nurdin, although not all the villagers are quite ready to start rebuilding their lives. Many people are still severely traumatised and in need of support to cope with their nightmares—support already offered by CWS/ACT at different locations.

(Other ACT members implementing programs in the aftermath of the tsunami are Yayasan Tanggul Benkana (YTB) and CD Bethesda/YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU).

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