Merapi Eruption 2010
On October 26, 2010, Mount Merapi became highly active again. Pyroclastic flow, volcanic dust, and other materials erupted from within the earth. Kinahrejo village, the village at the foot of Mount Merapi, located approximately 5 km from the crater, was washed away by the pyroclastic flow. Due to the activity of Merapi, residents from the surrounding areas fled to refugee barracks. The three places most impacted by the activity of Merapi are in the Special District of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas, Magelang and surrounding areas, and in Klaten and surrounding areas.
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Different Types of Refugees:
- Refugees who fled because their villages were directly affected by the activity of Merapi. This type of refugee will have to live in the barracks for a longer period of time as compared with other types. This is because their homes, fields, livestock and facilities have all been destroyed.
- Refugees who fled from their villages because it is anticipated that they will be affected by Merapi’s activity. Houses, fields, cattle and other supporting facilities were still accessible at the time of exodus. Usually they stayed in school buildings, village halls, andreligious centers etc. SMP.
Early evacuation:
On Tuesday night in the sub-village of Turi in Wonokerto village, 4 relocation points were designated for the displaced: 1) Wonokerto Village Hall Complex for villagers of Tunggularum, 2) TK ABA Wonokerto for villagers of Ngelo/ Ngembesan, 3) SD Nganggrung for villagers of Gondoarum 4) SD Banyuurip I for villagers of Wara Sempu. Bedding was not available at three of the refugee barracks until the third day. Local residents, who provided food packages, met food needs. The living space does not provide for privacy, and men, women, children and elders all stay in one large space. In the evening villagers from Ngelo/ Ngembesan stopped arriving at the refugee barracks. The majority of those who arrived from Tunggularum were women, children and elderly people. Many of the men stayed in Tunggularum to care for livestock and maintain the safety of the village. In other hamlets (sub-villages), people continued conducting daily activities, albeit limited.
Condition of temporary barracks:
The condition of refugee barracks is usually disorganized on the first day, and naturally there are improvements to be made. On the second and third days, and moving forward, logistical support improves, and the needs of refugees become apparent. For example, additional support is needed for the provision of sanitary napkins and clothing for people of all ages. Infant formula is also needed because many of the mothers in refugee camps are unable to produce milk as a result of stress and trauma- it takes time for the mothers to be able to produce milk again.
Following the Eruption on Friday November 5, 2010
Almost all refugee barracks shifted further south as the danger zone became more expansive and reached a radius of 20 kilometers. Relocation of barracks presents a challenge, because the environment becomes chaotic, all facilities need to be reestablished, and services and facilities are temporarily unavailable to refugees.
Kerabat Kota Yogyakarta Response
On regular days, KKY provides health services for street children and marginalized people. However, since the disaster KKY’s efforts have been diverted to emergency response activities.
The first day Merapi erupted, the KKY evaluation team went directly to Kinahrejo, the first village subjected to pyroclastic flow. Six victims were found that night. At noon seven more victims were found. On the second day, KKY continued its activities with provision of health support, and conducted a basic assessment of both health needs and general needs in the barracks. By mobilizing doctors and several volunteers, KKY provided health care services to refugees in the areas of Jogjakarta and Central Java, including Muntilan and surrounding areas.
The strategy used by KKY is twofold:
- Establish health posts in areas untouched by health aid and locations far from health centers and public health services, namely in the Ketunggeng Village, Sub-District Dukun, District Muntilan.
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- Apply a Hit & Run Strategy: the intention is to provide health services at as many different barracks as possible by using a mobile clinic. This system enables the team to move about and reach many people in a short period of time
- Fasilitate educational workshops for children about clean living and healthy behaviors, and pair with information about the trauma healing process. An intended consequence of conducting these workshops is the transfer of information and awareness to parents, who might otherwise not attend this kind of workshop.
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- Mobilize women in the village to establish a central post to be used as a public kitchen for cooking and consumption of food supplied.
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It Is In Our Face Every Day
The broken buildings, the ragged tents, the hungry and homeless poor.
But today we remember so much more and we remember in a different way.
Instead of our private daily experiences of a disaster ravaged country and people
we remember it together
we see and speak our sadness
in order to hold each other up with arms and with hope
to not allow anyone to fall in a chain of friendship and solidarity.
And we remember deeper and wider things,
that sunrises always follow sunsets,
that tide out is always followed by tide in,
that old ones die and new ones are born,
that everything about natural life speaks to us of renewal and new birth.
We remember these things also today, and not just the sadness and we remember the wonderful solidarity the heroic example of the people and the fact that God used our weakness to do great things.
Thank you for your support and sympathy.
We will remember you as we drink from the sacred cup!
But today we remember so much more and we remember in a different way.
Instead of our private daily experiences of a disaster ravaged country and people
we remember it together
we see and speak our sadness
in order to hold each other up with arms and with hope
to not allow anyone to fall in a chain of friendship and solidarity.
And we remember deeper and wider things,
that sunrises always follow sunsets,
that tide out is always followed by tide in,
that old ones die and new ones are born,
that everything about natural life speaks to us of renewal and new birth.
We remember these things also today, and not just the sadness and we remember the wonderful solidarity the heroic example of the people and the fact that God used our weakness to do great things.
Thank you for your support and sympathy.
We will remember you as we drink from the sacred cup!
we extend our thanks to:
Also, thank you to all donors, who with sincerity, humility, and empathy supported the refugees displaced by the eruption of Mount Merapi. This support helped to alleviate refugee suffering. Special thanks to Mr. Affandi, his wife Roselina, and their children William and Karen who came from Singapore to meet and empathize with the refugees.
We were on the way home, through the wind of the night there was the faint sound of singing from refugee hearts “please come wipe my tears and make me smile… I am missing you… KKY- where are you?”
With a soft whisper there was a poem about them
“I heard a voice
screams of the wounded animal
there are people shooting at the moon
there is a small bird
that had fallen from its nest
The people must be woken
testimony must be given
for life can be maintained"
screams of the wounded animal
there are people shooting at the moon
there is a small bird
that had fallen from its nest
The people must be woken
testimony must be given
for life can be maintained"
