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Notes from the Field
emergency
Tuesday October 6, 2009
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 2:41PM EST on October 6, 2009
by Seki Hirano, CARE shelter advisor Disaster Strikes Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands
A series of natural disasters – including two typhoons, four earthquakes and a tsunami – recently hit Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. These disasters have devastated communities, killed and injured thousands of people and left millions homeless millions due to flooding and destruction. CARE is on the ground in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia, assessing survivors' immediate needs and providing lifesaving aid, including clean water, food and temporary shelter. An estimated $15 million will be needed to provide humanitarian assistance in these hard-hit areas. On September 30, Indra, a 20-year-old student in Padang, West Sumatra, received a desperate phone call from his mother. The island has just been struck with a massive earthquake. Indra left Padang and rushed back to his home in the remote village of Pulo Air. Fortunately, he arrived to find his mother safe. However, he found that half his village, along with two neighboring villages, had completely disappeared under a four-hectare-wide landslide. The edge of the slide had stopped just four metres from his house. On Sunday, October 4, CARE's emergency response team reached the remains of what used to be the village of Pulo Air, in the earthquake-devastated Pariaman District of West Sumatra. The village had not yet been reached by emergency aid. As CARE's team approached the village, the narrow rural path filled with crowds of weeping people fleeing on foot, in cars and on motorbikes. The team had to dismount their motorbikes and walk the remaining kilometer into the village. There, I met Indra and spoke to him outside his home. It started to rain heavily and we crouched the palm thatch eaves to talk. Indra would not look at me. He just looked straight forward and replied. "Just gone," he said. "I cannot believe this. There used to be my school, now you cannot even see a single desk. My friends I grew up with are gone. This village use to be on one level and now there is this 30 foot drop." Idra said his mother was still completely traumatized. After hearing the deafening thundering of the landslide, she had run outside only to hear sharp screams of "Help! Help!" She was powerless. She could not do anything. Other surviving villagers arrived moments later but were equally helpless. Local officials estimate 140 people died in the destruction of three villages. There were only 5 survivors, who are currently in hospital. Indra's mother is one of them. Indra looked on with a bewildered gaze. A medical mask hung from his chin. "I am confused. I hear rumors that we will be relocated as the land now in this area is unsafe. My paddy fields are gone and my house is damaged beyond repair." I asked what the survivors need the most. Indra replied, "Food, water, clothes, blankets and housing." In other words, most everything that can be replaced.
The remains of Indra’s house in the remote village of Pulo Air,
 Rescue teams begin to clear the landslide that engulfed the  Rescue teams survey the landslide that engulfed the village of Pulo Air and
Posted by: CARE at 2:26PM EST on October 6, 2009
by Adjie Fachrurrazi, CARE emergency coordinator in Indonesia It has been raining non-stop for the past six hours. Heavy, heavy rain. People are traumatized. They are asking for help. Everyone is suffering. People say to me, "Don't count the number of destroyed houses. Count the number of houses still standing. It will be faster." In most villages I have seen, only 15 percent of houses are still standing. Some houses are totally flattened. The roof is flat on the ground. People lost everything. Their houses are destroyed, everything in them is destroyed. And everyone is afraid so those with houses will not go inside. There have been aftershocks over the past few days but today was mostly quiet. Everyone is afraid of another earthquake. Disaster Strikes Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands
A series of natural disasters – including two typhoons, four earthquakes and a tsunami – recently hit Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. These disasters have devastated communities, killed and injured thousands of people and left millions homeless millions due to flooding and destruction. CARE is on the ground in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia, assessing survivors' immediate needs and providing lifesaving aid, including clean water, food and temporary shelter. An estimated $15 million will be needed to provide humanitarian assistance in these hard-hit areas. So people are sleeping outside, living outside. We are all wet. They have no shelter. Some people are sleeping under broken pieces of roof. Shelter is the main issue. People also need mosquito nets. They are sleeping outside, and with all this rain, there will be mosquitoes and malaria. Children are already starting to get sick. They need blankets, mosquito nets and plastic sheeting for shelter. *** People are drinking coconut juice, or river water. People in these village used to get their water from springs, but the pipes are broken. In Padang city, the municipal water is not running yet. The water from the river is not clean, and people don't have stoves to boil water. They need clean drinking water or there is going to be a rise in waterborne illness. We have supplies to help 5,000 people to start, but we need funds to help more. *** There are many injured people and people still buried under buildings. It is very hard to reach the affected areas. Landslides have blocked roads and there is debris everywhere. Our team went out by motorbike today. We have 20 people on the emergency team, including staff from our local partner. This damage looks worse than the Yogyakarta quake in 2006. It has been five days now. It's not clear how many people are affected yet. We don't have all the information from the rural areas. There are many dead bodies. And the smell is coming. Friday October 2, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 3:30PM EST on October 2, 2009
by Celso Dulce Celso Dulce is CARE's Project Representative in the Philippines, and he is leading CARE's emergency response to Typhoon Ketsana in Manila. Celso is from Manila. It started to rain a few hours ago, and it's dark. Today we were supporting the government order to evacuate people from high-risk areas as a precautionary measure. I just returned from securing the warehouses for relief distribution, because the goods might be damaged. Another storm is coming. We don't know how bad, but the rain is getting harder. Some areas are still flooded. In some areas, we don't know why, the water started to rise again yesterday. Some areas are still hard to reach. With the oncoming typhoon, definitely we will see the floodwaters rising again. So people who returned to their homes, but they will have to go back to the evacuation centers or whatever safe place they have identified. This is very difficult, because people were just starting to clean their houses and now they have to leave again. Almost 300 people are dead. This is my city. I have never seen it like this. They call the new storm a 'super-typhoon', and people are becoming panicked. Just this afternoon, we received an SMS saying that the super-typhoon will hit by 9 p.m. tonight. Then we received another SMS saying it will hit Manila by 5 p.m. It creates a lot of fear and panic. We need to teach people what to do to prepare for the coming super-typhoon. They need to move to a safer ground. They shouldn't wait for the strong winds and floods, that will be too late. They have to follow government warnings. Survival steps, prepare water, prepare food that will cover for one or two days. The electricity company has already said there will be cut off in electricity. There is a high level of awareness, and the government units are doing their best to prepare. I hope there are no deaths this time. The biggest need right now is for food, safe water and emergency shelter, especially since it's raining again. People had been sent back home, because the schools were being used as shelters. Children have to go back to school. Classes had been cancelled for a week already. But now we will need emergency shelter again, mainly tarpaulins. Families have yet to rebuild their homes. Two days ago I visited one area. One family had a shelter barely larger than two metres by two metres made of salvaged material. As many as 10-14 people lived in this. They have to take turns sleeping, some during the night, some during the day. And then they were hit by the typhoon. For me, it was so depressing, because even before the disaster they were living in such a horrible condition, and the floods made it worse. The urban poor eat only twice a day, and have very poor quality food, maybe just plain rice and soy sauce. At times, they scavenge food from the garbage, but they can't now, because everything is contaminated by the flood. CARE is distributing drinking water and food that will last them for a week. We are also distributing emergency supplies like blankets, jerry cans to store water and plastic tarpaulins. One man said, we need assistance, my wife is sick. She was doing the cleaning after the floods, because a lot of mud and debris were in the households. It is the responsibility of the women to take care of the children and clean the house. They have to get food and take care of the children, and the children are getting sick. The requests for medical assistance is increasing. It has been a long week. I think of those families tonight. I watch the news and the path of the new typhoon. The rain is getting harder.
Posted by: CARE at 3:21PM EST on October 2, 2009
Oct. 1, 2009 Thursday July 9, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 5:09PM EST on July 9, 2009
by Rick Perera, Media & Communications Officer Farewell, Pakistan. My month among these kind, hospitable people is coming to an end. As I leave this country that is struggling with a massive wave of civilians fleeing conflict, my mind is full of thoughts, and my heart full of emotions. I've seen the sacrifice of ordinary Pakistanis doing their best to help their suffering compatriots. Their generosity is an inspiration, but also a challenge, to the rest of the world. ... (more) Monday June 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:34PM EST on June 29, 2009
by Rick Perera, Media
& Communications Officer Just 12 years old, he carries the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders. The eldest of five children of a widowed mother, Sajjad Ahmad feels responsible for his family. It’s not easy being the man of the house at such a young age. 
... (more)
Thursday June 11, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:06PM EST on June 11, 2009
Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: ISLAMABAD – It’s become depressingly familiar: a tragic attack on civilians. Tuesday’s hotel bombing in Peshawar is just the latest in a string of events marring this beautiful country. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 11:36AM EST on June 11, 2009
Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: Friday June 5, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 10:48AM EST on June 5, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 28, 2009: It is about noon up here in the northwestern province, or maybe a little later. In one of the camps for displaced people we meet a teacher, who is now volunteering to help his fellow countrymen. He tells us his story: "When all of the refugees arrived, I did not hesitate. I contacted the government to register as a volunteer. 'What can I do,' I asked them. 'How can I help?'" ... (more)Thursday June 4, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg While travelling to places like Pakistan, I naturally meet many different people. All of them have their own story and background, their traditions, cultures and personal experiences. Talking to the displaced people in Pakistan, I realized right away how different their path of life is compared to my own. Living in Buner, Kohistan, Dir and the village of Swat bears no resemblance at all to lifestyles in so many western countries. The gap could not be much bigger. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Today I visited a place close to Mardan, where tens of thousands took refuge from the ongoing fighting in Dir, Buner and the village of Swat. Their overall situation is horrible. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:24PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Friday May 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 7:19AM EST on May 29, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 22, 2009
It’s been two and a half years since I last visited Pakistan. At that time, I was in the valley of Allai, in the north western part of the country. In October 2005, a massive earthquake struck the province. I visited the region twice: right after the disaster and a year later. CARE was able to help, in great part due to donations. Together, with the affected population, we built new schools – ones that many girls attend for the first time. This continues to be a big step, because girls’ education is not a given in this part of the world. In cooperation with Pakistani engineers, CARE offered trainings for housing construction so that buildings would be more stable and, hopefully, not collapse when another earthquake hits the region. With CARE’s support, Pakistani experts also built ditches in order to support agricultural activities. ... (more) Thursday January 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 2:21PM EST on January 29, 2009
Saturday was the first day of school for my children. My 12-year-old son Yazan is in the 6th grade. He went to school and realized he had lost six schoolmates. One of the boys used to sit at the desk behind Yazan, so every time he turns and looks behind him, the boy he used to talk to, to laugh with, is not there anymore.
... (more) Thursday January 22, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:24PM EST on January 22, 2009
GAZA (Jan. 19, 2009) -- The first thing I noticed was the quiet. For the first time in three weeks, there were no bombs, no screams. Ceasefire.
... (more) Wednesday January 14, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 4:20PM EST on January 14, 2009
After surviving the neighborhood’s fiercest bombardment to date, CARE local staffer and primary blogger in Gaza, Jawad Harb, sounded much better this morning. Following last night’s air strikes, the UN established a temporary camp a few hundred meters from his neighborhood, where residents can run during an air strike. Jawad and his family, including his six children and paralyzed 86-year-old grandfather, had been unable to find space in overflowing UN shelters, which received some 7,000 new displaced people last night alone. ... (more) Tuesday January 13, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 7:09PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 13, 2009, 6:15 p.m) - The leaflets came yesterday, telling us our neighbourhood would be attacked. The whole population of the area is terrified. We have nowhere to go. My neighbour checked at the UNRWA shelter, but it was full. Overflowing. There is nowhere to go. We waited to be bombed.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 7:06PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 11, 2009) - My son's school was destroyed today in an air strike. Ziad is just six years old – he started going to school in September. He loves it, especially the physical education class, and art class, where he loves drawing.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 7:06PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 9, 2009) - This is the 14th day of the attack. It is 4 a.m. My six children are so worried, restless and unable to close their eyes. With each air strike, the house shakes right and left, and the children grab one another like cold rabbits seeking warmth. We feel helpless and victimized. There is nothing worse than being unable to protect your children.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 7:03PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 8, 2009) - It's now 6:00 pm, and the streets and neighbourhoods are totally empty of any creature. My neighbourhood has been reduced to rows of abandoned homes with open windows – some windows have been removed, to avoid flying glass if they shatter during a bombing. During the day, there were many air raids that destroyed several homes. Shrapnel fell very close to our home.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 5:44PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 6, 2009) - Today I had no other choice but to knock down a door in our apartment, to break it up and use it to make a fire and cook. I've knocked down three so far.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 5:39PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 8, 2009, 4: 45 a.m.) - This is the 13th day of the attack. It is really more horrible than we could ever describe. We feel like the sky is going to attack us. There is nothing worse than being tired, needing to sleep so badly, but being unable to sleep. We feel if we close our eyes for a moment, we will die.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 5:18PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 7, 2009, 4:30 p.m.) - My children are all sleeping. They went to sleep three hours ago, when the bombs stopped for the ceasefire. For three hours, it was totally silent. No bombs. They look so peaceful. Last night, none of us slept at all. The bombs were falling every five minutes. It was a terrible night. You can't sleep with the war going on.
Posted by: CARE at 5:09PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 6, 2009) - My child just started crying – she just heard on the news that Israel will start bombing our neighbourhood because there are allegedly insurgents living here. She has been having nightmares that our house will be totally destroyed, and that our family will die under it. She has seen the photos of other destroyed homes on TV. She said to me: "Dad, if they bomb us, where are we going to go? What do we do? All the houses are targeted. We can't even run." ... (more)Wednesday December 31, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:49PM EST on December 31, 2008
While the Gaza strip is currently facing some of the toughest challenges in the Palestinian territories, I’m writing my own very personal story. But it is also the story of 1.6 million Palestinians living in Gaza.
The 28th of December, 2008, was a day to remember. It was 4:30 p.m. I was sitting with my six kids at my house which is 500 metres away from the Egyptian border. The darkness was surrounding us like a monster, and a few candles were lighting our path to the kitchen and bathroom. It was a moonless night, full of unpredictable, unknown fear. I was telling my kids stories to distract them, when suddenly it was like an earthquake - six consecutive air strikes shook the house up and down. The house was like a piece of paper swinging in the air. The kids were screaming, running in all directions, seeking to escape the chaos of the airstrikes. It was uncontrollable panic every where. ... (more) |
