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Notes from the Field
“God, I will never forget the sound”
By Wiwik Widyastuti Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra Zaimarti is sitting on the corner of a wooden bench in front of what used to be her home, finishing her lunch – instant noodles with some rice. It’s the same menu she’s had for the past five days, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 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.
(Padang, October 6, 2009 - Zamiarti with her two children, 14-year old Fernando, and 6-year old Uci, in front of the ruins of their home. Photo by CARE/Wiwik Widyastuti )
The 42-year-old recalls the day of the quake with horror. “We were in the kitchen and we heard a loud cracking sound. Suddenly, the earth was shaking. I called my children in panic, telling them to go outside. And the sound, God, I will never forget the sound of my floor cracking. After that, water come up from underneath.”
(Grandmothe
Zaimarti lives with her two children, 14-year old Fernando, and 6-year old Uci, in a modest brick home. Her husband, Chairul Anwar, works as a part-time driver in the city of Padang. With their house located not far from the shores of the Indian Ocean, Marni really fears a tsunami.
(Fernando, 14 years old, Gasan Gadang village, Padang Pariaman. He cannot go to school because his school was destroyed. Photo: CARE/Wiwik Widyastuti)
“Without thinking, we ran to the hill, fearing a tsunami would come and wash all of us away, just like it did in Aceh,” says Marni, Zaimarti’s 60-year-old mother who lives next door.
Zaimarti and her family, along with many neighbours, spent the night in the open air on the hill. When morning arrived, they returned from the hill to their damaged homes.
“It was a horrifying scene, seeing our house destroyed. We even had not yet finished building it, and now it is gone,” says Zaimarti, holding Uci in her arms. Her mother’s house is also destroyed so the big family has no other place to stay. “We do not know what will happen next. My children cannot go to school because the schools are also damaged.”
The earthquake also damaged their well, so there is little access to clean water. “After the earthquake, the well is just empty. All the water is gone – all that is left is sand,” she says. “Not only the well. Our kitchen and bathroom are also destroyed. We take debris from the house and use it for fire wood to cook.”
(Padang, October 6, 2009 - Zamiarti uses debris from her destroyed house as firewood to cook. Photo by CARE/Wiwik Widyastuti)
Zaimarti, her mother and children are now living in tents in front of their house. They are afraid to stay in the ruins of their home, as the building could collapse with only a small shake. Almost all of their belongings are gone. Little could be saved.
“I can not imagine how we can rebuild our house, says Zamiarti. “We barely have money to buy food, let alone rebuild the house. I hope someone will help us.”
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