Clean water, tents most needed in Aceh

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) announced Saturday that displaced Acehnese in Pidie Jaya and Bireun regencies were in dire need of clean water and family-sized tents following a strong earthquake in the province.

“After the earthquake the groundwater wells went dry; the water became shallow and black. Therefore clean water is the most needed now,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, BNPB’s spokesperson said in a press conference as quoted by Antara news agency.

As of Saturday at 10 a.m., the BNPB recorded 45,239 displaced people in Aceh. Most of them, 43,613, are in Pidie Jaya regency and 1,716 are in Bireun regency.

Sutopo said that besides the dry wells, a power shortage has also prevented some water pumps from working properly. The government, he said, had sent water in trucks, built emergency water posts and continued repairing the electricity infrastructure.

The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry has sent four water trucks containing 6,000 liters of water, built 70 water posts and installed 80 portable toilets. Five water trucks, each carrying 4,000 liters of clean water, are on their way to the shelters.

The BNPB suggested volunteers make sure the equipment used to feel babies is hygenic because many babies get diarrhea after consuming formula from unhygienic bottles.

The agency also called for more family-sized tents because many displaced residents do not want to spend much time at shelters and would rather set up tents in front of their own homes.

“They are afraid to take shelter in buildings. So they prefer to go home and set up tents in their front yards to keep watch on their belongings. Although their houses are damaged they would feel more comfortable in their front yards,” Sutopo said.

Since a strong earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hit the area on Wednesday, residents have experienced 66 aftershocks.