Anatomy of a Disaster: Indonesia

I could not even comprehend how bad it would feel it to actually be in the midst of a disaster like that which has recently occurred in Yogyakarta. Mixed emotions I suppose would be ploughing through my body and thoughts.

I can remember driving down from Semarang in the north of Central Java to Yogyakarta in 1994 almost directly after Gunung Merapi erupted. The scale of the devastation then is by no means as dire as it is now. Although the foreign aid is rolling in now, it has come too late. Such seems to be the norm in most disasters, not only in Indonesia, but the rest of the world.

Robin Lim wrote an excellent article about disasters and their affects entitled 'Anatomy of a Disaster'.

The anatomy of disaster trauma
Robin Lim, Contributor, Ubud, Bali

We in Bali have survived bombings. We have seen the heartbreaking images of the disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh. We feel the trembling of the earth as Mt. Merapi rumbles. We are not strangers to disaster both man made and natural. These events cause trauma.

I would like here to outline the anatomy and phases of disaster recovery, for all of our understanding. Particularly because so many people in Bali have been affected either as victims, relief workers in the field, or in supporting areas such as donors or ground teams in Bali taking care of victims in any number of ways.

When disaster strikes the first phase is the "Heroic" phase. This occurs at the time of impact and in the period immediately after. Some of you for example were available to help people injured by the bombs. Teams from Bali went out to Aceh with medicine, food and essentials for survival. This kind of heroic action does save lives. Altruism and very positive energy is at its best.

Next comes the "Honeymoon" phase which can last from a week to six months or more after the disaster. The survivors, the helpers and even the donors and sponsors share a sense of having made it through a dangerous event.

Solidarity is forged and community resources abound across miles and cultures.

Next comes the unavoidable "Disillusionment" phase. This stage will generally last from two months to one to two years. Feelings of disappointment run strong. Anger, resentment, even bitterness, come up for survivors, donors and field helpers. The disaster is no longer in the media. Outside aid agencies may pull out taking with them hope and leaving behind a sense of abandonment. The tight community feelings forged in the Honeymoon phase begin to unravel.

Without a doubt where the earthquake and tsunami of December 26 2004 is concerned we have hit the Disillusionment phase. Oxfam recently announced it was temporarily pulling out of Aceh. Thank heavens they have committed to continuing to provide drinking water for the Samatiga district where we of Yayasan Bumi Sehat operate a relief clinic.

For everyone concerned with the tsunami recovery the Disillusionment phase is difficult. We at Bumi Sehat worry about patients in Aceh who are not improving. While some survivors are getting houses most of the approximately 10,000 people in our area are still housed in rotting tents and sagging barracks buildings. Water, adequate food and sanitation are still issues that endanger health.

Please don't get me wrong, there is progress. So much energy has been spent on the recovery by non-governmental organizations from all corners of the globe. The efforts are heroic and the job so vast that we must accept a recovery pace of two steps forward and one back.

At this point it is more difficult to be out in Aceh than it was in the raw early days following the tsunami. I find our rolling team of field workers as well as our support team in the office in Bali are deeply tired. The donors are exhausted as well and it takes more courage day by day to keep up the good service.

To put it bluntly, it is just not exciting to be out there. Its hard work. Women are still integrating the trauma of having their children torn from their arms. Day and night men come into the clinic with trauma-related health concerns. We can do so little to heal their loneliness. We cant provide them with homes. We can help treat their medical problems and give some comfort but it is humbling and exhausting work.

Often our donors and our field workers are asked by their friends and family, "Why are you still involved with the tsunami, it’s over, everything is fine."And honestly, most are too tired to explain that it is not over". The good news is that the Reconstruction phase can now unfold. Many of the victims are realizing that they can take a more powerful and active role in their own recovery. The communities are beginning to forge relationships with the remaining NGOs to rebuild homes and lives. The victims are beginning to believe in themselves. Children are being born. Marriages are happening. With the appearance of each new well or building hope is coming alive. This long-term recovery is an inspiration to be a part of.

Yayasan Bumi Sehat is a small Indonesian non-profit organization based in Bali. Since February 2005 we have operated a Tsunami Relief Clinic in the Samatiga district very close to the epicenter of the earthquake that caused the tsunami. There is malaria in our area. Last week our team experienced another earthquake and this one bigger than the usual tremors.

Fresh food is often difficult to find and expensive. The tsunami survivors are very malnourished, surviving on relief food. The road between our clinic and the closest hospital is sometimes impassable and the trip takes between one and two hours. There is no electricity. We are aware of the disillusionment and because the need is still so acute, we have committed to remaining in Aceh and running the busy Bumi Sehat Clinic. It is our gift from Bali to Aceh.

In September I must travel to Italy to accept the Alexander Langer International Peace Award. I do this on behalf of all of our team and supporters. Special thanks to Daniel Bruce for offering Yayasan Bumi Sehat staff knowledge and tools for coping with trauma. Great thanks must also go to the Dancing Donors, ASH Charities, Sakthi Foundation, John Fawcette Foundation, Zimmerman Foundation, Ethos, Rotary South East Asia Fund, Rotary Bromsgrove, Rotary Seminyak, Rotary Punta Gorda, Florida, Mercy Relief of Singapore, Rotary NYC, and Rotary Ubud, plus all the individuals and families who have so generously kept this grass roots project alive and continue to do so through all the phases of disaster recovery. It takes courage to sustain belief in the healing of Aceh, when all the world seems to have forgotten. Well done.

Robin Lim CPM (Certified Professional Midwife with the North American Registry of Midwives and Ikatan Bidan Indonesia) is a volunteer field midwife for Yayasan Bumi Sehat Tsunami Relief Clinic in Samatiga, Aceh Barat. She is the author of After the Babys Birth and Eating for two: Recipes for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women both published by Celestial Arts/10 Speed Press, Berkeley CA.