In Focus

Tsunamis struck Mentawai Islands of West Sumatra following the 7.7 R.S. earthquake on October 25, 2010.  It has claimed over 500 lives and displaced thousands of families both in Pagai Selatan and Pagai Utara Islands. Emergency phase begun on October 26 and continued for 28 days. The government, private sectors, and civil society have been working hand in hand conducting relief efforts while facing inclement weather and a lack of infrastructures and transportations.

A lot of places on Pagai Utara Island do not have proper infrastructure such as road. Usually CWS staffers with other NGOs staffers and the local have to cover the muddy road a lot of leaves and logs to be able to get through. Sometimes they have to carry their motorcycle with their hands.
(Andreas Sinaga)

Church World Service Indonesia, Yayasan Tanggul Bencana Indonesia, and Yakkum Emergency Unit as ACT Indonesia Forum members have deployed their staff in Mentawai Islands responding in seven villages in three districts of Mentawai Islands. Each organization brought their expertise and resources on to the ground to help the survivors. Church World Service distributed non-food items including CWS emergency shelters, CWS blankets and CWS cooking & eating utensils. CWS has been distributing clean water to 627 displaced families. In several different hamlets, YTBI also distributed food items including baby food, YTBI hygiene kits, blankets, and tarpaulins. YEU provided medical assistance through its mobile clinic as well as psychosocial assistance and hygiene kits distribution.
ACT Indonesia Forum Members plan to have joint program in Saumangyak Village as the most remote and most in need area following the tsunami on October 25, 2010.
(Courtesy of UN OCHA)

With so many affected remote areas scattered over Mentawai Islands, a lack of infrastructures, transportations, and weather were all obstacles to the response. The local government's lack of disaster response capability also poses a challenge. “Collaboration with different organizations working in the area becomes necessary to overcome these challenges in Mentawai,” stated Dino Satria, CWS Emergency Response Coordinator. “ACT Indonesia Forum members have been maintaining good coordination on the ground since the beginning of Mentawai response,” Dino reported. CWS, YEU and YTBI have been sharing resources to undertake joint assessment and to deliver assistance to the people in need . 

On January 21, CWS, YTBI and YEU staffers got together to develop a plan for joint program in Mentawai Islands. The three forum members worked to identify their respective strengths and resources and to distribute the challenges and opportunities the region facing. The program will be piloted in eleven hamlets of Saumangyak Village in Pagai Utara Island. The program includes provision of transitional shelters, water and sanitation facilities, psychosocial support, livelihood recovery and community based disaster risk management.  By working together, it is expected that the three ACT Indonesia Forum members can tackle the obstacles. It is also expected that the joint program will have more significant and sustainable impacts and the humanitarian crisis in Mentawai Islands can be responded more effectively.