SUMATRA FLOODS: “BU SEDEKAH, BU” - A SIMPLE PLEA FROM THE HARD-HIT

From Hasnah Jusid

ACEH, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- “Bu sedekah, bu,” which loosely translates to “Madam, please give alms,” has become an almost mandatory greeting for every visitor to Kampung Geudumbak, in Mukim Langkahan, Aceh Utara - one of the areas worst hit by the massive floods which struck in late November.

From young children to adults, they never tire of repeating the same plea, standing patiently along both sides of the village road, with hopeful eyes fixed on every unfamiliar vehicle which enters the area, in the hope of receiving assistance.

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Although located only about 70 kilometres from the writer’s accommodation in Lhokseumawe, Aceh’s second-largest city, the journey to the village is far from easy, taking nearly three and a half hours to complete.

The route to the village is not only unpaved and narrow, but also marked by severely damaged and muddy stretches, making access difficult and slowing the movement of vehicles.

White flags - a symbol of an urgent appeal for assistance - were seen hanging from most of the houses which remained standing, as well as from makeshift, dilapidated tents, erected by residents along the roadside.

Upon arriving at the disaster operations post, located beside the river, the scene which unfolded left the writer stunned - a vast expanse of logs lay strewn along the riverbank after being washed ashore.

The devastation had erased the area’s original landscape; the river itself seemed to have vanished, replaced by a ‘land of timber’ stretching as far as the eye could see.

“Ada bawa telekung, bu?” (Did you bring a telekung (Muslim woman's prayer attire), madam?), asked two women in their 30s the moment the writer stepped into the disaster operations centre - a simple question which reflected needs far greater than monetary aid.

Others, too, voiced simple yet pressing requests, asking for basic medicines to relieve headaches and toothaches.

Basic necessities, such as medicines, food, clothing, telekung, sanitary napkins, mosquito nets and temporary shelters are urgently needed, even as assistance from non-governmental organisations and the government has begun to arrive in the area.

Electric poles have begun to be repaired, while communal kitchens, set up by non-governmental organisations and private companies, have started operating to provide food for flood victims.

During the two days the writer was there, she witnessed residents willing to wade barefoot through thick mud to reach the disaster operations centre in search of aid - some with injured feet, others needing assistance to make the journey.

Kampung Geudumbak village head, M. Daud Husin, said that about 1,000 residents, from 450 families, live in the area, adding that more than 150 hectares of villagers’ gardens in the upper part of the village were destroyed, causing them to lose their sources of income overnight.

“Almost 90 per cent of the houses in this village were also destroyed,” he said, adding that residents are now in urgent need of basic assistance, such as temporary shelter tents and toilets.

According to the latest data from Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), a total of 1,090 people were reported killed in the disaster which struck three regions - Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra - on Nov 26, while nearly 200 others are still reported missing.

Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Mission to Sumatra, organised by Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE), in collaboration with Econsave Cash & Carry Sdn Bhd (Econsave), is being carried out from Dec 18 to 23, to assist residents affected by the disaster.

-- BERNAMA