[list_indonesia] [ppiindia] Earthquake victims are forced to wait as politicians put photo opportunities first

** Mailing-List Indonesia Nasional Milis PPI-India www.ppi-india.da.ru **

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=625289

Earthquake victims are forced to wait as politicians put photo opportunities 
first
By Justin Huggler in Medan, Sumatra
01 April 2005 


As soon as the injured began to emerge from the helicopter, Joe Turner and his 
team went into action, providing first aid, assessing injuries, and dressing 
wounds. The American medics flew for 40 hours to Sumatra from the US to help 
the survivors of the earthquake that devastated the Indonesian island of Nias 
on Monday night. But for Mr Turner and his colleagues, the frustration was that 
they expected to be doing this work on Nias.


Their first chance to help came when a helicopter full of wounded happened to 
land at the military airfield in Medan, about 200 miles from Nias, where Mr 
Turner and his team have spent the past two days pleading with the Indonesian 
authorities to let them go to Nias. But the medics have been refused, with 
places on the limited number of helicopters flying to the island reserved for a 
host of low-ranking Indonesian officials and politicians eager to parade before 
the cameras as they visit the devastation.


"It's frustrating for those of us who feel we can help," said Mr Turner. "We're 
hearing the whole island needs medical help. I've got a team that's ready to 
go. We've got our own food and water, our own satellite phone. I've got a team 
that's tough." The Indonesian government admitted that its relief effort for 
Nias has been too slow. During his own walkabout amid the destruction on Nias 
yesterday, the Social Affairs minister, Bachtiar Chamsyah, was confronted by 
hungry earthquake survivors, furious at the government's failure to get food 
and water to the island.


"The problem is distribution," Mr Chamsyah later said. "We admit the 
distribution has been slow. We can understand that people are dissatisfied, but 
thanks be to God the situation is getting better." Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, 
the President, also visited the island's main town of Gunung Sitoli. He and his 
wife were confronted by two small girls weeping uncontrollably. One said she 
had lost her brother and sister and the other said her father was buried under 
rubble.

Three Britons were among 11 foreigners missing for three days who were found 
alive on the island, a renowned surfers' resort. "They're well, considering the 
circumstances," said Christian Karlsson, for the Swedish embassy - two Swedes 
were among those found. "They've been sleeping outside ... They've boiled water 
and food. I'm not sure what they've eaten." The British embassy in Jakarta, 
Indonesia's capital, said some Britons were still unaccounted for. "We're not 
aware of any British casualties but we're still checking," said Faye Belnis at 
the embassy.


"There's very little water and people are panicking. They're hungry, there's no 
food," said Jude Barrand of the relief agency SurfAid International. One of the 
most serious problems for the injured who arrived in Medan by helicopter 
yesterday was dehydration. The weather is hot and extremely humid in this 
equatorial region, but there is almost no clean drinking water to be had on the 
island.


When one woman was pulled alive from the rubble by French firemen, her first 
words were "Hot! Hot!" Then she said: "My daughter and my sister are dead." 
Others pulled alive from ruins include a 13-year-old girl and an 11-year-old 
boy. "He was dehydrated, he was nervous, but also excited," said Olaf 
Lingjarde, the Norwegian fireman who found the boy.
Many others are feared to be still in the rubble, but with the hot conditions 
here, there is little hope many of those who still missing will survive. "We're 
almost out of the search-and-rescue phase now," said the medic Mr Turner. 
"We're getting into search-and-retrieve."


The Indonesian government lowered its estimate of the death toll to between 400 
and 500. Earlier it had predicted a final tally of more than 1,000. But at the 
same time the United Nations raised its confirmed death toll to 624.
A series of aftershocks has hit the area, unnerving traumatised survivors. Many 
are refusing to sleep indoors for fear their houses may collapse, and have 
spent nights under tarpaulins, despite heavy rain.

An Australian surfer who was sailing near the epicentre of the earthquake gave 
the first description of what it was like. Marcus Keeshan said it sent shudders 
through his boat, then made the ocean swirl around him. "The water started 
rushing ... with incredible force. The boat was dragging anchor," he told 
Australian radio.  1 April 2005 02:25
  

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