Aceh residents still haunted by aftershocks<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Siti Rohana, a woman in her 40s, chops up vegetables in a
\nmakeshift kitchen in the corner of her garage while her daughters
\nprepare other dishes for the evening meal.<\/p>\n
Siti's sister, Narli, lays out mattresses and cushions on the
\ngarage floor as it's already getting dark. Siti's car is parked
\noutside so that the family has more space for their beds.<\/p>\n
After the quake-triggered tsunamis, many Acehnese families now
\nprefer to sleep outdoors at night. Those who sleep inside
\nusually do so with the door open.<\/p>\n
Those with more money have headed to hotels in Medan, or their
\nrelatives' houses outside of Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know how long we will have to stay in the garage for.
\nProbably until the aftershocks stop completely,\" said Siti, a
\nBahasa Indonesia teacher at a junior high school in Aceh Besar
\nregency.<\/p>\n
Her house in Ketapang area, Aceh Besar was not affected by the
\ntsunamis since it is located some 10 kilometers from Banda Aceh
\nbeach. Still, the powerful earthquake caused residents to flee.<\/p>\n
Narli's house is still knee-high deep with water. Her house is
\nlocated in Geuceu area, some five kilometers from the beach.<\/p>\n
\"Fear of the tsunamis and aftershocks made all of my neighbors
\ngo to Medan, Jakarta and to other safe places. I chose to stay
\nhere because I don't want to be alone in my neighborhood,\" Narli
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Narli has been staying at her sister's house for a week now,
\nalong with her husband and son Ade, 19. She was actually offered
\na place to stay in Jakarta by another family member but decided
\nto remain in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"I can easily go to Jakarta by flying in an Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) Hercules airplane, but, how do we get back?\" said
\nNarli.<\/p>\n
Since the Dec. 26 catastrophe, all 11 family members of
\nMuslihadi, a resident of Darussalam subdistrict in Banda Aceh,
\nhave been sleeping in the living room.<\/p>\n
\"We sleep with the front door open. It's a preventive measure
\nthat could prevent fatalities,\" said Muslihadi, a student at Syah
\nKuala University.<\/p>\n
He recalled that a few days ago, a powerful aftershock rocked
\nthe city, but the family could easily escape from the house as
\nthe door was open.<\/p>\n
As many Acehnese residents have abandoned their houses for
\nfear of aftershocks, fears have arisen that the empty houses
\ncould be looted.<\/p>\n
Siti's other relatives had blocked the front door of their
\nhouse with sofas and other heavy furniture before leaving for
\nPadang, West Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Isrul, an officer with the Aceh Disaster Mitigation
\nTask Force, alleged on Saturday that irresponsible parties had
\nspread false information that more aftershocks would occur in
\nBanda Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"These parties, the looters, will take advantage of the
\ncurrent situation. The military and police will take stern
\nmeasures against them,\" said Isrul.<\/p>\n
Still, many people hope to leave Aceh temporarily so they can
\nregain emotional strength before returning to the devastated
\ntown. But, for Siti, whose husband died 10 years ago, staying put
\nseems to be as good an option as any.<\/p>\n
\"I want to get out of Aceh. But, where else can I go?\" she
\nasked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-residents-still-haunted-by-aftershocks-1447893297",
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