Damaged roads hinder relief efforts in Nias<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Crucial aid was headed toward Nias island on Thursday, but
\nseverely damaged roads and ports were slowing down efforts to get
\nhelp to thousands of people affected by Monday's earthquake.<\/p>\n
Relief agencies are forced to use helicopters to ferry food,
\nmedical supplies and tents to the island, because the runway at
\nthe island's only airport was badly damaged in the quake, leaving
\nit unable to serve large aircraft. Most of the roads on Nias are
\nalso impassable.<\/p>\n
\"I have received 100 tents for the residents of Nias, most of
\nwhom do not have roofs above their heads. But so far I have only
\nbeen able to transport a few to Nias,\" Second Lt. J. Hutauruk,
\nthe head of logistics at the Air Force base in Medan, told The
\nJakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"One tent weighs 65 kilograms, while a helicopter from the
\nSingapore military can only carry a ton. We also have to
\nprioritize the transportation of medicine, doctors and
\nparamedics. So we can only load two or three tents per flight,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The base has received food aid, potable water and power
\ngenerators from various donors. However, most of the bottled
\nwater, water purifying plants and generators are sitting on the
\nbase waiting to be transported to the island.<\/p>\n
The United Nations World Food Program estimated 200,000 Nias
\nresidents will require food aid for about two months. According
\nto government data, there are more than 422,000 residents on the
\nisland.<\/p>\n
\"Please, sir, help us, we are starving,\" said a man in the
\nNias capital of Gunung Sitoli, as dozens of people looted a
\ngovernment store while the police looked on.<\/p>\n
The grim search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble
\ncontinued on Thursday, but badly needed heavy equipment failed to
\nget ashore due to damaged ports.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said there
\nwere four large excavators aboard naval ships, but they were
\nstill trying to get the equipment ashore.<\/p>\n
Officials have said the death toll from Monday's earthquake
\ncould be as high as 2,000. The United Nations said on Thursday it
\nhad recovered some 624 bodies, including 600 on Nias island and
\nthe remainder on the neighboring islands of Simeulue and Banyak.<\/p>\n
\"We do anticipate that figure is still going to go up,\" UN
\nDevelopment Program spokeswoman Imogen Wall said.<\/p>\n
French and Norwegian rescuers pulled a boy and young woman
\nalive from two separate buildings overnight, both relatively
\nunscathed despite spending more than 50 hours trapped in the
\nwreckage.<\/p>\n
\"They suffered from bruises and cuts all over their bodies,
\nbut other than that they were in relatively good condition,\" said
\nFlorent Dalmon of Pompiers Sans Frontieres, or Firefighters
\nWithout Borders.<\/p>\n
Dalmon said his team used sledgehammers and bolt cutters to
\nfree the 19-year-old woman, while Olaf Lingiaerae of the
\nNorwegian Support Team said the boy, 15, was hauled from the
\nthird floor of a collapsed five-story building.<\/p>\n
Aftershocks continued to cause alarm among islanders and
\nrelief workers, with around 700 aftershocks having been recorded
\nsince Monday's major quake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Nias residents are still taking refuge in the
\nmountains because of fears of a tsunami, while others are
\nsleeping in makeshift shelters.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of injured people are being treated at a makeshift
\nhospital on a football field in the center of Gunung Sitoli, and
\naid workers on the island say more help is needed.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/damaged-roads-hinder-relief-efforts-in-nias-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}