Aceh residents still haunted by aftershocks
Aceh residents still haunted by aftershocks
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh
Siti Rohana, a woman in her 40s, chops up vegetables in a makeshift kitchen in the corner of her garage while her daughters prepare other dishes for the evening meal.
Siti's sister, Narli, lays out mattresses and cushions on the garage floor as it's already getting dark. Siti's car is parked outside so that the family has more space for their beds.
After the quake-triggered tsunamis, many Acehnese families now prefer to sleep outdoors at night. Those who sleep inside usually do so with the door open.
Those with more money have headed to hotels in Medan, or their relatives' houses outside of Aceh.
"I don't know how long we will have to stay in the garage for. Probably until the aftershocks stop completely," said Siti, a Bahasa Indonesia teacher at a junior high school in Aceh Besar regency.
Her house in Ketapang area, Aceh Besar was not affected by the tsunamis since it is located some 10 kilometers from Banda Aceh beach. Still, the powerful earthquake caused residents to flee.
Narli's house is still knee-high deep with water. Her house is located in Geuceu area, some five kilometers from the beach.
"Fear of the tsunamis and aftershocks made all of my neighbors go to Medan, Jakarta and to other safe places. I chose to stay here because I don't want to be alone in my neighborhood," Narli said.
Narli has been staying at her sister's house for a week now, along with her husband and son Ade, 19. She was actually offered a place to stay in Jakarta by another family member but decided to remain in Aceh.
"I can easily go to Jakarta by flying in an Indonesian Military (TNI) Hercules airplane, but, how do we get back?" said Narli.
Since the Dec. 26 catastrophe, all 11 family members of Muslihadi, a resident of Darussalam subdistrict in Banda Aceh, have been sleeping in the living room.
"We sleep with the front door open. It's a preventive measure that could prevent fatalities," said Muslihadi, a student at Syah Kuala University.
He recalled that a few days ago, a powerful aftershock rocked the city, but the family could easily escape from the house as the door was open.
As many Acehnese residents have abandoned their houses for fear of aftershocks, fears have arisen that the empty houses could be looted.
Siti's other relatives had blocked the front door of their house with sofas and other heavy furniture before leaving for Padang, West Sumatra.
Lt. Col. Isrul, an officer with the Aceh Disaster Mitigation Task Force, alleged on Saturday that irresponsible parties had spread false information that more aftershocks would occur in Banda Aceh.
"These parties, the looters, will take advantage of the current situation. The military and police will take stern measures against them," said Isrul.
Still, many people hope to leave Aceh temporarily so they can regain emotional strength before returning to the devastated town. But, for Siti, whose husband died 10 years ago, staying put seems to be as good an option as any.
"I want to get out of Aceh. But, where else can I go?" she asked.