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.