Earthquakes leave Nias children traumatized

Earthquakes leave Nias children traumatized

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

After his hometown on Nias island was shattered by an earthquake,
life is no longer the same for seven-year-old Alui Zalukhu.

He has been at the Pirngadi hospital in Medan for over a week,
all alone. He was separated from his family when the 8.7-
magnitude quake destroyed his house in Hombolate village in Afulu
district. Three days after the quake, he had to be taken to Medan
because of his broken legs.

But the quake left a scar on the boy's soul, giving him
nightmares, and causing him to wake up screaming almost every
night.

Amagamawa Gea, a 65-year-old Nias resident whose son is being
treated next to Alui at the hospital, said the boy rarely talks,
usually not even responding to those wanting to talk to him. But
the boy talked once about his parents.

"He's certain that his parents are still alive. He said his
father's name is Obedi Zalukhu, but he couldn't remember the name
of his mother or sisters," said the resident of Tuhembeua, Nias.

It was when the old man mentioned Alui's family that the boy
suddenl spoke in Nias language. "For sure, my parents are still
alive", the boy said.

Amagamawa said Alui was going through a very difficult time
due to his injuries, his nightmares and loneliness.

"Poor kid. He must miss his parents so much. They still
haven't come for him. As a fellow resident of Nias, I feel
obligated to look after him," Amagamawa said.

The quake left many other children, like Alui, traumatized.

Blessing Gulo, 6, and his sister Milka Gulo, 7, have been at
Medan hospitals for a week too. Blessing is being treated at
Pirngadi hospital, while Milka is at Elisabeth hospital with
their mother, Lisma Jacobis.

Their father, Yulianus Gulo, said the children were now
sleeping very restlessly. Every night after the quake, Blessing
has had nightmares, he said.

"When he wakes up, he looks shocked. His temperature also
rises and then he cries for more than an hour," said Yulianus,
who is staying with Blessing.

The 35-year-old church pastor from Gunung Sitoli said his
daughter, Milka, was previously in a critical state, and could
not even open her eyes for the first four days in the hospital.
On her fifth day, she finally opened her eyes, but she rarely has
spoken.

Yulianus said that at the time of the disaster, his house in
Jl. Diponegoro in Gunung Sitoli collapsed onto his wife and two
children, while he was outside the house. Yulianus said that
Milka suffered more compared to her mother and brother.

"Milka was bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears. At the
time, I was pessimistic that she would survive because of the
injuries," he said.

She was taken to a hospital in the North Sumatra town of
Sibolga. "But because the equipment at the hospital was
inadequate, she was sent here, to Medan," Yulianus said.