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INDONESIA: Diseases strike West Sumatra quake survivors
12 Oct 2009 13:22:06 GMT
 Source: IRIN

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•  Sumatra quake Sept 2009

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JAKARTA, 12 October 2009 (IRIN) - Survivors of a severe earthquake that struck Indonesia's West Sumatra province have developed illnesses caused by poor living conditions, say medical workers, while shelter and food remain key concerns almost two weeks after the disaster.   In Padang Pariaman district, one of the areas hardest hit by the 30 September earthquake, survivors have contracted respiratory infections, and suffered diarrhoea and skin problems, said Werrizal Amsir, medical coordinator for the local Ibu Foundation aid group.   And in the Kotobaru village of the Padang Sagoe subdistrict, many residents were infected with conjunctivitis (or pink eye), said Amsir.   "We have treated more than 1,500 with various post-disaster diseases. Many of the survivors slept in the open so they were exposed to dust, heat and poor hygiene," Amsir told IRIN.   Amsir, a doctor, said his team of 14 volunteers was trying to access remote areas that had received little or no aid.   With shelter a priority, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that thousands of people who had lost their homes and belongings needed medical attention.

  "Many people now live in the open … in poor hygiene conditions and have little access to clean water," said Loreto Barceló, a doctor with MSF, in a statement on 9 October.  

"We can expect many respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea, and other pathologies that result from these poor living conditions," he said.   Shelter issues

However, National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Priyadi Kardono said there were no major health issues in quake-affected areas, even though shelter and food remained key problems in more remote villages.  

"There were cases of respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea but there has been no major outbreak of infectious disease," he told IRIN.   Kardono also said 80 percent of electricity had been restored, but water pipes in some areas were still damaged.   "Because electricity is running, people can use their electric water pumps. We have been delivering water to households that do not have electric water pumps," he said.   Funding appeal   The BNPB says at least 809 people were killed in the magnitude 7.6 quake. Another 241 are listed as missing, with all but four of them in Padang Pariaman, where landslides triggered by the quake buried entire hamlets.   The quake also left 1,250 people injured and more than 135,300 buildings severely damaged.   The BNPB said on its website on 11 October that relief supplies had reached almost all affected areas, while the number of medical personnel was sufficient to care for survivors.   Mass vaccination and fumigation had also been carried out, while all community clinics were functioning.   The UN on 9 October launched a US$38 million appeal http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7WNSGY?OpenDocument) to help the Indonesian government meet the needs of communities affected by the earthquake for the next three months.  

Drafted with the government, the appeal covers projects run by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as international NGOs.   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its 11 October situation report that 8.025T of hulled rice was needed to feed 133,739 households for one month.

  OCHA said the BNPB had indicated that the stock of relief items for the next distribution was limited.   At least 662 school tents were needed to accommodate students returning to school, it said.   Meanwhile, WFP has distributed 800T of rice, and 15T of biscuits for infants as well as blankets and tents, the BNPB said.   UNICEF has delivered more than 100 water storage containers - each with sufficient capacity for 5,000 litres of clean water - 20,000 jerry cans; 2,000 packages of water purification tablets; 40,000 hygiene kits containing buckets, soap, detergent; 250 school tents and 120 sets of school and recreational materials.   atp/ey/mw

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org


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Background information

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Sumatra quake Sept 2009 - [Who works where]

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Indonesian students read at a makeshift classroom near their classroom that was damaged by last week's earthquake in Padang, Indonesia's West Sumatra province October 12, 2009. Indonesia's port city Padang was ...


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Last updated:Mon Oct 12 13:24:11 2009