SRT Field Report: Java earthquake, May 2006
Across Java, as well as the dead, the earthquake had left some 37,000 people injured, 135,000 houses damaged and 1.5 million people left homeless. The first SRT was on the ground within three days:
Mark Smith: Myself, Mark Pearson (ShelterBox photographer) & Darren Mayne (Australian SRT member) had previously landed in Jakarta, the capital city, with 200 ShelterBoxes, 200 on the way & another 200 being packed back in Helston.
Mark Pearson was immediately dispatched to Yogyakarta some 400 miles away – an ancient royal city located 15 miles from Bantul. His brief was to assess and identify critical areas of need and work with local Rotarians to set up a distribution network ready for the boxes arriving.
Myself and Darren got straight to work with Jakarta Rotary, meeting Government departments and customs to ensure the quick release of the boxes and circumvent the endless requests for backhanders, customs fees, storage and handling fees... sadly, huge disasters and humanitarian aid are often seen as a way of making a few big bucks for some!
We also assessed methods of transport from military aircraft to merchant vessels to identify the quickest and most cost-effective method of getting boxes to the areas Mark had identified.
Within 36hrs we found ourselves on huge converted double-decker buses full of ShelterBoxes and mosquitoes en route over the 400 miles to Yogakharta… not only was this the cheapest but at a mere 12 hours it was the quickest way too. But the most comfortable journey I have had – NOT!
On arrival we quickly set about distributing boxes to people who had nothing and many of whom had spent the previous days burying their loved ones. However, the arrival of the ShelterBoxes seemed to give them a sense of purpose and direction amongst all the grief and confusion.
No other aid had arrived and no-one from the government or big NGOs had yet even arrived to assess the situation.
As further boxes arrived the inevitable custom issues began so I flew back to Jakarta by myself and spent 3 days ensuring the second 200 boxes were released and the next 200 also cleared and headed to Bantul.
We spent nine days in Indonesia working mostly 18 hour days but ensured 600 boxes were distributed – sufficient for 6,000 people. We also put in place logistics for the next SRT team to ensure they had a smooth passage to deliver a further 600 boxes.
It was hard work, sometimes frustrating and always challenging especially in the 40 degrees heat and having Mark Pearson recording you on video after 40 hours without sleep.
But the special moments are when the tents are up and the affected people move in with the mosquito nets, cooking stoves, blankets etc. Their faces of delight and gratitude make everything so worthwhile that I’ve been back on deployment five more times and am waiting for the next one!
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