FLOOD REPORT
by Shinta Djiwatampu
During the last week of January 2002, a vast amount areas in Jakarta and its surroundings have been flooded, due to the very dense rainfall during this year's rain season period. Hundred thousands of buildings were drowned, with 55,000 lives are homeless, scattered from the Jakarta city itself, through the urban cities surroundings such as Bogor, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabotabek). It has been reported that the highest record of flood height are in the Kampung Melayu/Bukit Duri area (East Jakarta), and Rawa Buaya (West Jakarta), with approximate height at its peak reaching 4 meters (approx. 12 feet).
Sadly, areas that have been affected the most by this flood disaster are resident areas of the low economic people. Most of their houses are badly damaged, some even lost their house completely, not to mention their personal belongings. Many children were not able to go to school because their school books, uniform, stationaries, have been destroyed or lost, and their school buildings had somehow collapsed. These people are then forced to move from their home to flood relief stations around their areas to receive meals and proper care.
With so many loss and casualties, the Indonesian Government has declared this incident as a national catastrophe. Therefore the Government will take actions in any way they can to help relief and restore the damage. But somehow, with its limited human resources and high bureaucracy, the Government were not able to respond to the needs of the people on time. This situation triggered a lot of individuals and social organizations, including Bengkel Amal, to help relieve the suffering people quickly.
On Saturday, January 2nd 2002, Bengkel Amal in coordination with Jakarta News FM had gathered their forces to help the flood casualties. In such short notice (24 hours), we have managed to accumulate 507 packages of ready to eat meals, 14 boxes of glass mineral water, 14 boxes of dried noodles, 5 bags of used clothes, 100 litres of rice grains, 3 jumbo packs of sanitary napkins, and several packages of medicines.
We visited 4 flood relief stations, two in Bendungan Hilir, one in Atmajaya University, and one in Kampung Melayu. The worst flood relief station that we had encountered was the one in Kampung Melayu. The station itself was no more than a 2 storey mosque that sheltered 5,000 lives. The place was densely crowded with people scattered on the floor, with only thin carpeting underneath them.
Most of the people we saw were cold, wet, and hungry. Long exposure to the dirty flood water caused many disease between them, ranging from minor disease of diarrhea and flu, to the major fatal ones such as leptospirosis. That was why it was very necessary for them to receive clean water, hot meals, dry clothes/blankets, and medicines. Thanks to the quick response and generous support of individual people and private organizations, many lives have been saved from this flood disaster.
Bengkel Amal is glad to be able to help the casualties of the flood catastrophe, though not many, and would like to express gratitude to the following people and organization that have helped us in providing donations. Thank you to Jakarta News FM, Djiwatampu family, Hardjo Suseno family, Anna's family, Dinda's family, and to one and each of you that have helped us in any way. We would have not been able to do this without the helping hand of others.
Keep up the spirit!
Shinta Djiwatampu
