It is now more than two weeks since two earthquakes shook the Indonesian island of Sumatra yet the level of destruction, particularly in remote villages, is still tragic to see.
The two ShelterBox Response Teams (SRT) working in Sumatra have delivered aid in the remote regions north of Padang but there are still huge swathes of countryside that remain inaccessible by road. Last weekend, ShelterBox were lucky enough to secure the services of an US Navy Puma helicopter to assess the remote areas by air.
After information received from the International Off Road Federation (IOF) Search and Rescue Team and Rotary International, SRT members Shane Revill (UK) and Becky Maynard (UK) under took the aerial assessment of Kemuning village, in the US Navy Puma, and were able to deliver much needed ShelterBoxes to the villagers.
Becky Maynard said: ‘The level of destruction visible from the air was tragic to see. There were houses smashed to pieces or teetering on the edge of precipices. The need for emergency shelter was more than clear.
‘Although the need was relatively small, just enough shelter for thirteen families, it was also urgent. When the earthquake struck, one of the hillsides on the south side of the village collapsed under the force of the quake, creating a landslide that completely engulfed six houses.
‘Tragically there were six people in the houses at the time, four from one family, all of whom perished.'
The team reported the landslide itself had buried almost any indication of the houses, with only a few remnants of corrugated iron roofing above the ground serving as a stark reminder to what had been there just a week before. The majority of the remaining houses as well as the 110 year old mosque in the village had been seriously damaged or completely destroyed.
The families had been sheltering in the partially destroyed buildings and the mosque but this posed a huge risk as heavy rain added to the strain on the already unstable structures.
The village's coordinates were given to the team by IOF members who had also cleared a landing zone for the US Navy Puma. Becky Maynard and Shane Revill were then dropped at the landing zone with a demonstration box before the Puma returned to base to ‘undersling' the ShelterBoxes and return to the landing site.
The team demonstrated to the villagers how erect the tents and explained the use of the other essential items in the box.
Becky added: ‘The response from the community was fantastic, particularly those whose every possession was buried in the earth beneath them. Villagers of all ages helped to move the boxes to areas around the village that would now become their homes.
‘Our thanks go to the IOF, Rotary International and the US Navy for their key role in allowing these families to start rebuilding their lives.'
See this story with photos and more information on the Shelter Box web site: www.shelterbox.org/news_article.asp?id=190
