james tan

Multiple Earthquakes - Lombok, West Nusa Tengara, Indonesia

 

the adventure

 

"How many more earthquakes?...."

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When I left Singapore for this needs assessment mission, Lombok had just been struck by three successive major earthquakes in less than two weeks. By the time I left this beautiful island paradise, up to five major earthquakes had afflicted a badly-traumatised populace

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The multiple earthquakes of Jul and Aug 18 directly impacted more than 350,000 people in Lombok, and many more in indirect ways. A great deal of the damage was concentrated in the Northern and Western parts of the island. In some areas, villages experienced near-100% destruction. Even many of the concrete houses that remained standing were structurally scarred, and were no longer safe

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Post-disaster, the near-term physical needs were generally clear. However, it was the less obvious needs, such as psycho-social and emotional support, that were often neglected. In many ways, it was often easier for a NGO to offer quantifiable goods and expedient services. It was a lot more laborious and difficult to spend time to slowly relate with, and listen to, those afflicted, and to help them find mutually supporting ways to process their trauma and move forward together as a community

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Looking ahead, the long-term needs will be more complex, involving the rebuilding of homes, lives, livelihoods and social-emotional resilience. When a disaster strikes, it is often the already-poor that are the hardest hit. Besides physical distress, death and loss, the multiple earthquakes also brought livelihood ruin for many. Rebuilding will therefore require resources that the average villager will not likely possess. As my team and I sat with several of these internally displaced people (IDPs), the central worry in their hearts and minds was: how can I ever afford to rebuild?

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Still, as we moved among the different IDP communities, I was heartened by the many glimpses of communal generosity and sharing among the Lombok villagers. Though they didn’t have much, many were happy to share what little they possessed or received. More than anything, I reckoned that it was this positive communal spirit that was helping the IDPs to cope and get on with the difficult realities of life