 Earthquake on Nias Island |
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by Don and Ramona Turman |
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No doubt most of you have seen more TV coverage of the conditions on the island of Nias than we have. News from the people we know there continues to be spotty and heartbreaking. Seven members of the Wesley Church Jakarta family originate from 6 different villages in different parts of the island. Other acquaintances are from still different villages. From the Gomo district of Southern Nias we have talked by cellular phone with Dr. Aranifasa (Fasa) Laia whose home and clinic were destroyed, Mr. Sarofati Hulu, Wesley seminary student who returned to Nias to help coordinate relief, and Rev. Fa'atulu, Methodist pastor. The news from all of these people and places is the same: most buildings are damaged or destroyed but most of the people are safe. Many people are living in tents or have constructed huts since they can't live in their houses. In every place food is still in short supply and incomes are lost because the system of commerce has been disrupted. Many people have left the island to stay with relatives on Sumatra or other islands. The mammoth task of rebuilding houses, churches, schools and businesses looks impossible for people who were just managing to survive before the earthquake struck. There is little equipment heavy enough to clear away the debris of their houses in order to start rebuilding, even if they had money and materials. Help has come from many sources including some of you through the Medan and Jakarta Methodist Annual Conferences and Wesley Methodist Churches in Medan and Jakarta. Other nations and organizations like Samaritan's Purse, HOPE, the UN and many, many others are doing what they can under very difficulty circumstances. There are 15,000 Nias natives living in Jakarta and they are also organizing fund raising campaigns in order to go and help. They have reported that over 1,000 church buildings were destroyed by the earthquake, including some that were being rebuilt after the tsunami. Please pray for our people. On March 28, an earthquake, measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale struck
the islands of Nias and Simeulue struck at about 23.15 local time and lasted
up
to three minutes. It devastated especially the island of Nias and demolished
buildings in the main town, Gunung Sitoli. The town’s 20,000 people were
without water and largely unable to escape because of collapsed road and bridges.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promptly declared a state of emergency.
Date posted: Apr 29, 2005 |
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