ASIA/INDONESIA - “Fear has subsided, but now the homeless need help”: the situation, by Fr. Andreas Catholic parish priest in diocese of Bandung, among the first to give humanitarian aid to earthquake victims

Bandung (Agenzia Fides) - “We are present and active at the Crisis Centre in Pangandaran south west Java, where Catholic volunteers work in coordination with local authorities. The Indonesian Bishops’ Conference is supporting our efforts locally. Pangandaran is deserted: the people have fled further inland to the hills and fearing another tsunami tragedy. More quakes are expected and there is a danger of tsunami. People are still afraid. What the displaced persons need now is food and medicine. For the moment they manage with what they took with them, or with the first emergency aid received. The humanitarian aid machine must be put in motion”. Fides was told this by Fr Andreas Sudharman, parish priest at Tasikmalaya, locality of the diocese of Bandung, only a few kilometres from Pangandaran. Fr. Andreas was among the first rescuers to reach the affected area after the earthquake struck the south west of the Island of Java on 17 July killing at least 260 (the number continues to rise ) injuring 300 and displacing 30,000.
Following the 7.7 Richter scale earthquake a tsunami with waves as high as four meters swept across the area leaving a trail of disaster and terror.
In the meantime 20 tons of medicines and food from Jakarta are on the way to the six affected areas of Java where rescue teams continue to search for survivors among the debris left by the huge wave.
In the terrific tsunami on 26 December 2004 which killed 220,000 people, 168,000 were Indonesians. Now people are complaining that preventative measures installed following that tragedy in 2004 have failed to work as expected on this latest occasion.
The affected area of Pangandaran is also a centre for tourism with small hotels along the beaches and a Natural Park close by. The area is not far from the Yogyakarta district, in central Java, where an earthquake in May caused the death of 5,700 people. Indonesia’s archipelago of 17,000 islands lies along a band of intense volcanic activity known as the “ring of fire” of the Pacific. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/7/2006 righe 26 parole 267)