Indian Ocean Tsunami:
Sumatra Surfzone Relief Operation
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Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 14 January 2005: - - A tsunami disaster response by the American surf community to provide immediate relief to the wave-rich outer islands of Sumatra, Indonesia and to take a key role in assisting the local people to reestablish a positive relationship with the ocean.
BACKGROUND
On December 26, 2004 a massive 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean off northwestern Sumatra triggered a seismic sea wave, which killed at least 160,000 people over a radius of thousands of miles.
Almost directly adjacent to the epicenter of the quake are a chain of smaller offshore islands which parallel the Sumatran coast and are globally regarded by surfers as among the most perfect and desirable in the world due to their special reef alignments and exposure to distant and powerful groundswells. Some, like Nias and the Mentawais, have become household names in the surfing world and photos of the top pros performing upon their waves fill the colorful pages of surf magazines each month. During the prime season there is a thriving network of boat and land-based tour operations bringing thousands of surfers a year to these waters. Other islands of the chain hold their own surfing attractions, but have yet to be exposed publicly. Other than visiting surfers, few Westerners ever visit these islands.
Local populations of these islands range from 600,000 on Nias to tiny villages of a few dozen in the more remote areas, most of who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods and nutrition.
REGIONAL TSUNAMI EFFECTS
Damage reports from the coastal communities of these islands are still coming in some two weeks after the tsunami, and there are still areas from where reliable reports are still not available. Vessel availability is one of many factors hampering access to the outer islands as the year-end is the peak of the monsoon-heavy "off-season" and the traditional time when the larger vessels are hauled out to dry dock for inspections and maintenance.
In general, it appears that despite being the closest land to the epicenter (Simeulue, for example) the islands were not as hard-hit as the Banda Aceh region, perhaps due to being essentially directly on top of the two tectonic plates as they shifted.
Areas affected seem almost arbitrary on the surface, having been dictated by the shoaling and refractive effects of the ocean's floor as the tsunami moved past. The pattern of destruction is to complex to be obvious at first glance, with some villages totally destroyed by a massive wall of water, while another a few miles away may have only seen a minor surge.
The human toll in the outer islands is perhaps best described as catastrophic, but somewhat less catastrophic than other areas. While the death toll in Aceh province may be measured in the tens of thousands, it appears that the casualty count in the outer islands may be measured in the mid- to high- hundreds. The significant damage to the islands is distributed in pockets across hundreds of miles of shoreline, but with most of the impacts limited to the islands north of the Mentawais. Assigning precise numbers to the dead and missing is and will continue to be an extremely difficult task and the count will remain fluid for a number of logistical reasons.
Estimating injury numbers is proving especially vexing, as it appears that this disaster has defied all standard formulas for approximating injuries as a ratio of deaths. Some of the experts here are describing the effects of the tsunami as an "either-or" proposition where there are great numbers of fatalities and minor injuries, but an unusually low number that require critical care.
Contrary to what would seem common logic, there do not appear to be massive numbers of survivors with advancing infections of laceration wounds or internal injuries, etc. This may be disproven in the future but reports from the field -- at least in the island communities -- are confounding. Hospitals in the area outside of northern Aceh are seeing very limited use.
Displacement of communities is shaping up as a major problem as refugees crowd into close quarters with limited sanitation facilities. Even in area where little or no damage to structures has occurred, many residents are refusing to return to their homes due to anxiety over potential new seismic activity.
In one village on Nias, the local fleet of 100 small fishing boats was devastated to the point only four survived the tsunami's wrath. With the local diet consisting largely of rice and fish for protein, the ongoing impact of this disruption of food supply cannot be overstated.
At this point there would seem to be an almost inexplicable lack of surfer casualties. As the off season, most traditional breaks are plagued by bad winds so surfer populations were at a minimum. Still, there are typically small groups of surfers making "feral" camps in the wilds of both the northern islands and the Aceh mainland who are often out of communications for months at a time. While there are no active searches underway for missing surfers, it can still not be totally ruled out at this time. Indeed, in areas such as Lagundri Bay, Nias, local surfers were able to recognize the warning signs of the receding water and were able to evacuate and alert others.
REGIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE IN THE ISLANDS
With the massive damage in Aceh, the bulk of international response resources have been deployed to that region. In general, local Indonesia response is providing for the relief needs of the islands, much of it based in Padang, a harbor town of 800,000 located just south of the equator.
Padang serves as the gateway to the Mentawai Island tour operations and the local community was quick to mobilize. First to action was surf tour operator Chris Scurrah and girlfriend Christina Fowler, who quickly scraped together $25,000 in savings and credit card advances to load and fuel the vessel Asia within days of the killer wave. Scurrah went to sea, providing the very first assessments of the islands and dropping relief supplies. Fowler remained in port where she operates the Hotel Batang Arau along the Padang harbor, which has since served as a key coordination center for marine relief operations.
Numerous other local surfers and surf tour operators have been instrumental in the rapid assessment of most of the islands and must be applauded.
Officially recognized relief agencies were quick to begin operations despite the mid-holiday timing of the disaster. IDEP (Indonesian Development of Education and Permaculture) and SurfAid International have been the primary operations in Padang, rapidly mobilizing their strategies and responses. The IDEP Command Post (Posko) has been ably and effectively headed by Samantha Sinclair at the Batang Arau to date with constant communications to Susi Johnston, Acting Emergency Director of Ops and Coms at IDEP headquarters in Bali.
In its initial response, IDEP has focused on preparing and delivering Disaster Aid Kits to survivors in the remote regions. In the days immediately following the tsunami, IDEP volunteers worked non-stop to assemble huge quantities of the various items and repackage several thousand of the kits in large waterproof buckets. Each contains crucial basic supplies to support basic needs and activities including food preparation tools, water purification chemicals, simple tarp shelter materials, sanitation & hygiene products, mosquito abatement, candles, along with tools, nails, shovels and an assortment of other items which would be in urgent need.
To date, IDEP has helped facilitate the deployment of nine vessels with supplies to the affected areas.
The challenges facing the relief organizations grow with each day. Communications, weather, transportation, cultural issues and a quagmire of local bureaucracy can and do impede rapid progress at seemingly every turn.
A SPONTANEOUS AUXILARY RESPONSE
On 6JAN05, a number of communications specialists and surf media representatives from the US departed for Sumatra expecting to assist in the documentation on the SurfAid relief efforts and dissemination of the images and accounts. Included in the group were Bill Sharp, Matt George, Dustin Humphry and Timmy Turner, along with Australian surf journalist David Sparkes. Vessel capacity issues prevented the media representatives from being accommodated on the two SurfAid vessels although they were invited to charter the surf charter ship Mikumba at their own expense.
At this point a decision was made by a number of individuals that the situation would be best served if their skills were put to use organizing additional response capabilities to additional afflicted areas. At that time they formed a response team which they named the "Sumatra Surfzone Relief Operation" (SSRO).
Working directly with IDEP the SSRO went to work preparing a response plan that would provide humanitarian aid to people living in the islands. Over the course of the following 4 days, a plan of action was drawn up and implemented.
The current draft of the Sumatra Surfzone Relief Operation action plan:
PHASE ONE RESPONSE
Time frame: 14 days, commencing 13JAN04
RESPONSE OUTLINE:
Working directly with IDEP to prepare and execute additional and appropriate responses to the tsunami disaster with relevance to the American and global surfing communities.
RESPONSE GOALS:
Deliver 37 tons of relief supplies and 500 Disaster Aid Kits to remote island areas as yet not reached by other efforts including northern Nias, the Banyaks and Simeulue and other regions as deemed necessary
Provide basic medical services to the local populations via three Indonesian doctors onboard
Accurately assess situation in each and additional needs in areas reached and relay information to the IDEP and SurfAid command centers
Assess specific non-medical resources which may be crucial to reestablishing self-reliance of ocean-based communities (boats, fishing nets, outboard motors, fuel, etc.)
Raise public awareness of regional situation
RESPONSE TEAM
In addition to the founding members of SSRO, a number of other individuals have arrived on scene willing to contribute their skills to the operation. A command structure was devised and responsibilities and titles assigned:
Bill Sharp Project Command
Matt George Field Command
Brian Williams Marine Coordinator/Guide/Vessel Coms
David Sparkes Quartermaster/Australian Media Operations
Michelle Turner Supply Coordinator
Dustin Humphry Communications Coordinator
Timmy Turner Media Operations
Kristian McCue Media Operations
Mirawatti Rochnani Translator/Assistant
Dr. Taufik Midayat Medical Coordinator
Dr. Pashiwati Azis Field Physician
Dr. Ulya Uti Fasrini Field Physician
RESPONSE ROUTE
Departed Padang 13JAN05 with Mikumba and Asia en route to Gunung Sitoli, Nias, meeting shore-based IDEP facilitators whom will help to allocate distribution of supplies. Offload full 12 tons of supplies from Asia. SSRO to assist in overland distribution to areas of need in northwest Nias.
Mikumba to proceed north along Nias east coast to the Banyak islands and visit identified areas of need and assess situation in more remote sub-islands.
Mikumba to proceed to Simeulue and coordinate with local support teams, then proceed north to the tip of Simeulue to provide aid and assessments as needed.
Continue to operate in area as long as supplies permit.
RESPONSE VESSELS:
Mikumba - Brand new 80-foot purpose-built surf trip diesel motor yacht. Includes captain, 5-crew with cook. Indonesian-flagged. Cargo capacity 25 tons. Extended range, capable of reaching beyond Simeulue and returning to Padang without refueling.
Aisa Cargo space on the veteran 72-foot surf tour charter yacht Asia was made available to SSRO at the last moment after security concerns emerged over a traditional Indonesian transport vessel which had offered to assist. Aisa will divert from a helicopter fuel delivery mission to Sibolga long enough to see the additional 12 tons of SSRO supplies are safely landed in Gunung Sitoli.
RELIEF SUPPLIES
Under the guidance of IDEP and with local procurement experts, the SSRO has proceeded with the purchase of 37 tons (74,000 lbs.) of essential relief supplies in bulk quantities including:
SUMATRA SURFZONE RELIEF OPERATION
CARGO MANIFEST ON BOARD MOTOR VESSELS MIKUMBA AND ASIA
RESCUE/AID KITS 500 Buckets
NUTRITION/HYDRATION
Water 13500 liters
Fresh Fruit & Veg. 6000 lbs
Dried Salt Fish 4000 lbs.
Sugar 20 bags
Salt 200 bags
Cooking Oil 50 cases
Sardines (canned) 40 cases
Corned Beef (canned) 54 cases
Coffee 5 cases
Teabags 6 cases
Frying Pans 400 pcs
Plastic Cups 800 pcs
Plastic Plates 800 pcs
Can Openers 6 cases
SHELTER/PERSONAL NEEDS
Tarps 251 pcs
Blankets 500 pcs
Woven mats (tikar) 490 pcs
Petronax lamp 6 cases
Lamp Fuel 1000 liters
Spare Lamp Parts 200 pcs
Sanitary Napkins 6 cases
Underwear 1000 pcs
RECONSTRUCTION/SELF-RELIANCE
Small tool kits 300 sets
Fishing Nets 245 pcs
Nylon Cord 600 pcs
Hook Sets 1 cases
Duct Tape 9 cases
Hacksaws (2 m) 20 sets
Metal Bar & hammer 20 sets
Shovels 150 pcs
Hand saws 150 pcs
Rope 16 large coils
SOCIAL WELFARE
School White Boards 30 pcs
White Board Eraser 120 pcs
White Board Marker 30 boxes
Reading Books 2300 pcs
Math Books 1500 pcs
Drawing Books 800 pcs
Erasers 540 boxes
Pencils 1500 pcs
Pens 2180 pcs
Crayons 800 pcs
Rulers 1500 pcs
Volleyballs 12 pcs
Volleyball net 12 pcs
Soccer Balls 12 pcs
Mentos 10 cases
Goats 3 pcs
Chickens 6 pcs
PLUS: 6 Seventy-gallon water tanks with pumps, generators, PVC pipes and fittings
Also onboard are over 500 IDEP Disaster Aid Kits packed in 5-gallon buckets. Each Disaster Aid Kit contains: Betadine, small bucket with handle for scooping water, sarongs, matches, mosquito coils, cooking pot, toothpaste, sanitary napkins, knives, cigarettes, detergent, spatulas, spoons, bottle brush, toothbrushes, ropes, tarps, candles, towels, tools, nails, shovels.
Each bucket is designed to provide for the immediate needs of one family for many days. The bucket has a lid and is sealed with waterproof tape. The bucket may be reused for potable water transport and storage.
HEALTH CARE PROGRAM
SSRO contacted local health care agency and obtained the services of 3 Indonesian doctors and facilitated the purchase of 1000 lbs. of necessary medical supplies. Medical response plan is targeted to typical "Stage Two" disaster health issues, including wound and respiratory infections, immune system support, intestinal parasite/diarrheal issues, skin conditions, minor surgeries, etc. Significant quantities of baby food are being carried on board as part manifested as health care supplies.
The medical team consists of one male and two female field physicians. The medical coordinator, Dr. Taufik Midayat, recently returned from a seven day deployment in Banda Aceh performing Stage One heath care. Dr. Midayat is also an avid surfer.
PHASE TWO RESPONSE
At this point it is the consensus of SSRO founders that the operation may best contribute to the situation in the outer islands in the coming weeks and months in two ways:
1) Focus on assisting the people of the islands to reestablish their relationship with the ocean as a source of protein-rich nutrition, transportation and recreation. Key components of this initiative include:
Quickly procure a large number of indigenous canoes from unaffected areas and distribute them to areas where watercraft were lost to the sea
Quickly procure and distribute any gear which will improve quantity and quality of local edible seafood harvesting
Develop a program to assist islanders in recovering the psychological trauma by reintroducing them to the recreational opportunities of the surf zone
2) Help raise funds within the surfing community and to direct funding quickly and directly to other aid agencies operating in the islands area who are conducting operations which are consistent with the general goals of SSRO.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
The leaders of the SSRO intentionally titled the response project as an OPERATION as opposed to an ORGANIZATION as it is believed that the prime goals can be achieved within a reasonable time horizon. To this date the operations of SSRO have been privately funded by anonymous donors. Contributions are not being solicited until such time the projects precise financial needs are determined and an appropriate fiscal structure put in place.
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