Indian Ocean Tsunami Relief:
SurfAid International Mission Central
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Sunday 16 January, 2005
Tsunami annihilates Nias village
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 16 January 2005: - - A very sad report came in last night from SurfAid field communications officer, Jude Barrand, who is on the ground with the international medical relief team on Nias Island.
Jude and the medical team yesterday spoke to survivors from Sisowahilly village, which is inland from Sirombu, on the west coast of Nias. The village, with a population of about 360 people, was totally wiped out by the tsunami and 90 people, a quarter of the population, were killed.
“According to one of the survivors, most of the victims were killed while sheltering in the church,” Barrand said. “They went to the church after the earthquake and the wave pounded through the village and destroyed the church, despite the fact that it is 1 ½ kilometers inland.”
She said four houses and a church on the rivermouth in Sisowahilly were taken out as well, killing more people. “The wave was at least five meters (16 feet) high. You can tell by looking at the coconut trees that have been stripped of leaves and coconuts.”
Most of the surviving Sisowahilly population is now living in a temporary camp on high ground at Mandrehe, which is about eight kilometers inland from their village. “Only one person is prepared to go home to Sisowahilly,” Barrand said. “No one else wants to return home as the entire place has been destroyed.”
SurfAidClinic Operates In Mandrehe
SurfAid set up a clinic in Mandrehe yesterday to provide medical consultations and immunizations. “SurfAid immunized 97 children aged between six months and 14 years for measles and each was also treated for worms and given vitamin A,” Barrand said in a communication from the Indies Trader II.
“Another 46 people were treated for a variety of medical illnesses including diarrhea, chest infection, skin infections, back pain in older people (probably from lifting for years), ear infections, goiter, fever and respiratory tract infections.”
Barrand said SurfAid also visited a group of refugees living in “horribly cramped conditions” in a hall next to one of the churches in Sirombu.
“There are 130 people in one room, which is about 14m x 7m,” Barrand said. “We are negotiating with the pastor to move as many people as possible to the church. About a dozen orphans are staying in the church at the moment but there is room for more.”
By dividing up staff and medical supplies, SurfAid plans to conduct full medical clinics in both Mandrehe and Sirombu tomorrow (Monday).
Fishing Fleet Devastated
The United Nations estimates that 800 fishing canoes were destroyed by the tsunami on Nias. This has seriously affected the fishermen’s ability to earn their livelihood as well as feed their families. Despite some food supplies being delivered to the affected populations, they are lacking fish, meat and vegetables.
And understandably, many fishermen are still too scared to return to the ocean for fear of another tsunami.
More info & reports at The Quiksilver Foundation Nias Fund
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Kirk Willcox
Tsunami Relief :: Surfersvillage
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