Indonesia: Earthquake and Mt. Merapi Volcano OCHA Situation Report No. 21

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2006/0151
OCHA Situation Report No. 21
INDONESIA (Central Java and Yogyakarta) EARTHQUAKE and Mt. MERAPI Volcano

This report is based on information received from the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator's Office in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the UN team in Yogyakarta.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. In order to ensure that affected families are in possession of basic shelter, there is an urgent need to plan for a transitional shelter solution. Failure to provide basic shelter before the monsoon season in October will have a serious impact especially on vulnerable groups.

2. The Provincial Governments of Yogyakarta and Central Java are finalizing policies on housing recovery packages with the support of the Emergency/Transitional Shelter Cluster.

3. Local authorities estimate that approximately US$3.5 million will be needed for the rehabilitation of key health facilities in Bantul and US$1 million in Klaten. As 70% of rehabilitation costs in Bantul have been covered, attention needs to be directed to cover costs in Klaten.

4. Preliminary results of the livelihood assessment show that there are many farmers that have lost capital and will not be able to regain sustainable livelihoods without external assistance. If immediate assistance is not provided, the larger part of the farming based population, more than 350,000 households (1,750,000 people) will be forced into poverty.

General

5. The Provincial Governments of Yogyakarta and Central Java are in the process of finalizing their housing recovery assistance packages for households whose homes were destroyed. Approximately 206,000 houses in Yogyakarta and 100,000 houses in Central Java were destroyed. The proposed policies are:

- Yogyakarta Province: provision of IDR 15 million per affected family for 30% of the households with destroyed homes.

- Central Java Province: provision of IDR 4.5 million to all affected families.

6. The Central Government, National Technical Team, the Provincial Governments of Yogyakarta and Central Java, the Shelter and Reconstruction Working Group (WG) under the Early Recovery Cluster and OCHA continue to discuss how best to integrate their activities within the Government framework for post-earthquake recovery.

Yogyakarta

Gunung Kidul

7. 90% of schools in Gunung Kidul have been damaged or destroyed. Classes are now taking place in tents and tarpaulins. The concern is that schools will not be able to continue classes during the rainy season.

8. Gedang Sari in Gunung Kidul has not received any emergency shelter assistance from the Government or NGOs. The main priority of Gunung Kidul District is the reconstruction of public infrastructure including schools, health services, centers of trade, transportation, the mental recovery of affected population, and earthquake-resistant housing reconstruction.

9. Oxfam is providing tool kits in 11 villages of Gunung Kidul, in particular Patak and Gedang Sari sub-districts, to construct latrines through their partners: LPTP and Dian Desa. The communities will be involved in the process of latrine construction.

10. Dian Desa will build 350 toilets in Patuk Village. The water sources in Ngoro Oro Village were rendered unusable after the earthquake. People have to purchase water at IDR 90,000 per tank. LPTP plans to build a reservoir, which will provide water for 300 households in the community.

11. CHF plans to build transitional shelters in Salam, Patuk sub-district and Ngalang in Gedang Sari sub-district. CRS distributed NFIs including tarpaulins, kitchen sets, toolkits, blankets, sarongs and hygiene kits in Patuk, Gedan Sari, and Nglipar Sub-Districts, to 6,630 beneficiaries.

Sleman

12. Sengir, Klero and Sembir villages in Sumber Harjo and Madurejo village in Sleman have not received any temporary school shelters. The villages are building school shelters by themselves, and intend to establish groups to help children deal with the trauma.

Central Java

13. The Provincial Government closed the Posko Aju SATKORLAK (Provincial Coordinating Body for Disaster Management) in the sugar factory, Gondang Klaten on 27 July. Responsibility for health facilities has been given to district authorities.

14. The World Bank agreed to build 2,000 houses for Central Java and 1,050 for Klaten.

Klaten

15. SATKORLAK organized a cash-for-work programme in Klaten to speed up debris clearing.

16. As informed in the Klaten shelter coordination meeting, the District Government will present its policy on shelter to the community and the provincial government. The main message is that those receiving temporary shelters from NGOs are still entitled to the government's housing support.

Mount Merapi

17. A workshop on Mount Merapi Management Strategy (3-4 August) was jointly organized by Oxfam, the Government and the UN. This was to encourage collaboration amongst the provincial and district authorities, the UN, international and national NGOs and the community, and to establish a better coordination mechanism between these actors. Other activities include the creation of action plans by sub-districts, the establishment of a unified information centre, and follow-up meetings between local NGOs and the community.

CLUSTER UPDATE

Health:

18. The major concerns of the Cluster are:

a. Treatment for disabled;

b. Rehabilitation of the health facilities;

c. Disposal of unusable medical supplies; and

d. Monitoring of communicable diseases.

19. Local authorities estimate that approximately US$3.5 million will be needed for the rehabilitation of key health facilities in Bantul and US$1 million in Klaten. 70% of Puskesmas rehabilitation needs in Bantul have been covered by Government, the private sector and foreign agencies. More attention should be directed to cover reconstruction costs in Klaten.

20. Coordination amongst key hospitals, puskesmas (community health centers), IOM, Handicap International and Yakkum Rehabilitation Center has been improved in providing better care and physical rehabilitation to post-operative patients.

21. There have been a few cases of patients going untreated in Bantul and Klaten. Reasons cited include limited access to health facilities and concerns about medical fees. These problems can be solved through the rehabilitation of health facilities; the operation of mobile clinics; the access to medical services; and enhanced capacity of Puskesmas. Information about free medical services should also be widely disseminated.

22. Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is still the main reason for patients' visits to Puskesmas. This can be possibly attributed to dust inhalation during debris-clearing activities. The situation with regards to measles, dengue fever, malaria, and tetanus is under control.

23. IOM has returned 4,928 people from 14 different hospitals in Yogyakarta, Bantul and Klaten to their homes. IOM has also helped 422 patients who had returned home go back to hospitals for follow-up medical care.

Water and Sanitation (Watsan):

24. The results of the AusAID Assessment and the Watsan Progress Report have been integrated. The combined report revealed the need to pay equal attention to water-well rehabilitation and sanitation and hygiene. UNICEF has provided mud-pumps to the Public Works in Bantul and Klaten, YDD, YKY and CARDI/IRC. Well-cleaning activities are continuing. 2,312 wells out of 38,274 have been cleaned. To expand and accelerate rehabilitation, it is necessary for additional international and local NGOs to start activities in neglected districts.

25. The water trucking by UNICEF/PDAM in Klaten and Bantul is being gradually reduced. Communities in Klaten and Bantul have started to rehabilitate or reconstruct wells by themselves. However, other districts still have some rehabilitation difficulties and will continue to need this service.

26. Hygiene promotion and capacity building programmes have been conducted by John Hopkins University. A community workshop was organized with more than 680 participants from 68 villages to find out about the perception of hygiene messages and strategies for community mobilization being promoted.

27. As of 10 August, YKY has built 190 new latrines in Bantul, Klaten and Sleman Districts.

28. IRD shared its plan and design for school latrines with the '100 programme schools'. The construction of school latrine facilities will start from this week.

Food and Nutrition:

29. The Cluster is currently consolidating information from Cluster members on food distribution and food security. It is finalizing the Who-What-Where maps to fill in geographical gaps and identify needs. A comprehensive picture of food assistance in the affected areas and analysis will be available shortly.

30. WFP and partners distributed 1,850 MT of fortified biscuits and noodles in June and July, reaching 120,000 beneficiaries. They plan to distribute 1,200 MT of fortified biscuits and noodles in August and September, targeting 70,000 beneficiaries.

31. UNICEF and HKI plan to distribute 3.9 million sachets of Vitalita, covering 130,000 children who are malnourished. As of 9 August, 3.8 million sachets of Vitalita have been distributed, covering 128,000 children.

32. CARE plans to distribute 32,100 vouchers valid for 12 kg of rice, one liter of cooking oil, 0.85 kg of sardines, one kilogram of green beans, and 100 grams of iodized salt. 10,500 vouchers were distributed in July. An additional 10,700 people will be covered in August and September.

33. IRD has distributed 129 MT of biscuits and 170 MT of noodles to 7,000 households in Klaten within the framework of the WFP programme. IRD continues to distribute noodles to Yogyakarta and Central Java. IRD has distributed 93 MT out of 96 MT of noodles to more than 394,000 beneficiaries in Bantul, Yogyakarta, Gundun Kidul, Sleman and Klaten Districts.

Education:

34. Summary of damaged schools data for Yogyakarta Provincial Government:

35. The Rapid Assessment of Learning Spaces (RALS) in 2,600 damaged schools is being carried out. The results will be available by the end of August and will form the basis for future planning. Some NGOs have already started to construct temporary schools that will last for 2-3 years. Reconstruction work for temporary schools needs to be accelerated prior to the onset of the rainy season.

36. Save the Children has finished psychosocial training for 764 teachers in Bantul and Klaten.

37. UNICEF has completed the distribution of 20,000 backpacks and 97 recreation kits.

Protection:

38. The consequences of longer-term issues such as loss of livelihoods and poor living conditions at the recovery and rehabilitation stage highlight protection concerns. If these conditions persist, there is an increased risk that levels of exploitation and abuse with regards to women and children will rise. A Child Protection Assessment will be conducted so that better advocacy strategies and programme activities can be put together and implemented.

39. A half-day workshop to develop a referral mechanism for identified registered vulnerable children was conducted on 2 August. A flow chart is now being finalized defining the key channels and lines of accountability in the referral mechanism for registered vulnerable children.

40. To date, safe spaces for children including 87 in Bantul, 80 in Klaten, seven in Sleman, two in Magelan and ten in Sukohargo, have been established by international and national NGOs. 13 mobile teams are also operating in Bantul, with seven mobile teams in Klaten. This initiative and responsibility will be gradually shifted to communities with the involvement of local government.

41. Gaps remain in addressing the protection needs of the elderly, as there are no agencies within the Cluster with a specific focus on their needs.

Early Recovery:

42. In order to ensure that affected families are in possession of basic shelter before the monsoon season begins in October, there is an urgent need to plan and provide for a transitional shelter solution. This could simply be comprised of roofing components from the permanent housing programme.

43. Failure to provide timely and decent shelter before the monsoon season will have a number of negative impacts; especially on vulnerable groups, i.e., the elderly and those already in poor health, including increased incidence of ARI; and a reduced capacity to return to livelihood activities.

44. Approximately 306,000 (100,000 in Central Java and 206,000 in Yogyakarta) houses were destroyed or severely damaged. The Shelter and Reconstruction WG under the Early Recovery Cluster and the Emergency Shelter Cluster are working together to support the policies and planning of the Central Government and Provincial Governments of Central Java and Yogyakarta. However, there is currently no consensus on the kind of support to be provided to affected people. There are also as yet an unqualified number of vulnerable families with slightly damaged houses to consider.

45. A Livelihoods Recovery Workshop was held in Bantul on 26 July to discuss the strategic plan to revitalize Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).

46. The Cluster is currently developing Who-What-Where maps to identify the geographic gaps and needs. The business categories that require the assistance in SME are Handicrafts, Furniture, Ceramic, Leather, Textile, and Silver production.

Emergency Shelter:

47. Distribution coverage of emergency shelter roofing materials has reached approximately 80% of affected households.

48. A rapid survey of villages where 5% or more families require emergency shelter was conducted on 4-5 August. The targeted villages were those for which the Cluster has not captured any distribution data. The expected output is greater clarity on coping mechanisms, as these villages have received little or no outside assistance. The amount of damage to the villages will be confirmed and a subjective assessment of shelter quality will be carried out. Initial results will be available shortly, at which time it will be determined how to proceed with the remaining villages.

49. The Emergency Shelter Cluster has transferred its transitional shelter functions to the Early Recovery Cluster and will close by the end of August. The Emergency Shelter Cluster has merged its weekly meeting with the Shelter and Reconstruction WG of the Early Recovery Cluster.

50. Looking towards the closing of the Cluster, the planning in the final phase is currently focused on: (i) coordinated response to outstanding emergency shelter needs; (ii) coherence of public messaging for the application of technical best practices; (iii) monitoring outcome and impact; and, (iv) advocating to the Central and Provincial Governments on the implication of housing policy on transitional shelter provision.

51. The key findings of the Shelter Security Needs and Vulnerability Assessment Survey include:

- 40% of families surveyed were living in conditions below Sphere minimum standards.

- Over 50% of emergency shelters have inadequate flooring, and 27% have walling that do not provide full external protection or privacy.

52. Electronic copies of the above assessment can be obtained by contacting the Cluster Information Manager at <shelter.java@gmail.com>.

Agriculture:

53. An agricultural livelihoods assessment in the areas recently affected by Mount Merapi and the earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java Provinces was conducted. International and local NGOs, FAO, and the authorities at village, sub-district and district levels participated in the assessment. Based on this assessment, livelihoods opportunities, farming system diversification and enterprise development, and short, mid, and long-term needs for disaster-affected farming households will be identified for future programming of agriculture recovery.

54. The results of the assessment were presented at the Agricultural Livelihoods Strategy Design Workshop on 8 August at UGM. The objectives of this workshop were to develop the framework for a recovery strategy to improve livelihoods of the disaster-affected farming households and to identify priority areas. Indicators will be developed after the plan is finalized.

COORDINATION

55. OCHA Yogyakarta holds regular Coordination Briefings at 8:30am Monday every fortnight. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 22 August (Monday 21 August is a national holiday).

56. The Shelter and Reconstruction WG is working together with the Emergency Shelter Cluster. The two groups have joint coordination meetings every Monday.

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