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Help groups say that there has been an increase in cases of diarrhea and respiratory infections, while there are also suspected cases of mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria and dengue fever.
DISASTER. An aerial view shows the devastated earthquake and tsunami in Palu, central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 1, 2018. Photo of Jewel Samad / AFP file
JAKARTA, Indonesia – The earthquake and tsunami-affected city of Palu is facing a public health crisis as torrential rain threatens to spread malaria and dengue in the devastated area a month after the disaster, warned humanitarian agencies.
On 28 September, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 and the subsequent tsunami razed parts of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, leaving about 2,200 dead and more than 220,000 displaced.
Thousands of others are missing, presumed dead, after entire neighborhoods have been engulfed by liquefaction – a process in which a strong earthquake causes the soil to behave like a liquid, turning it into a kind of sands shifting.
Desperate to counter the disease, the authorities last week dropped the helicopter disinfectant in the most affected parts of Palu, where it is feared that some 5,000 rotting corpses will be buried under the ruins .
The Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said the initiative was crucial to prevent the proliferation of flies, cockroaches and disease-laden rats.
But the aid groups say that there has been an increase in cases of diarrhea and respiratory infections, while suspected cases of mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria and dengue fever, are suspected.
The heavy monsoon rains forecast for the coming months may worsen the situation.
"It is likely that we will see more and more people getting sick … because of the difficulty of maintaining adequate hygiene standards, with the rains providing an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and hundreds, if not thousands of people. body, seems to be breaking down in the soil, "said Selina Sumbung, president of Save the Children's partner in Indonesia, Yayasan Sayangi Tunas Cilik.
"Hard to stay clean"
Safe play areas and temporary schools have provided comfort to children – including many orphans left behind or separated from their surviving parents – but children are particularly at risk from the epidemic.
Relief efforts at the local and international levels have accelerated in the past month after initial delays caused looting due to the depletion of food and water supplies.
Telephone reception and electricity have been restored in many areas with shops, restaurants and open markets.
The spokesman of the agency for disasters, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said Friday, Oct. 26 that the situation "improved" for the inhabitants of the most affected areas.
But many challenges remain.
The hundreds of thousands of homeless people left behind by the disaster are scattered in Palu and beyond.
Many settle in front of their ruined homes or are locked in makeshift camps and rely entirely on help to survive.
Safe drinking water must be trucked to camps, while tarpaulins, blankets and tools are still lacking in some areas.
"We know that when people live in temporary conditions – under tents or under tarpaulins – this always poses a hygiene problem," said Andreas Weissenberg, head of the evaluation team. on the ground of the Red Cross in Palu.
"People stay closer to each other, it's hard to stay clean, they may not have access to water or latrines."
Elsewhere, monsoon rains have already turned roads into mud and prepared slopes for landslides in some remote areas, hampering the access of rescue teams.
Indonesian authorities lifted the state of emergency on Friday, after which a "transitional period" must continue before the end of December 25.
Indonesia said the damage in the devastated area amounted to $ 900 million, while the World Bank offered the country a $ 1 billion loan to put Palu back on track.
About 70 percent of Palu has been cleaned up and the water supply will be back to normal by December, the central Sulawesi Governor, Longki Djanggola, said on Thursday.
More than 1,400 tents have been erected for the courses and 1,200 semi-permanent shelters, each with a dozen rooms, are expected to be completed in two months.
For many however, life is still a long way from being back to normal.
"I just hope to be able to find decent housing, permanent housing and a job," said Abdurrahim Laadu, 65. – Rappler.com
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