Earthquakes, Floods and Tsunamis Stretch Catholic Aid

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
2 Oct 2009

As disaster follows disaster in South East Asia and the Pacific, Catholic agencies led by Caritas Australia are on the front line.

Already Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development has rushed relief teams to Padang in West Sumatra where two massive earthquakes have killed more than 1000, buried people alive and left many more homeless and traumatised.

Joining with Karina, the local Caritas agency in Indonesia, and Catholic Relief Services (CSR), Caritas Australia's CEO Jack De Groot says the teams will use their recent experience helping victims and providing medical support and shelter after West Java's 7.0 magnitude earthquake on September 2.

In Padang frantic residents, relief workers and rescue teams are digging through rubble and flattened buildings in a frantic effort to find survivors. The largest city in West Sumatra, Padang has a population of just under 900,000 and although the death toll from the two quakes is currently given at 1100, it is expected to climb into the thousands.

The quakes in Indonesia are understood to be on the same tectonic plate fault lines which precipitated 2004's deadly global tsunami.

In an unusual occurrence, the West Sumatran quakes followed hot on the heels of the 8.1 earthquake which rocked Western and American Samoa on September 29 and triggered a deadly tsunami. So far more than 149 people, including four Australians, have died as a result of the tsunami but this number is expected to climb dramatically over the next few days as isolated villages are able to be reached and survivor numbers assessed.

Less than 24 hours after the Samoan quakes, Padang was hit by 7.6 magnitude tremlor. The quake occurred at 5.15 pm local time on September 30, less than 24 hours after Samoa was devastated. A second quake shook Padang at 8.52 am on October 1 and was a severe aftershock with a magnitude of 6.6. Many buildings made unstable from the first quake collapsed as a result of the second quake flattening what had been a thriving city.

The  National Disaster Agency has reported 500 homes have caved in while the Health Ministry in Padang has announced a hospital close to the epicentre has collapsed, trapping patients, doctors and nurses inside.

Hotels and schools have also collapsed burying children and staff in concrete and a mountain of rubble.

Disasters have hit the Pacific Asia region thick and fast over the past month, stretching Caritas Australia's resources. In early September the agency was responding to the plight of those injured and displaced by West Java's 7.0 earthquake. Then came tropical storm Ketsana which swept through the Philippines on September 26 before moving on to wreak havoc and destruction on Vietnam, Laos, China and Cambodia.

Three days later, Western and American Samoa were rocked by earthquakes and decimated by a lethal tsunami. Within five hours of the tsunami hitting the coast, Caritas was delivering assistance with Caritas Australia joining Caritas Samoa and ferrying food, water, clothing and medical supplies to the sick and injured and supplying temporary shelter in the form of tarpaulins and tents.

Now thousands in Padang in West Sumatra who need help are trying to cope with the aftermath of two massive earthquakes and many more who have been killed.

The facts and figures compiled by Caritas Australia on each of these disasters are staggering.

As a result of typhoon Ketsana, 200 people in the Philippines have been killed and more than 500,000 have been injured or displaced with the slums of Man On Wednesday at 6.48am Samoa time (around 3.48am Sydney time) an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale occurred 200 km from Apia, Western Samoa. This then caused a tsunami which hit Western Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga where there are seven confirmed dead, three missing and many hundreds homeless.

Caritas Australia's resources, rescue and relief teams are helping people across the entire South Pacific region and the agency has launched three appeals to help victims of these latest tragedies.
To donate to Caritas Australia Indonesia Emergency Appeal; to Caritas Australia Pacific Tsunami Appeal; or to Caritas Australia South East Asia Typhoon Appeal call 1 800 024 413 or make a donation online at www.caritas.org.au