Remnants & reminders of the help they got

MS LOLA Alfira remembers the first time she saw a warship at Meulaboh.

"It was large and when it docked, smaller vehicles emerged. People of Meulaboh had never seen anything like it," the nurse recalls of that day, a Sunday, 10 years ago.

She also remembers SAF Chinooks flying in. They had come to deliver aid to this town shaken by earthquake and ravaged by the subsequent deadly waves.

"Singapore was like our hero - it was the first country to respond in our time of distress," she adds.

Singapore has left a permanent mark on Meulaboh, both emotional and physical. Plaques bearing the Singapore flag or references to Singapore-related contributions to the rescue effort are found every few hundred metres, including a sign saying "Simpang Temasek" at the corner of a small road.

This port town some 250km or a five-hour drive from Banda Aceh was one of the worst hit by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, losing a third or 40,000 residents. It was cut off from the world when seven tsunami waves pounded it, ploughing through an arterial coastal road serving the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, shattering its pier and swallowing villages.

"Everyone in this town lost someone," says West Aceh district chief Alaidinsyah, whose mother died in the tragedy.

Meulaboh is the main town of this district. A decade later, its population is booming again. Its economy is picking up. However, bent and fading evacuation signs, rusting fences or poles and potholed streets belie just how much help it needed not long ago.

One of the most prominent legacies of Singapore's generosity during the rescue and relief efforts is the Cut Nyak Dhien Hospital, which was almost totally demolished by the tsunami. Singapore pumped in $12 million, resulting in 17 rebuilt buildings with 146 beds, a radiology department and two operating theatres when the official handover took place in July 2010.

Little more than four years later, the clean exterior is a stark contrast to what happens inside. Patients sprawl on soiled mattresses that fill the general wards; some sit on the floor together with visitors. The hospital chief, Dr Akbar Siregar, says maintenance has been lax and the hospital is now operating at overcapacity, even though patients treated for tsunami-related injuries or trauma have long left.

Construction of a two-storey ward building began early this year to keep up with the rising number of patients streaming in from surrounding districts, but it is not scheduled to be completed until the middle of next year.

This hospital is the second best in Aceh, after the one in Banda Aceh. But it is still in dire need of up-to-date equipment such as MRI and CT scans, says Dr Akbar.

"For anything that requires further checks, we have to send patients on a five-hour drive to Banda Aceh," he says.

At the Muhammadiyah orphanages and boarding school - rebuilt in different parts by Singapore's Mercy Relief, Red Cross, Commerzbank AG and Lien Foundation - caretaker Nurazwi proudly shows how beds and wardrobes donated in 2005 remained in good shape. Mercy Relief estimated that the boys and girls' orphanages had two wings refurbished and two rebuilt at a cost of $480,000, with a capacity for 60 orphans aged between 13 and 18. Another $300,000 went into furnishings, landscaping, recreational facilities, books, stationery and uniforms.

Taking out a pile of Singapore textbooks and pots and pans, Madam Nurazwi beams as she holds up what she says are some of the durable remains of the help they got. But she says living conditions have become a squeeze as more girls seek admission, leading to six in a room for a maximum four-bedroom space.

A similar story has played out at the Babussalam Orphanages and boarding schools rebuilt by Mercy Relief and opened in 2008.

School principal Walissalikin Has digs out old cards he had saved, including one from Mercy Relief which helped rebuild his school and dormitories. He says more funds are needed other than the ones they raised over the years for smaller renovations. For instance, its mosque tower, which saw people clambering up the structure to flee the waves, is now considered too dangerous and has been locked up.

Indeed, there are ample signs that Meulaboh has better facilities than its surrounding districts, thanks to tsunami relief efforts. But a growing population, now at 110,000 or almost at the same level just before the tsunami hit in 2004, has put a strain on infrastructure which has, in turn, not been well maintained.

With the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) gone, district chief Alaidinsyah laments that one of the downsides of their efforts is that his people have become reliant on external help, even though Meulaboh has always been a sleepy port. "People have got too used to the NGOs' help," says the businessman, adding: "We need to change this."

While plenty has changed, much more basic infrastructure needs to be built. Sanitation and access to clean water are still a problem: There is no drinkable water and at least 10 per cent of residents have no sanitation facilities.

But there are bright spots. Meulaboh-based University Teuku Umar has been promoted to a state-standard varsity, attracting students from as far as Medan. To inject more vibrance into the town, a recreational park in its centre is being planned.

Hardy infrastructure built after the tsunami - such as the $7 million Meulaboh port and pier built from donations that poured into the Singapore-based Tidal Waves Asia Fund - has spurred economic activity, with coal exports flowing through it to China and India. That meant more work has opened up for port workers, says Mr Dahlan BA, chief of maritime operations in Aceh Barat.

Once port operations shut at sundown, the pier turns into a hangout for courting couples and youth. Anglers set up camp for night-fishing. Mobile vendors roll in, selling everything from local favourites like mie aceh and martabak to grilled corn and roasted peanuts and drinks.

One street in town also livens up after evening prayers, as residents gather at coffee shops and retailers reopen till 10pm.

Those who received post-tsunami aid, like Dr Akbar, are keen to collaborate with Singapore again, especially to train manpower and explore ideas to improve facilities.

Mercy Relief's corporate affairs manager, Ms Ann Moey, tells the Straits Times that they are planning to return to disaster-prone communities in West Aceh. They want to strengthen the response capacity to disasters by improving basic needs such as access to clean water and increasing preparedness for natural disasters. "The project also seeks to provide emergency equipment to local response agencies to increase their ability to provide immediate assistance in the wake of a disaster," she says, adding that the project remained in the planning stages pending confirmation of funding.

Mr Syed Husin, a grandfather of four, says: "Since aid workers have gone, some Indonesians might be complacent about what happened before."

For visitors, various mass graves around the town are reminders of the tragedy.

"For us residents of Meulaboh, we will never forget the tsunami, and when the next one hits, we will be prepared, hopefully," says the 86-year-old who lost nine family members.

zubaidah@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on December 20, 2014.
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