Nature’s impact, Indonesia
Indonesia.
A country with beautiful nature; thousands of islands surrounded by water. Every island has its own culture and way of life, each as diverse as the people and the landscapes they live in. Unfortunately the natural disasters that lurk are just as diverse. In recent months we have been in close contact with the BNPB Disaster Control organisation and the Ministry of Health and have learnt a lot from each other in the field of disasters and strategic approach.
Did you know that Indonesia is also called the supermarket of disasters? This is mainly due to the subduction zone of the Soenda fault line which runs off the coast of Sumatra and Java which causes earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and liquification. The consequences of these events affect agriculture, housing, work and healthcare.
It is extraordinary to hear how a nurse had to manage an entire clinic after the tsunami a year ago with only a small staff of 15, of which 7 were nurses and none were doctors. These few people had to care for more than 500 patients. Traumatized by the earthquakes and tremors that kept going on, the death of so many people and the patients who kept coming in, you can’t imagine it…
Fortunately, Indonesia is continually preparing for natural disasters and we are proud to be able to contribute to that. We will keep you informed of developments!