03.02.2014

Sinabung: New eruption leaves 14 dead

The Sinabung has erupted again, and this time people have died. At least 14 people are reported to have died on Saturday . The UEM moderator Regine Buschmann and council member Annette Salomo were in Kabanjahe, only 10 kilometres away, to visit the refugee camps of the Christian-Protestant Karo Batak Church (GBKP), when the volcano erupted. They are safe and sound but shocked by situation. Here is the report of Regine Buschmann:

We meet with the moderator of the GBKP, Mathius Barus, in his office. The building looks rather like a stock house than like an office of the church. Relief goods are occupying most of the space: Rice, milk cans for the infants, biscuits and spices, blankets and sleeping mats. Most of it comes from GBKP members or other individuals. A stock house would be needed urgently.

Breathing gets diffcult

As the church informs us about facts and numbers regarding the work with the refugee, the sky gets dark. The volcano erupts. Immediately the sky is dark of ash – and we are 10 kilometres away from Sinabung. As we are setting up for the refugee camps, we get ...protection. The ash is visible in the air in tiny particles. Breathing gets difficult. Within minutes all vehicles are covered with ash. We ourselves can now experience how dangerous this situation has been for the people here for months. Since September 30,000 people have fled from theier houses. Several thousands of them have searched for shelter in GBKP camps.

Terribly crowded

We are brought to the office of the superintendent of Kabanjahe. It is terribly crowded. Coming to the premises, it gets visible that here a refugee camp has been set up. Pickups are loaded with vegetables and other relief goods, donated by GBKP comngregations. The goods are registrated and stored in a tent. Another tent is used to cook for the 400 women and children who live in this camp. 120 kilograms of rice are cooked for every meal. In a third tent women produce baskets. Augustinus Purba, coordinator of the work with the refugees, explains: „Many women were depressive when they came here. The handcraft helps them structuring their day.“ The baskets are sold, the women get the money.

Babies are born

In one room a small health station has been installed. A midwife is present. Children are born here. In a bigger hall on the first floor the women and their children sleep. Sleeping mats cover the whole floor. Children run around playing. Women chew on Betel nuts – a cheap drug to endure the situation. The refugees tell us how important it is for the that we have come and visited them. It gives them strenghth and hope.

Augustinus tells us that the government had given its permission to return to the villages up to five kilometres to the Sinabung on Saturday. That is good news. In front of the house a bus with the UEM logo – the vehicle was financed from donations by the UEM. The bus is used in various ways – as a school bus, for tranporting relief goods, as an ambulance.

Village under ashes

The whole time ash is raining down, the volcano is not visible. We come closer and the ash rain gets thicker. Ambulances are passing us at high speed. The situation seems to be worser that we had thought. Later we see in the news that 14 people have died. Some are still missing. Probably a whole village has been destroyed by the ash cloud. The UEM bus has been used as an ambulance, we can see that on TV.

The villagers' hope to return to their houses has been crushed by this eruption. The refugees ask us to pray for them, for an end of the volcano's activities and for a chance for them to go back to their normal life.The GBKP is doing an outstanding performance in helping the refugees. The are supported by the local military and local NGOs.