Ikatan Awak Kabin Garuda Indonesia (IKAGI) Report of Visit to Aceh, 14-21 January 2005
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posted: 7 February 2005
General Condition
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province (NAD), and its provincial capital Banda Aceh was one of the most restricted areas in Indonesia for a number of years due to the separatist movement. Because of the insurgency situation, trade union existence and activities have become rare. This condition also caused difficulties to obtain definitive data regarding the numbers of victims and casualties especially among transport workers.
In Banda Aceh and its sub province Aceh Besar, 50% of infrastructures and buildings suffered heavy damage in general. Unfortunately, those most heavily damaged were the most densely populated areas, as well as centers of business and economic activities of NAD Province. This has set grave influence on all efforts to repair damage and rebuild NAD Province after the Tsunami disaster.
Banda Aceh still sometimes experiences aftershocks of the earthquake. Rains quite often just pour into the city and make the streets muddy, which affect the refugees’ health. Torrential rains came 3 weeks after the disaster, causing a flood and landslides in some areas and major roads to Lhokseumawe and Medan, stopping humanitarian aid transportation between South Sumatra Province (Medan) and NAD Province for almost one week.
The Indonesian Government have conducted reallocation program for survivors by building temporary houses in two locations in Aceh Besar; Desa Siron Kecamatan Ingojaya and Desa Santan Kecamatan Kuta Baro. These locations are remote and very far from the city. Cheap fared transportations are necessary to stimulate economic activities and to allow survivors to commute to the city from their new homes.
For Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar; international and local organizations found not so many problems regarding humanitarian aid distribution since many of these organizations built relief centers in these two areas. But in most areas of NAD Province there is still lack of supplies. Especially in remote areas, aid has not even reached the Tsunami victims. Sub provinces such as Aceh Jaya, Nagan Raya, Simelue, Calang, Biren and Pidie still need basic aid supplies such as food, drinking water, medicines and sanitation facilities.
Effects On The Transport Workers
According to three labi-labi (small bus) drivers I talked with, most of the surviving drivers are not ready to work due to posttraumatic syndrome. It is difficult for the drivers to accept the loss of some or entire family members and experienced the total loss of their homes and all assets. They expect that the repair of damaged infrastructures will provide employment opportunities, and they feel the need of psychological therapy for all survivors, which can be conducted either by the government and concerned organizations.
Maritime
The earthquake accompanied by the Tsunami destroyed almost all facilities in the 11 existing ports of the region. According to the report of the local authority the Port of Meulaboh was the most damaged. The Port of Lhokseumawe only experienced damage on one part of its water break (15 meters). The Port of Malahayati has only one pier left, but can be operate with capacity for one ship with maximum weight of 5000 tonnes. This port can be operated at daytime only because the electrical system was damaged and there is no generator available as well.
In general, traditional fishermen who live on the beach nearby experienced the worst effect of the Tsunami. The government, through the Department of Oceanic and Fishery, has recently given aid to these traditional fishermen of 2 boats and fishing equipments. Of course it is far from adequate, as thousands of fishermen have lost their jobs. Many more boats, fishing rods, and fishing nets are necessary for the fishermen to go out to sea again.
Dockworkers
Based on the press release from PT Pelabuhan Indonesia I (Port authority), from the 80 employees who lived in the disaster area, 6 employees and family member so 32 employees are still missing. The management will give us further information concerning aid for victims.
Civil Aviation
For the Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport of Banda Aceh, the current air traffic condition is tending to improve. The fact that the terminals for civil aviation (airlines) and military flights (now used for humanitarian aid transportation) are separate made passenger handling and goods loading/unloading become more efficient and quicker. This also helped to reduce the delay of scheduled flights. Conveyor belt on arrival terminal is now operating properly, allowing passenger baggage claim served swiftly. To increase security, the POLRI (Indonesia Police Corps) built posts around airport perimeter.
Amongst the airport ground staff, one Garuda Station Manager, Umar Raden told me that his wife and one his daughter are safe, but he lost his other 5 (five) children. His house was damaged severely and cannot be utilized again. Another Garuda ticketing staff (outsourced) Ilyas Yunus told me that although he survived the disaster all other members of his family (his wife and 7 children) were lost by the Tsunami and yet their whereabouts are yet unknown. The management of Garuda Indonesia promised to give these afflicted employees aid according to their collective bargaining agreements.
From 28 December 2004 to 31 January 2005, IKAGI sent humanitarian aid by utilising our crew baggage allowance. These supplies were distributed directly to the survivors with the assistance from local people. In total, 295 packages of cloth, 11 ton of food, medicines and 3 high pressure spray machines for cleaning mud/debris were sent to the Tsunami survivors through this aid distribution operation.
Inland Transport
Before the Tsunami, the major means of transportation in Banda Aceh were labi-labi (small self-owned bus), taxis owned by private companies and two bus companies, one subsidized by the local government and the state-owned DAMRI.
According to the report of Muhammad Ranto (Chief of Local Public Transportation Organization), 90 % of labi-labi in Aceh were destroyed. For instance, there were 41 small buses before the Tsunami which served the Banda Aceh - Ajun route. But right now there are only 2 small buses left.
Regarding the intercity bus services (owned by private enterprises), which operate through Kurnia/Pelangi/Pusaka/FlamboyanMandiri, most of their existing armada is safe because the buses were serving the routes out of Banda Aceh at the time of disaster.
The main city bus terminal was heavily damaged and no move has been seen to rebuild it. Citizens who need to travel have to go to emergency terminals that emerged after the Tsunami disaster.
The heavy damage caused upon Banda Aceh and its surroundings, especially the most populated areas are blamed for the loss of the potential and existing high profit routes for labi-labi and taxis. Strategic location and acceleration of the building of new permanent or temporary houses will stimulate economic development that might be able to support the affected transport workers to return to their normal life.
Recommendations
- Logistics (food; rice, flour, sugar and cooking oil) are necessary for at least the next 3 months, especially in the remote areas and other sub-provinces of NAD
- Support of the survivors are essential so they can return to work (especially for the drivers, farmers and fishermen so they can operate on their routes, work in rice fields or go out to the sea again)
- Additional volunteers are still necessary
Others
We had a meeting with Public Services International (PSI) Asia Pacific Regional Secretary Brother Katsuhiko Sato together with an activist from SP-PLN (State Owned Electric Company Workers’ Union) on 15 January 2005. We discussed about the aid plan to be given by the PSI to all affected workers of the SP-PLN. The management of SP-PLN alone has contributed aid of Rp.12.000.000 (USD1270) for workers of their company. PSI will support SP-PLN on building temporary houses for survivors, Brother Sato said.
Zainudin Malik
General Secretary
Ikatan Awak Kabin Garuda Indonesia
(IKAGI, Garuda Indonesia Flight Attendant Association)
Date published: 7 February 2005
Source: IKAGI
