VZCZCXRO6016
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1819/01 3060944
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020944Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3704
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 8021
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1124
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8891
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001819 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, CA 
STATE FOR USAID 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA CCHAN, ACONVERY, RTHAYER 
USAID FOR ANE KROSEN 
BANGKOK FOR ADWYER 
NSC FOR CPRATT 
USUN FOR DMERCADO 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
PACOM POLAD/J3/J5 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV CASC ECON EAID SENV ID PHUM AEMR ASEC CASC
MARR, PREL, PINR, AMGT, EAID, AQ, LA, RP, TN, VM, WS 
 
SUBJECT:  INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #15: USAID/OFDA 
FIELD VISIT TO PARIAMAN AND AGAM DISTRICTS 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. On October 28, USAID/OFDA Field Officers (FO) visited 
International Medical Corps' (IMC) Mobile Health Clinics in Padang 
Pariaman.  On October 30, the field officers visited Mercy Corps' 
distribution in Agam District.  The field officers found no urgent 
humanitarian needs.  Both programs are running smoothly and the 
beneficiary population is appreciative of the assistance.  However, 
access is going to be a challenge as we move further into the rainy 
season.  Many roads damaged during the earthquake are showing 
further erosion. 
 
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IMC 
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¶2. On October 28, USAID/OFDA Field Officers visited IMC Mobile 
Clinics in Patamuan sub-district in Padang Pariaman District. 
Nearly all of the structures in this area are destroyed or seriously 
damaged, with most of those being condemned.  Some elements of the 
local health system are slowly coming back on line, but many of the 
community-level health posts sustained damage. IMC reported in the 
general cluster meeting that roughly 50 health clinics in Pariaman 
are destroyed. The field officers noted deteriorating road 
conditions throughout the area.  The rainy season has begun so we 
can expect further erosion of roads, with some areas being 
completely cut off. 
 
¶3. Sarang Gagak Mobile Clinic - Currently, Sarang Gagak is only 
accessible by 4X4.  On the day we visited, the staff and community 
had to carry to clinic equipment to the location when their vehicle 
was unable to navigate the road.  IMC mobile clinics visit two 
locations a day.  Each location receives weekly visits from the 
health team.  The mobile clinic is staffed with one doctor and one 
nurse.  Nearly all patients are accessing the mobile clinic for 
non-earthquake related conditions such as respiratory infections and 
gastrointestinal problems. 
 
¶4. Puskesmas Patamuan Static Clinic - The structure has some damage 
but a French engineer team installed support beams in the center of 
the building as a short-term fix until rehabilitation work begins. 
No timeframe was given for when this reconstruction would happen. 
There are a few permanent staff members at Puskesmas Patamuan, 
however, the doctor and warehouse manager work for IMC.  The center 
receives medicines from the Health Ministry with some supplemental 
drugs provided by IMC.  IMC assisted the clinic staff with 
organizing their storage space, as well as improving the 
pharmaceutical tracking system used by the facility.   IMC has 
established a warehousing system to track the medicines that the 
health teams dispense at the mobile clinics.  The system will help 
IMC and local medical personnel track distribution of medicines in 
case of recall and to follow-up with patients. 
 
¶5. Sungai Kamuning Mobile Clinic - Sungai Kamuning is accessible 
only by motorbike.  Many of the patients seen at this clinic are 
elderly.  They were being treated for what appeared to be injuries 
sustained during cleanup of their homes, i.e. cuts, nail punctures, 
etc.  The community health worker who attended the mobile clinic is 
responsible for notifying the community of the mobile clinic and 
will follow up with the patients to ensure that they are taking 
their medicines.  Access to this area is also threatened by further 
rain-fed erosion to landslide-damaged roads.  Field Officers 
observed significant degradation of road damage since visiting this 
area on 24 October. 
 
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Mercy Corps 
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¶6. On 30 October, OFDA Field Officers visited a Mercy Corps hygiene 
 
JAKARTA 00001819  002 OF 002 
 
 
kit and recovery kit distribution in Koto Baru, on the shore of Lake 
Maninjau in Agam Province.  The distribution site was on the main 
road through the area and was well attended.  The recipients were 
identified by community leaders and had been given a chit for kits 
they would receive.  The distribution site was along the main road, 
which raises safety concerns.  The FOs witnessed no traffic 
incidents, but suggested that distributions would be safer if they 
took place away from the road.  The Mercy Corps representative said 
they had suggested another site further from the road, but local 
leaders had selected the site they were using. 
 
¶7. There were about fifty people present at the time of the 
distribution. While the scene was fairly chaotic, there was no ill 
will or shoving.  The crowd was in good spirits and cooperative. 
The crowd spilled out onto the main road and had to be alert to 
passing traffic.  The hygiene and recovery kits were transported by 
IOM trucks. As Mercy Corps is reliant upon IOM for transportation, 
distributions do not always happen at the established time.  Mercy 
Corps workers read each name from a list, and that person came 
forward with the chit to receive a hygiene kit.  The kits contained 
personal hygiene products, mosquito nets, towels, blankets and soap 
powder.  The recovery kits were distributed to groups of five 
families and included items such as wheelbarrows, sledge hammers, 
shovels, and pry bars. 
 
¶8. The FOs also visited an IDP camp a short walk from the 
distribution site.  These IDPs were displaced by landslides on the 
coast of Lake Maninjau and had previously been housed in the local 
market shelter. They were interviewed by OFDA FOs on 6 October.  The 
camp consisted of approximately 85 Shelter Box tents very tightly 
packed on a field.  The camp was being managed by the TNI, the 
Indonesian military.  It was overcrowded, with some tents shared by 
two families, but appeared to be in fairly good order.  There were 
latrine facilities and water was being trucked to the site. 
According to the camp manager, the government will relocate these 
IDPs as landslide dangers prevent them from moving back to their 
former homes.  The FOs attempted to continue around the lake by the 
main road but found the road impassible without a 4x4 
 
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Comments 
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¶9. Implementation of programs by IMC and Mercy Corps are proceeding 
without problems.  Both organizations have strong relationships with 
local government and the beneficiary population.  USAID/OFDA FOs are 
confident that IMC and Mercy Corps will be able to successfully 
complete activities on time. 
 
 
 
Hume#