Rains and landslides

It’s rainy season here in Indonesia. The rainy season starts from September to February in West Sumatra, though rain continues throughout the year. Previously it didn’t affect the people lives, however, people are in much trouble with rains this year. It is because their houses are damaged and destroyed due to earthquake and still they don’t have proper shelter to live in. Tents cannot sustain longer with the rain. That is why not so many organizations didn’t distribute tents to the affected people.

The rain affects for the humanitarian agencies to reach to the far areas to help the people. Many villages are still unreachable by the public transport because of landslide occurred by the rain. People have to walk for many kilometers for the markets, hospitals and other facilities.

One other hand, some of the people take benefit from the limitation of transport. Those people are the bike owners. The bikes are used as taxis to cross the location with difficult and narrow landslides. Surprisingly, the fare is very expensive. Once JEN staffs wanted to go to a village which was 2 KM far from the slide, they asked bike owners about the rate. Their demand was 70000 Rupiah (7 $) for just 2 KM. This facility is very expensive for us, but sometimes it is convenient for the villagers, especially for old people, women, children and sick people.