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Indonesia

IOM Indonesia Newsletter Vol 3 - Dec 2009

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TEMPORARY HOUSING HELPS SURVIVORS TO BRIDGE THE GAP

According to the Indonesian National Disaster Agency (BNPB), more than 200,000 houses were moderately to severely damaged by the quakes, leaving thousands of families vulnerable and homeless ahead of the monsoon rains.

In Padang Pariaman, the district worst affected by the quake, 96 percent of houses are reported to have sustained serious damage. Most affected people are now housed in emergency accommodation, mainly in tents or under tarpaulins provided by the government and aid agencies.

Past experience has shown that it can take six months to two years for families to rebuild safe homes. Bridging the gap between emergency shelter and reconstruction therefore gives people time to plan safer construction and maintain their livelihoods as communities rebuild.

IOM's temporary shelter projects funded by ECHO and CERF will provide up to 3,500 shelter kits. The kits include corrugated iron (CGI) roofing sheets that can be used in combination with salvaged materials to help people to build temporary housing.

The use of the durable CGI sheets - rather than plastic sheets - was requested by the government, as they can be re-used in permanent reconstruction.

IOM has also put together individual and community toolkits for distribution throughout the region, which will be used to demolish unsafe structures and build new homes.

Each individual kit includes a shovel, saw, hammer, chisel, machete, bucket, wire, nails and work gloves in a kitbag. The community kits, which will be shared between five families, contain a wheelbarrow, sledge-hammer, pickaxe, crow bar, hacksaw, tin cutter and rope. Distribution of the kits began in Padang Pariaman and Agam districts in late October.