Aid for Residents Affected by Floods in Serang

Journalist : Metta Wulandari, Photographer : Metta Wulandari

The flood-affected community appreciate the hot weather and drying all their clothes, mattresses, and household furniture on the roadside, hoping that everything could be dry and reused.

People affected by floods in Serang, Banten, Thursday, March 3, 2022, were so grateful because after being hit by rainy and cloudy weather for days, the sun finally appeared. It was so hot and scorching that it burned the skin. But that's what makes them rejoice.

Residents affected by the flood left the refugee camps and returned to their homes. They sort out the items that are still left once the flood begins to slowly recede. Hasan, for example, a resident of Sindangsari Village, has been asking his son and daughter-in-law to clean the house since morning, as well as sorting clothes that are still left over from being sunk by the flood. He took out all the drenched furniture, then lifted it to the side of the highway to dry. "It's just hot today, it's been cloudy and rain a lot yesterday" Hasan said while dredging up the remaining water from the flood in front of his house.

A resident washes clothes that have been sunk in the flood. They hope that the weather will remain sunny so that the flood which is still only a foot high can quickly recede.

Hasan cleans the leftover mud from the flood in the front of his house after draining the entire house.

In Hasan's home area, the puddle is still around his ankles because his house is very close to the river. Two days ago (March 1, 2022), he said the flood was quite high, which was about one meter. Whereas before, he had never experienced such a disaster. "When I was young to the point where I was old, this was my first time experiencing a flood," said Hasan, who is almost the age of 60s.

As an ice seller, the flood experience had made him so scared. Luckily, all his 11 family members were able to evacuate immediately while the flood was getting higher.

"Alhamdulillah, a lot of help came immediately, public kitchens, logistics. Food and drinks are also provided. Today I got a blanket from Tzu Chi. I was very grateful because all the clothes, mattresses, pillows, and bolsters were wet. Thank you very much to the volunteers,” said Hasan.

The Lost of Inherited Parent's House

In another kelurahan, Kasunyatan Village, residents are also busy drying all clothes, mattresses, pillows, dolls, textbooks, to the Koran. The resident said, "The weather is really supportive." But not for Fahri and Homsiah's family.

Fahri received a flood relief package containing blankets, towels, gloves, and toiletries.

Homsiah couldn't help but cry when he told the conditions when the flood destroyed his house.

There are no items left from Fahri and Homsiah's house. Let alone clothes or chairs that can be dried in the sun, even the house can no longer be occupied. Half of the old building inherited from his parents has collapsed, leaving only the outer frame that looks fragile. All the furniture inside was damaged, buried by crumbling walls and mud. Seeing all that, Fahri and Homsiah could only rub their chests.

Fahri and Homsiah's house is one of 5 houses in Kenari Village, Kasunyatan Village which are included in the category of severely damaged due to this flood disaster. Even though their house is far from rivers and streams. Behind their house stretches green rice fields, while the front is a residential area. That's what makes Homsiah disbelieve the flush of water can make their house collapse.

When the flood occurred, Homsiah said, the water flow was so strong that it swirled around his house. The rush of water seemed to be trapped looking for a way out so that it swept away anything. Her six goats and six chickens could not be saved, not even important papers. Rice in agricultural land also collapsed and was damaged due to the flood flow.

"Actually, before the water rose, I heard faint announcements from the village next door, he said, 'Be careful with the residents, there is a high water level coming. Beware of flooding…,' said Homsiah. But she didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

Fahri shows the building of his house which is already fragile due to the heavy flood. He himself had not dared to enter the house because it was dangerous.

Abah Juhri can still smile even though part of the kitchen collapsed due to the flood. Yet he is grateful that his entire family is still healthy and safe from the disaster.

When the water started coming, she asked Fahri to leave the house but her husband didn't budge. Heavy and giddy, that's how Fahri felt when he saw the house left by his parents was being torn apart by the flood. Not to mention that valuable livestock as the foundation of his life are also there. "I want to go but my heart is against it. So from the beginning the water level was knee-deep, until the water level was up to my chest and even more, I was still waiting for the house. I hold the front fence there," said Fahri. "Even if my house collapses, I want to be the first to witness how it collapsed," he continued.

Fahri was the last person to leave the house, while other residents had taken refuge in the field of Kampung Kenari. Only at night, when he began to shiver with cold and hunger, did he come to the refuge. But after that, he came back again to his house. Even though the water was very high. "I'm afraid, I'm afraid. But what do I feel, I can't stand to leave like that. So I stayed in the house until morning, tried to climb the fence on the wall and sat there, it was quite high and safe from the water," he explained.

Fahri seems to have guessed from the start that his house is not strong enough to withstand the rushing water, as well as Homsiah. Even so, the news of the collapse of the house made Homsiah almost faint. Along with the livestock that died too. "Oh, I immediately limped seeing the condition of the house. First thing I did was to check for the goats. They're all dead, and I cry," said Homsiah. "We also don’t know what these things are scattered around here. All are the garbage that was carried by the flood,” he continued, showing how scattered the conditions were behind his house.

Concern from the Volunteers

On the third day after the flash flood devastated the village (3 March 2022), Homsiah seemed more acceptable to the situation. She said, everything was God's plan, humans should be able to learn to accept. Although it is very difficult, especially for Fahri, they try to accept it sincerely.

Rice in agricultural land also collapsed and was damaged due to the heavy flood flow.

Tzu Chi's Emergency Response Volunteers distributed aid in the form of 1,110 sets of flood packages to 11 RTs in 3 RWs.

Expressions of gratitude are always expressed when various organizations and volunteers visit their kelurahan to share aid packages. There were those who delivered clothes, clean water, and basic necessities.

Meanwhile, Tzu Chi Emergency Response volunteers also had the opportunity to distribute aid in the form of 1,110 sets of flood packages containing blankets, towels, gloves, and toiletries to 11 RTs in 3 RWs in Kel. Kasunyatan, Ex. Sindangsari, Old Banten Region. Coupled with 785 kg of rice, 74 boxes of Daai Mi, and 47 boxes of mineral water for the public kitchens in these RT and the public kitchen of the Great Mosque of the Sultanate of Banten.

Edi Sheen, Tzu Chi volunteer who coordinates the distribution of aid, invites the community to sincerely accept the existing disaster so that the mood can be better. “Hopefully the condition of the affected residents will improve soon, of course, with various concerns from the community and volunteers who work hand in hand to help each other. This is also the spirit of sharing for our brothers and sisters who are being hit by a disaster. Hopefully this assistance can relieve it," he said.

Tzu Chi's Emergency Response Volunteers also provided 785 kg of rice, 74 boxes of Daai Mi, and 47 boxes of mineral water for public kitchens to 11 RTs in these 3 RWs and the public kitchen of the Great Mosque of the Sultanate of Banten.

Floods that occurred in Serang on Tuesday (1/3/2022) were triggered by high-intensity rains that have flushed Serang City since Monday (28/2/2022) night. This caused the overflow of the Cibanten River. As a result, residential areas around the river are also affected by the swift flow of water. The flood also caused approximately 1,500 houses or 1,500 families to be submerged, so residents had to live in refugee camps.

Translator: Olivia Tan (Tzu Chi Volunteers)