NORTH SULAWESI – Through the Disaster Management Center (DMC), Dompet Dhuafa distributed ready-to-eat food to survivors of the Mount Ruang eruption in Balehumara Village, Tagulandang District, Siau Tagulandang Biaro Regency, on Tuesday (7/5/2024). This food is the result of processing from the DMC Dompet Dhuafa Public Kitchen which was established since Sunday (5/4/2024).
Starting at Al-Hidayah Tagulandang Mosque, Balehumara Village, the DMC Dompet Dhuafa Team walked through the residential area. Dozens of prepared meals were knocked on the doors of the houses of independent survivors who live in Balehumara Village.
“We opened a Public Kitchen located at Al-Hidayah Tagulandang Mosque, Balehumara Village,” explained Erwandi Saputra as the Coordinator of DMC Dompet Dhuafa’s Mount Eruption Handling.
Read also: Mount Ruang Eruption Survivors Feel Comfortable at Dompet Dhuafa Warm Post
According to survivors, they feel they are already in a safe position there. When there was an escalation, they simply evacuated to higher ground than their homes. In addition, in the morning to afternoon the survivors would return to their homes to simply clean the house from the sand that was on their roofs and houses. At night, they would go to the nearest evacuation post or to relatives on higher ground.
“Some people evacuated to our village area, then we felt that we didn’t need to evacuate (outside the island or evacuation post). Because if we look to the side, we can already evacuate to higher ground. So when an eruption occurs, we just ‘run in place’, aka just to the side of the house and to higher ground,” said one of the beneficiaries of the prepared meals.
On different occasions, there were also survivors who stayed in their homes to protect their homes from thieves and others. However, their families such as wives and children have evacuated to the highlands of Tagulandang Island or are already in Manado City or Bitung Regency.
Read also: Mount Marapi Erupts, Dompet Dhuafa Swiftly Responds to Affected Areas
Those who stayed on Tagulandang Island only relied on the availability of food supplies that they had on hand or from the help of benefactors on Tagulandang Island.
“Well, just rely on the garden at home,” said another survivor.Until now, Dompet Dhuafa continues to do its best to handle the eruption of Mount Ruang by opening a Public Kitchen, Warm Post, Psychological First Aid, Medical, and Ready SAR. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text: Arifian Fajar Putera, Riza Muthohar
Photo: Arifian Fajar Putera
Editor: Dhika Prabowo