By Arnice Agustina Ajawaila | Emergency Coordinator
Final Report: Indonesia Mt. Lewotobi Eruption Emergency Response #67756
Mt. Lewotobi Laki-Laki's volcanic activity has been ongoing since December 2023, with eruptions causing evacuations and disruptions. Its status has fluctuated multiple times since a major eruption in 2023, having been both lowered and raised on several occasions. However, on Thursday, 20 March 2025, following two major eruptions at 10:56 PM and early Friday, 21 March, at 12:10 AM local time, the status was raised to the highest level.
Since 2023, residents whose houses have become uninhabitable have been living in five shelters located in Konga, Bokang, Lewolaga, Kobasoma, and Bokang Elementary School. Currently, 1,803 people are displaced in these shelters, while an additional 2,993 people have been displaced independently (in different locations).
YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) prioritizes support for at-risk groups, including older people, people with disabilities, pregnant and nursing mothers, and individuals with certain medical conditions. Assistance provided at shelters includes medical kits containing eucalyptus oil, balm, massage oil, and pain relief patches. This support is essential due to the heavy rainfall and the open-air conditions of the shelters, which increase health risks, particularly for older people, pregnant women, children, and people with disabilities.
With $61 in funding from GlobalGiving, YEU has distributed 12 basic medical kits to 12 households (22 people, including 11 women and 11 men), consisting of 15 older people and one pregnant woman. These medical kits have proven highly beneficial in maintaining their health.
Testimony of a displaced older people
Mrs. Agustina (not her real name) who is 72 years old lives in a shelter with her husband. However, due to his health condition, he was relocated to a resident’s home, as he was unable to stay at the Bokang Elementary School shelter.
She has a child, a daughter-in-law, and a six-month-old grandchild. Since her entire family has been displaced, she also helps care for her grandchild. Due to fluctuating weather conditions, she frequently experiences fatigue and body aches. She expressed gratitude for the massage oil and warming oil, which have helped relieve her discomfort.
Mrs. Theresia (not her real name), a 76-years-old woman, has lived alone since her husband passed away in 2017. Her relatives have evacuated elsewhere, while she has remained at the Bokang Elementary School shelter since December 2023.
She is from Hokeng Village, which has been classified as a red zone due to the direct impacts of the Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki eruption. She is currently awaiting further government directives regarding resettlement.
She deeply appreciates the basic medical kits provided, as she had never received such assistance before. She mentioned that the body-warming oil has been especially useful in keeping her warm, particularly while weaving koli palm leaves into betel nut containers at the shelter.
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