BULAKSUMUR (KU) – As many as 700 IDPs now live in some shelters in UGM compound, which are Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri Center for Cultural Studies and Student’s Hall.
Chairman of Disaster Early Response Unit (DERU) UGM, Slamet Widiyanto, S.Si., M.Sc, said 219 IDPs were evacuated to UGM starting Friday at 02.30 and 295 at 03.30. “The IDPs were sent to the Student’s Hall last night,” Slamet said at DERU office in Bulaksumur D-7 on Friday (5/11).
Slamet said the majority of IDPs were from Pakem, Harjobinangun, Turgo, and Ngagklik; they had stayed at the Maguwoharjo stadium in Sleman before but as it was overloaded, they were sent to UGM. “There were 175 IDPs more coming in at 13.30. We locate them at the Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri building,” Slamet said.
DERU UGM is dealing with all matters related to the IDPs in cooperation with student volunteers, Student Health Unit and UGM units. Rice packs, underwears, blankets, mats, masks and mineral water have been dispatched to the shelters.
Student Affairs Director of UGM, Drs. Haryanto, M.Si, said UGM will prepare additional shelters if the number of IDPs increases. “Now we prepare the Student’s Hall and the Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri. If those are not adequate, we will prepare the indoor tennis court,” he said.
According to Haryanto, the ideal thing is for the IDPs to stay indoor to avoid volcanic ashes that can affect respiratory tracts especially for children. “We call for other universities to open their campus as shelters,” said the chairman of Association of Vice Rectors of Indonesian universities.
To help the handling of trauma healing, Faculty of Psychology UGM dispatched 4 volunteers consisting of psychologist, professional students and students of Faculty of Psychology who have been briefed in advance as well as members of community. “This group is established to help IDPs at UGM and others,” he said.
At UGM, as many as 230 IDPs from Harjobinangun stay in the Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri building. Most are children. “We have moved from Maguwohardjo shelter, because it was an open space and ashes were everywhere. Women complained as their children did not want to put on the mask. We heard UGM open shelters, so we moved here,” Sulistiyo (40) from Harjobinangun said.
Meanwhile, GKR Hemas, the wife of Governor of the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region, visited the IDPs. This was welcomed by the IDPs and they used the opportunity to express their complaints. GKR Hemas encouraged the IDPs to stay until the eruptions have ended. “We want to know the condition of the IDPs. They seemed tired as they have to move places,” she told reporters.