Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Indonesia floods bring anguish and advantage
by Nabiha Shahab =(PICTURE)=
JAKARTA, Feb 5, 2007 (AFP) - Nine-months pregnant with her second child, Sri washed her family's clothes in the dirty brown water in the middle of the road, and used the curb stones as her washboard.
"We didn't have time to carry anything with us except our clothes," said the 26-year-old mother who is one of hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee floods that have inundated the city.
Every once in a while she shouted to her four-year-old son to be careful. But Hasan was more intent on enjoying the rare opportunity to swim.
Dozens of other children were playing in the murky water, laughing and chattering carefree as their parents recounted their woes.
"My marriage certificate and other documents were washed away when we left our home," Sri said, recalling the night when the waters rose and drove her and seven other members of her family from their home by the river bank.
Sri and scores of her neighbours have taken refuge in a market carpark building not far from her house.
"It's cold at night," Sri said, hoping that volunteers will send her and her family some blankets.
Having lost everything she owns to the swirling brown waters, Sri, the wife of a building construction worker, said "we have to start all over again."
While the floods brought disaster for many, others were taking advantage of new business opportunities.
With most schools closed, one man was earning some extra money by entertaining boys who have time on their hands.
With eight Gameboys wired up to a motorcycle battery, Deni was all smiles as he instructed his young customers how to operate the portable game consoles which he rents for 500 rupiah (about five cents) for 20 minutes.
"It's not bad, the children are not in school," Deni said, adding that he was earning much more than at his usual post in the playground of an elementary school.
Deni was not the only one reaping a profit from the worst floods to hit Jakarta in the past five years.
A section of the road near the East Jakarta Jatinegara market resembled a makeshift fair rather than a refuge for flood victims.
Food vendors opened for business next to the emergency shelters as children ran around, and volunteer workers blasted loud music over their pickup's sound system.
Sodikin, a food vendor, said he had changed his route and parked his cart near the emergency shelters where he sells omelettes for 1,500 rupiah an egg.
"I sold almost 10 kilos (22 pounds) of eggs the other day, more than twice what I usually sell," he said with a grin.
Despite his own house being flooded, Sodikin said the rain had brought him good luck.
"I usually earn 30,000 rupiah a day and now I can get up to 80,000 rupiah," he said, although he complained that the price of eggs had risen since the floods.
Fellow food vendor Abdul Rohman, 40, who sells meatball soup, said: "We lost everything but managed to save this cart."
Despite having nowhere to live, Rohman was determined to keep busy.
"It is better to work than sit around doing nothing," he said.
nsh/mtp/bgs
by Nabiha Shahab =(PICTURE)=
JAKARTA, Feb 5, 2007 (AFP) - Nine-months pregnant with her second child, Sri washed her family's clothes in the dirty brown water in the middle of the road, and used the curb stones as her washboard.
"We didn't have time to carry anything with us except our clothes," said the 26-year-old mother who is one of hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee floods that have inundated the city.
Every once in a while she shouted to her four-year-old son to be careful. But Hasan was more intent on enjoying the rare opportunity to swim.
Dozens of other children were playing in the murky water, laughing and chattering carefree as their parents recounted their woes.
"My marriage certificate and other documents were washed away when we left our home," Sri said, recalling the night when the waters rose and drove her and seven other members of her family from their home by the river bank.
Sri and scores of her neighbours have taken refuge in a market carpark building not far from her house.
"It's cold at night," Sri said, hoping that volunteers will send her and her family some blankets.
Having lost everything she owns to the swirling brown waters, Sri, the wife of a building construction worker, said "we have to start all over again."
While the floods brought disaster for many, others were taking advantage of new business opportunities.
With most schools closed, one man was earning some extra money by entertaining boys who have time on their hands.
With eight Gameboys wired up to a motorcycle battery, Deni was all smiles as he instructed his young customers how to operate the portable game consoles which he rents for 500 rupiah (about five cents) for 20 minutes.
"It's not bad, the children are not in school," Deni said, adding that he was earning much more than at his usual post in the playground of an elementary school.
Deni was not the only one reaping a profit from the worst floods to hit Jakarta in the past five years.
A section of the road near the East Jakarta Jatinegara market resembled a makeshift fair rather than a refuge for flood victims.
Food vendors opened for business next to the emergency shelters as children ran around, and volunteer workers blasted loud music over their pickup's sound system.
Sodikin, a food vendor, said he had changed his route and parked his cart near the emergency shelters where he sells omelettes for 1,500 rupiah an egg.
"I sold almost 10 kilos (22 pounds) of eggs the other day, more than twice what I usually sell," he said with a grin.
Despite his own house being flooded, Sodikin said the rain had brought him good luck.
"I usually earn 30,000 rupiah a day and now I can get up to 80,000 rupiah," he said, although he complained that the price of eggs had risen since the floods.
Fellow food vendor Abdul Rohman, 40, who sells meatball soup, said: "We lost everything but managed to save this cart."
Despite having nowhere to live, Rohman was determined to keep busy.
"It is better to work than sit around doing nothing," he said.
nsh/mtp/bgs
Détresse et dénuement dans Jakarta inondée (REPORTAGE)
Par Nabiha SHAHAB
JAKARTA, 5 fév 2007 (AFP) - Enceinte de neuf mois, Sri a quasiment tout perdu dans les inondations à Jakarta. La voici obligée de camper sur un parking et de laver son linge dans l'eau trouble recouvrant la chaussée d'une voie d'autobus.
"On a pas eu le temps de prendre quoi que ce soit, à part les vêtements qu'on portait", explique la femme de 26 ans, parmi 350.000 autres sinistrés dans la capitale indonésienne.
Elle garde un oeil attentif sur son fils Hasan, qui du haut de ses 4 ans n'évalue pas le dénuement dans lequel se retrouve plongée sa famille: le bambin nage et patauge dans l'eau, comme des centaines d'enfants ravis de ne plus aller à l'école.
Sri doit affronter une avalanche de soucis, sans pouvoir compter sur les autorités dépassées par l'ampleur des crues, provoquées par des précipitations diluviennes.
"Mon certificat de mariage et les autres documents ont été emportés alors que nous fuyions la maison", relate-t-elle. Il faisait nuit quand l'eau a envahi sa demeure située sur les berges d'une des rivières de Jakarta.
Avec des douzaines de voisins, l'Indonésienne mariée à un ouvrier du bâtiment s'est installée sur le parking d'un marché.
Les mosquées et édifices publics transformés en refuges humanitaires débordent en effet de victimes et beaucoup de personnes sont obligées de dormir à la belle étoile, à la merci de nouvelles pluies après les déluges de ces derniers jours.
"Il fait froid la nuit", dit Sri en confiant espérer que des secouristes leur apportent des couvertures. "Nous devons tout recommencer de zéro", poursuit-elle, lucide.
Non loin d'elle, des vendeurs ambulants profitent de l'afflux des sinistrés, qui sont nombreux à ne pas recevoir de vivres distribués par les associations caritatives musulmanes.
Le prix du riz, l'élément de base en Indonésie, et celui des oeufs, ont subitement grimpé vu les difficultés d'approvisionnement dans la ville.
Selon l'agence officielle Antara, le cours du riz a enflé de 7 à 14% selon les quartiers. De nombreux axes restaient coupés à la circulation lundi.
Sodikin a garé sa charrette à bras près des malheureux massés sur le parking et ses affaires tournent rond.
"J'ai vendu 10 kilos d'oeufs, plus du double de ce que je fais d'habitude", compte-t-il. "Je gagne d'habitude 30.000 roupies (environ 3 dollars) par jour, maintenant je peux aller jusqu'à 80.000 roupies (environ 8 dollars)".
Abdul Rohman, 40 ans, se félicite aussi d'avoir sauvé des eaux son chariot dans lequel il transporte de la soupe aux boulettes de viande.
Il n'a plus de logis pour se reposer le soir, mais pas question de sombrer dans le désespoir. "Il vaut mieux bosser que rester assis à ne rien faire", dit-il.
nsh/seb/php
Par Nabiha SHAHAB
JAKARTA, 5 fév 2007 (AFP) - Enceinte de neuf mois, Sri a quasiment tout perdu dans les inondations à Jakarta. La voici obligée de camper sur un parking et de laver son linge dans l'eau trouble recouvrant la chaussée d'une voie d'autobus.
"On a pas eu le temps de prendre quoi que ce soit, à part les vêtements qu'on portait", explique la femme de 26 ans, parmi 350.000 autres sinistrés dans la capitale indonésienne.
Elle garde un oeil attentif sur son fils Hasan, qui du haut de ses 4 ans n'évalue pas le dénuement dans lequel se retrouve plongée sa famille: le bambin nage et patauge dans l'eau, comme des centaines d'enfants ravis de ne plus aller à l'école.
Sri doit affronter une avalanche de soucis, sans pouvoir compter sur les autorités dépassées par l'ampleur des crues, provoquées par des précipitations diluviennes.
"Mon certificat de mariage et les autres documents ont été emportés alors que nous fuyions la maison", relate-t-elle. Il faisait nuit quand l'eau a envahi sa demeure située sur les berges d'une des rivières de Jakarta.
Avec des douzaines de voisins, l'Indonésienne mariée à un ouvrier du bâtiment s'est installée sur le parking d'un marché.
Les mosquées et édifices publics transformés en refuges humanitaires débordent en effet de victimes et beaucoup de personnes sont obligées de dormir à la belle étoile, à la merci de nouvelles pluies après les déluges de ces derniers jours.
"Il fait froid la nuit", dit Sri en confiant espérer que des secouristes leur apportent des couvertures. "Nous devons tout recommencer de zéro", poursuit-elle, lucide.
Non loin d'elle, des vendeurs ambulants profitent de l'afflux des sinistrés, qui sont nombreux à ne pas recevoir de vivres distribués par les associations caritatives musulmanes.
Le prix du riz, l'élément de base en Indonésie, et celui des oeufs, ont subitement grimpé vu les difficultés d'approvisionnement dans la ville.
Selon l'agence officielle Antara, le cours du riz a enflé de 7 à 14% selon les quartiers. De nombreux axes restaient coupés à la circulation lundi.
Sodikin a garé sa charrette à bras près des malheureux massés sur le parking et ses affaires tournent rond.
"J'ai vendu 10 kilos d'oeufs, plus du double de ce que je fais d'habitude", compte-t-il. "Je gagne d'habitude 30.000 roupies (environ 3 dollars) par jour, maintenant je peux aller jusqu'à 80.000 roupies (environ 8 dollars)".
Abdul Rohman, 40 ans, se félicite aussi d'avoir sauvé des eaux son chariot dans lequel il transporte de la soupe aux boulettes de viande.
Il n'a plus de logis pour se reposer le soir, mais pas question de sombrer dans le désespoir. "Il vaut mieux bosser que rester assis à ne rien faire", dit-il.
nsh/seb/php
