ACTNews, CENTRAL MALUKU – The effort to assist the disaster victims in Maluku goes on. To meet the needs of clean water, Regional Income Board (BAPENDA) of West Java Province together with Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) Maluku collaborated to distribute clean water to meet the needs of earthquake survivors in Central Maluku.

The water distribution was carried out in several villages that were quite severely-affected by the earthquake, including Waai and Liang Villages, located in Salahutu Subdistrict, Central Maluku Regency. The water distribution that began on Wednesday (11/13) is targeted continue until next month. Every day, as much as 10,000 liters of water is distributed at various evacuation sites.

Three months after the earthquake, the survivors are still staying in evacuation sites due after their houses were severely destroyed. They are now in dire need of clean water supply.

“The number of refugees here is quite large, up to 17,000 people spread across various evacuation sites. Of course, supplying water to such large number of people will be very difficult, especially in emergency condition like that of the evacuees, "said ACT Maluku Branch Manager Wahab Loilatu on Saturday (11/28).

The clean water distribution was enthusiastically welcomed by evacuees. (ACTNews)

The clean water assistance in the evacuation sites was positively welcomed by the residents. They lined up and brought their buckets and jerry cans to be filled. Roda Opir, one of the earthquake survivors from Marbhan Hamlet, appreciated ACT and BAPENDA West Java’s concern for them. They had been waiting for clean water assistance. Roda revealed that, besides water, they still need various kinds of assistance in order to survive in the evacuation sites.

"In addition to clean water, we still need help in the form of tarpaulins and food in the evacuation sites. We still cannot go home yet because we are still waiting for the instructions from the Ambon City Government to return to our homes because. Several weak tremors are still happening," Roda said.

The evacuation site that is located atop the hill makes it difficult for the evacuees to obtain basic needs, including clean water.

Lukman Solehuddin from the Disaster and Emergency Response (DER) Team - Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) found out that the evacuees had to queue to take water from the leaking water pipe that stretched across the hills because there was no water source around the hills.

"The survivors are now using water from the leaking water pipes to meet their clean water needs. They stored it using jerry cans and took it to the hills where they set up camps, "Lukman said in October. []