Water Has Not Receded, Longing Home: The Story Of The Elderly Staying In Serdang Bedagai Refugees

SERDANG BEDAGAI Floods that hit Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatra, for almost a week have not fully receded in two sub-districts, namely Seirampah and Tanjung Beringin.

Although the water began to gradually fall, many residents, especially the elderly, were still surviving in refugee tents.

Deputy Regent Serdang Bedagai Adlin Tambunan said the local government is now focusing on handling the two sub-districts. In other areas, the water has receded and community activities are back to normal.

We focus on two sub-districts, Tanjung Beringin and Seirampah. The condition of the water has begun to recede, and all aids such as basic necessities, blankets, and medicines have been distributed. The medical team is also always on standby," said Adlin in Seirampah, Antara, Friday, December 5.

Monitoring in the field showed that a number of flood points began to decline. However, some residents' houses were still submerged, so they chose to continue to evacuate for safety.

One of them is Yusmawati (72), a resident of Seirampah, who has lived in a refugee camp for one week with her husband, Amir Hamzah (78). The two initially stayed at home, but the rising condition of the water forced them to flee.

"It's been a week to evacuate. We are still grateful because all the needs have been provided by the government," said Yusmawati while sitting near a simple tent where she spent the night.

A similar story came from Nurhayati (72), a resident of Hamlet IV, Pekan Tanjung Beringin Village. Over the past week, he slept in a mosque near his house which has now been converted into an emergency evacuation site.

Nurhayati admitted that she missed her return home, but the water was still inundated at her house.

"I already miss going home, I want to sleep at home. But the water is still high. Our prayer is that this disaster will soon pass," he said slowly.

Although conditions are starting to show improvement, residents hope that flood management can be accelerated so that they can return to their normal activities.

Local governments also continue to monitor weather developments to anticipate the potential for further flooding in the area.