BNPB Disaster Management Meeting Reveals Mount Ruang Hemorrhagic Eruption Refugees Affect Food Menu

Victims of the eruption of Mount Ruang on the deck of KRI Kakap-811 when evacuated at Tagulandang Port, Sitaro, North Sulawesi, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (ANTARA PHOTO-Andri Saputra)

SULUT - A number of victims of the eruption of Mount Ruang, Sitaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi (Sulut) reportedly suffered from digestive disorders to defecation (BAB) mixed with blood. The unhealthy situation was due to the intake of an unbalanced food menu while in refugee camps.

"We saw many victims from Tamulandang who experienced it up to a bloody defecation," said Commander of the VIII Naval Main Base (Danlantamal) Manado Admiral TNI Nouldy J Tangka in a coordination meeting on the Handling of the Mount Ruang Eruption Disaster with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) which was followed online from Jakarta, Thursday, May 2, which was confiscated by Antara. According to him, food intake is incommensurate, namely lack of food intake containing fiber such as vegetables and fresh fruits is one of the things that affects digestive disorders.

Reports from TNI officers in the field revealed that for two weeks the emergency response period for the dining menu from the public kitchen was in the form of rice, intan noodles and chicken eggs.

This condition, he said, contributed that not a few sick victims had to be evacuated by TNI personnel to receive medical treatment, one of which was to the Bitung area.

"In addition to supplying mineral water using KRI Kakap, we have also tried to help distribute vegetables, but unfortunately the existing amount is indeed limited," he said.

Thus, Nouldy hopes to immediately follow up on the need for a balanced food supply complete with vegetables and fruits so that the health condition of the victims is maintained.

Responding to this condition, the Head of BNPB Suharyanto who chaired the coordination meeting ensured that all basic needs for the victims and joint officers were met, including food in the form of vegetables and fruit during the emergency response period.

BNPB has also prepared a team to obtain vegetables and fruit as well as a fleet of ships to transport these foodstuffs to each refugee camp as long as the aircraft is still unable to operate.

To note, Tagulandang Island is one of the areas other than Ruang Island which was most affected by the series of Mount Ruang eruptions on April 17 and April 30, 2024.

BNPB recorded a total of 12 thousand residents from 13 villages in Tamulandang who had to be evacuated to refugee camps outside the island. This is because the residential distance of the Tamulandang residents with the peak of this volcano is less than 10 kilometers adrift.

The overall evacuation of residents was carried out as recommended by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) so that local residents avoid the impact of the ejection of material that was vomited when the eruption occurred again at any time.