Some Refugees In Mamuju Choose To Stay In Tents, The Reason Is Still Traumatic Returning Home

Children affected by the earthquake play in front of refugee camps at Manakarra Mamuju Stadium, Friday (10/6). ANTARA/Amirullah

MAMUJU - A number of residents who took refuge at several points in Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi Province, until the third day after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the area, are still holding out in refugee camps.

From observations at the Mamuju Manakarra Stadium on Friday, dozens of children were seen playing in front of the refugee camps.

Even though it was raining heavily, a number of children still looked cheerful, as if they had forgotten the trauma of the earthquake they had experienced.

Likewise with the mothers, with more visible faces surviving in the refugee camps at the Mamuju Manakarra Stadium.

Unlike the previous day, which was on Thursday (9/6), Manakarra Mamuju Stadium was packed with hundreds of refugees amidst the activities of volunteers providing assistance to displaced residents.

"Today, most of the refugees, mostly men, are active outside, as on a normal day. But they will return at night," said one of the refugees, Rahman, as quoted by Antara, Friday, June 10.

He and other residents admitted that they chose to stay, even though previously there had been an appeal from BNPB for them to return to their homes, because they were still worried about the possibility of aftershocks.

"We are still traumatized and choose to stay until we really believe we are safe. So, during the day, we work as we can but we come back here (refugees) at night," he said.

"We are afraid that if an earthquake occurs at night, it will be difficult to save ourselves," said Rahman.

The Head of the Daily Executing Agency for the Regional Disaster Management Agency (Kalak BPBD) of Mamuju Regency, Taslim said, until the third day after the earthquake that rocked the area, some residents still chose to stay in refugee camps.

"Indeed, some have returned but the number is not significant," said Taslim.

"At this time of the day, they go about their daily activities as usual, but they will return to the refugee camps at night," he added.

He conveyed that there were still many residents who chose to stay in refugee camps because of the trauma during the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred on January 15, 2021.

"We understand the psychological condition of the people who are still surviving because they are still very traumatized by a similar incident last year," said Taslim.