Indonesia is an earthquake-prone country because it is located in a Pacific of fire ring surrounded by volcanoes. When the earthquake disaster in Padang, in 2009 ago, I came there and witnessed how the victim rose from the disaster. Brotherhood in the disaster area becomes a cure for the victims.

Earthquake victims in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, on December 26, 2004 ago (documentation photo @ayijufridar).

Fraternity of Victims in Earthquake Areas

Earthquake disasters always seem to follow wherever Abdul Munir (27 years) left.While in Aceh, the young man from Blang Jruen, Tanah Luas sub-district, North Aceh district, suffered a devastating earthquake on December 26, 2004. An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale followed by the tsunami killed more than 200,000 people in Aceh province, to the residence of Abdul Munir because the sea is far from his home. Abdul Munir survived the earthquake.

When Abdul Munir moved to Padang City, West Sumatra, to study at the State University of Padang, he also experienced a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on 30 September 2009 ago. At that time, Munir and his friends just got back from campus. They sit around while enjoying Aceh coffee brought from the village. Suddenly they feel a tremendous shock.

"We went straight to the page. Soon, our friends who dug near the sea in Padang City also came. My friends escaped avoiding the tsunami that did not happen," Munir said when I interviewed on Thursday (22/10/2009).

During the incident, Abdul Munir lived in Wisma Tanah Rencong on Jalan Galaksit, Tunggul Hitam, Padang City. Together with 12 other colleagues from Aceh Utara District, Munir has been studying for 10 months at IKIP Padang and is preparing to return to their respective schools. "But after the earthquake, the file was a mess and we had to stay longer in Padang," continued the teacher of SMK Lhoksukon, North Aceh. In total, there are 106 vocational teachers from Aceh are currently studying at IKIP Padang.

Munir felt the difference between the earthquake in Aceh and the earthquake in Padang on 30 September. In Aceh, the earth feels shaky with horizontal movement.But in Padang, the earth is flushed with vertical movement. "The Earth is jumping up and down. Perhaps because of that many buildings that collapsed," added the stocky young man.

The same is also illustrated by Muhammad Nasir, a Padang State University student from Jungka Gajah Kecamatan Meurah Mulia Kabupaten Aceh Utara. The small boy felt that the earthquake in Aceh was different from the earthquake in Padang in terms of shocks. But, the impact remains devastating.

In handling after the disaster, there was also a difference between the disaster in Aceh and Padang. First, the victims of the earthquake in Padang, when the first days were seen asking for help from the users of the highway. They stood on several streets and held up a container (usually from cardboard) to accommodate the assistance of road users. Not infrequently, these levies cause traffic congestion.

However, after that, there was a policy from Gamawan Fauzi (the governor of West Sumatra at the time) that prohibited the quote of assistance from users of the highway. In fact, Satpol PP officers then took to the streets to curb the practice.

In Aceh, road-raising aid still occurs even a year after the disaster. Not only victims but sometimes by students who care about earthquake victims.

Problems of displacement of earthquake victims, also seen a sharp difference. In Aceh, refugees are concentrated in one place with barracks built by both government and humanitarian agencies. This was done because most of the victims' houses were not only destroyed by the earthquake but also were melted by the tsunami waves."Padang residents set up refugee camps in front of his house," Hendra Makmur said, a journalist in Padang. In Aceh, could not set up tents in front of the ruins of houses because not only houses were destroyed, but some villages disappeared from the map because it had become an ocean.

The post-earthquake reconstruction also differs between Aceh and West Sumatra.There is no special body established by the government to build Padang again like the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BBR) Aceh - Nias. The Government of West Sumatra built all the damage caused by the earthquake.

However, among many of these differences, there is one equality in addressing the disaster, namely the establishment of a strong sense of brotherhood fellow disaster areas. Aceh Provincial Government, received a lot of assistance from home and abroad when the disaster occurred. When the earthquake in West Sumatera, the Provincial Government returned to help the victims there worth Rp1, 5 billion. The aid is then followed by North Aceh regency government who handed over aid to the City Government of Padang worth Rp100 million. It is very small compared to the amount of cost required, but this is the form of togetherness of the people of North Aceh with Padang.

Many North Aceh residents in Padang, both working and in education. To that end, North Aceh Regency Government also helps students of North Aceh District each Rp2 million per person. The number of people in Aceh in West Sumatra is a lot, as well as the number of Minang community in Aceh. The Acehnese joined the Aceh Family Association (IKATSK). "At the time of the earthquake, we helped raise aid for the victims," Abdullah Ibrahim said, chairman of IKATSK found in Padang, in 2009 ago.

In addition to these institutions, there is also the Student Association of Aceh Students (Himpac) which according to Abdul Munir the number of about 400 members. "We also volunteer when the disaster occurs, in addition to raising aid for the victims," said Munir.[]

Indonesia adalah negara rawan bencana gempa karena terletak di cincin api Pasifik yang dikelilingi gunung berapi. Ketika bencana gempa di Padang, tahun 2009 silam, saya datang ke sana dan menyaksikan bagaimana korban bangkit dari bencana. Persaudaraan di daerah bencana menjadi obat bagi para korban.

Kebersamaan Korban di Daerah Gempa

BENCANA gempa sepertinya selalu mengikuti ke mana pun Abdul Munir (27 tahun) pergi. Ketika berada di Aceh, pemuda asal Blang Jruen Kecamatan Tanah Luas Kabupaten Aceh Utara itu mengalami gempa dahsyat pada 26 Desember 2004. Gempa berkekuatan 8,9 skala Richter yang diikuti gelombang tsunami tersebut menelan korban lebih dari 200 ribu jiwa di Provinsi Aceh, kendati tsunami tidak sampai ke kediaman Abdul Munir karena laut jauh dari rumahnya. Abdul Munir selamat dari gempa tersebut

Tatkala Abdul Munir pindah ke Kota Padang, Sumatera Barat, untuk tugas belajar di Unversitas Negeri Padang, ia juga mengalami gempa berkekuatan 7,9 SR pada 30 September 2009 silam. Saat itu, Munir dan kawan-kawannya baru saya pulang dari kampus. Mereka duduk-duduk sambil menikmati kopi Aceh yang dibawa dari kampung. Tiba-tiba mereka merasakan guncangan yang sangat dahsyat.

“Kami langsung kabur ke halaman. Tak lama kemudian, teman-teman kami yang kos di dekat laut di Kota Padang, juga datang. Teman-teman kabur menghindari tsunami yang ternyata yang tidak terjadi,” tutur Munir saat saya wawancarai pada Kamis (22/10/2009).

Saat kejadian, Abdul Munir tinggal di Wisma Tanah Rencong di Jalan Galaksi, Tunggul Hitam, Kota Padang. Bersama 12 rekannya lainnya dari Kabupaten Aceh Utara, Munir sudah 10 bulan mengikuti tugas belajar di IKIP Padang dan dalam persiapan pulang kembali ke sekolah masing-masing. “Tapi setelah gempa, berkas berantakan dan kami harus berada lebih lama di Padang,” lanjut guru SMK Lhoksukon, Aceh Utara itu. Totalnya, ada 106 guru SMK dari Aceh sedang mengikuti tugas belajar di IKIP Padang.

Munir merasakan perbedaan antara gempa di Aceh dengan gempa di Padang pada 30 September lalu. Di Aceh, bumi terasa bergoyang dengan gerakan horizontal. Tapi di Padang, bumi bergelonjotan dengan gerakan vertikal. “Bumi terasa melompat-lompat. Mungkin karena itu banyak gedung yang amblas,” tambah pemuda bertubuh gempal tersebut.

Hal yang sama juga digambarkan Muhammad Nasir, mahasiswa Universitas Negeri Padang asal Jungka Gajah Kecamatan Meurah Mulia Kabupaten Aceh Utara. Pemuda bertubuh kecil itu merasa, gempa di Aceh berbeda dengan gempa di Padang dari segi guncangannya. Tapi, dampaknya tetap menghancurkan.

Dalam penanganannya setelah bencana terjadi, ternyata juga terdapat perbedaan antara bencana di Aceh dengan Padang. Pertama, para korban gempa di Padang, saat hari-hari pertama terlihat meminta bantuan dari pengguna jalan raya. Mereka berdiri di beberapa ruas jalan, dan mengacungkan wadah (biasanya dari kardus) untuk menampung bantuan dari pengguna jalan. Tak jarang, pungutan bantuan tersebut menimbulkan kemacetan lalu lintas.

Namun, setelah itu ada kebijakan dari Gamawan Fauzi (gubernur Sumatera Barat saat itu) yang melarang adanya pengutipan bantuan dari pengguna jalan raya. Bahkan, petugas Satpol PP kemudian turun ke jalan untuk menertibkan praktek tersebut.

Di Aceh, penggalangan bantuan di jalan raya masih terjadi bahkan setahun setelah bencana. Tidak melulu dilakukan para korban, tetapi kadang oleh mahasiswa yang peduli korban gempa.

Soal pengungsian korban gempa, juga terlihat adanya perbedaan tajam. Di Aceh, pengungsi dikonsentrasikan di satu tempat dengan dibangun barak baik oleh pemerintah maupun lembaga kemanusiaan. Ini dilakukan karena sebagian besar rumah korban bukan hanya hancur oleh gempa, tetapi juga lebur oleh gelombang tsunami. “Warga Padang mendirikan tenda pengungsian di depan rumahnya,” ujar Hendra Makmur, seorang jurnalis di Padang. Di Aceh, tentu saja tidak bisa mendirikan tenda di depan reruntuhan rumah karena bukan hanya rumah yang hancur, tetapi beberapa desa hilang dari peta karena sudah menjadi lautan.

Rekonstruksi pasca-gempa juga berbeda antara Aceh dengan Sumatera Barat. Tidak ada badan khusus yang dibentuk pemerintah untuk membangun Padang kembali seperti Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi (BBR) Aceh – Nias. Pemerintah Sumatera Barat membangun sendiri semua kerusakan akibat gempa.

Namun, di antara banyak perbedaan tersebut, ada satu persamaan dalam menyikapi bencana, yakni terbangunnya rasa persaudaraan yang kuat sesama daerah bencana. Pemerintah Provinsi Aceh, menerima banyak bantuan dari dalam dan luar negeri saat bencana terjadi. Ketika gempa di Sumbar, Pemerintah Provinsi balik membantu korban di sana senilai Rp1,5 miliar. Bantuan tersebut kemudian diikuti Pemkab Aceh Utara yang menyerahkan bantuan kepada Pemkot Padang senilai Rp100 juta. Memang sangat kecil dibandingkan jumlah biaya yang dibutuhkan, tapi inilah bentuk kebersamaan masyarakat Aceh Utara dengan Padang.

Banyak warga Aceh Utara di Padang, baik yang bekerja maupun sedang dalam pendidikan. Untuk itu, Pemkab Aceh Utara juga membantu mahasiswa Kabupaten Aceh Utara masing-masing Rp2 juta per orang. Jumlah masyarakat Aceh di Sumbar memang banyak, sama halnya dengan jumlah masyarakat Minang di Aceh. Warga Aceh tersebut bergabung dalam wadah Ikatan Keluarga Aceh Taman Syiah Kuala (IKATSK). “Saat gempa, kami ikut menggalang bantuan bagi para korban,” ungkap Abdullah Ibrahim, ketua IKATSK yang dijumpai di Padang, tahun 2009 silam.

Selain lembaga tersebut, ada juga Himpunan Mahasiswa Pelajar Aceh (Himpac) yang menurut Abdul Munir jumlahnya sekitar 400-an anggota. “Kami juga menjadi relawan ketika bencana terjadi, selain menggalang bantuan bagi korban,” tandas Munir.[]

---

---

---

---