The Immediate Response to the Java Tsunami - perceptions of the Affected

On July 17, 2006 at 3:24pm, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off of the Indonesian coast. Twenty minutes later the earthquake triggered a tsunami along a 110-mile stretch of Java's southern coast. Waves more than six feet high reached as far as two kilometers inland, destroying scores of houses, restaurants and hotels. According to the National Disaster Management Coordinating Board of Indonesia (BAKORNAS), the tsunami resulted in 637 deaths as well as 167 missing, 543 injured, and 50,756 displaced members of the community.

Continuing our investigations of the perceptions and opinions of people affected by natural disasters worldwide, Fritz Institute and its research partner, TNS Indonesia, surveyed more than one hundred people affected by the Java tsunami.3 As trained research teams were already on the island to assess the humanitarian impact of the May 2006 earthquake, the research was able to commence within one week of the occurrence of the tsunami. The timing provided the researchers a unique opportunity to immediately tap into the perceptions of assistance provided by various relief actors. Replicating the approach of previous surveys, respondents were asked about the damage and loss suffered, perceptions of aid needed and aid received, providers of aid, and their satisfaction with the timeliness and adequacy of the assistance. Where possible, five-point Likert scales were used.