Solomon Islanders scared to death after tsunami
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A member of the Australian Navy, left, helps a Solomon Islands'
police officer load relief supplies for the tsunami hit region of
Gizo onto a ship in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Monday, April 2,
2007. -AP
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Arnold Pidakere, a resident of Gizo who spoke of how he and his
family fled the earthquake and tsunami which hit the Solomon Islands,
describes how survivors have been coping.
We spent last night in the open. We are still gathered on the hill
top. There were a few earthquakes overnight, but they weren't strong.
We received some aid. Two patrol boats brought us some food, water
and medicines. We also have tents now, but they are not enough for
everyone.
I fear that what we got is not enough. We still need more drinking
water. And we need medical supplies as our hospital is destroyed. We,
fathers, can do without tent and food, so that the children and women
have enough. It is very overcrowded. There are many of us here: people
are afraid to leave the higher grounds.
We are scared and our nerves are stretched. You can tell the children
are tired - they cry and scream almost constantly. We don't know if
there's more to come, so for the time being we stay here. And anyway,
there is no place to go. We can't go home as our homes are destroyed.
We can only wait for the government to help us. I was woken up this
morning by the earthquake and soon afterwards I could hear the blow of
the waves. I took my wife and two daughters and ran out of the house. We
ran for our lives, away from the waves.
When we looked back, we saw our house being destroyed. Many buildings
in the low-lying areas near the coast are washed away. Now we are
gathered at the hill top. There are several hundred of us. Everyone has
moved to higher ground. We are really scared and we don't know what's to
come
There is a lodge here, but it is very small - it has six rooms and it
can't house all of us. So we are going to spend the night in the open. I
know of a 10-year-old child who died. Children are missing and there are
injured people. One woman here got injured as her house was being
destroyed by the waves.
We have no medical assistance. We haven't received any help at all.
Our most urgent need is for water. We have no water at all. The water
tanks have collapsed. Then we need food. For now we sit outside and wait
for the danger to go away and for help to reach us.
We are really scared. We don't know what's to come. We have seen
these kind of things happening to other people on our TV screens. We
thought we were safe but now it has happened to us, too.
BBC
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