Samoa Tsunami – Update Oct 8

After nearly a week of assessments carried out in Samoa following the tsunami of 29 September, the small Médecins Sans Frontières team has found that the vast majority of medical and non-medical needs have been covered.  An impressive international aid response has meant that food, water and clothing have been distributed, and people who required urgent medical care have received it.

The team has visited the southern coast of Samoa, the area which took the full impact of the tsunami. Assessments have also been carried out on Manono Island.

However, as people begin to build their lives again, the psychological impact of such significant loss of life and belongings is being felt. “Obviously people are traumatised,” says Veronique DE CLERCK, Emergency Coordinator in Samoa for Médecins Sans Frontières. “They have lost all their assets and some people have lost a large number of family members. There was one family we heard of who lost thirteen members.”

In the next week, a Médecins Sans Frontières psychologist will provide training for a team of Samoan counsellors who will offer psychosocial support for people impacted by the disaster.

Once psychological training has been delivered, it is planned that Médecins Sans Frontières will leave Samoa by mid-October. “It was good to do an assessment after this natural disaster,” says Veronique. “The most valuable information is found within the community and it is always important to see the situation of the people with our own eyes. They have lost pretty much all their assets, so it is important to see what state they are in, and what their medical and non-medical needs are.”

The official death toll in Samoa stands at 137, with eight people missing. There were 71 people who were seriously wounded.

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