Relief Briefing from Tzu Chi Malaysia Chapter (Dec. 26-Jan. 1)

Date: Dec. 26, 2004 Tzu Chi volunteers were unable to enter the disaster areas due to a temporary closure ordered by the local police squad for safety concerns. Later that evening, Tzu Chi volunteers went to the morgue to help the families of the victims. They served hot meals and provided care and emergency cash to them. Number of households helped: 14. Amount of hot meal served: 320 bags. Number of volunteers participated: 60. Date: Dec. 27, 2004 Some volunteers started entering the disaster areas in the morning, while others were preparing hot meals, emergency cash and relief goods. Volunteers reported that some of the victims needed help to clean up their houses. Ten volunteers participated in the cleaning effort and cleaned two households. At noon, volunteers spread out into different disaster area and started the relief efforts by disbributing relief goods at a designated shelter amd making door-to-door distribution. Number of households helped: Tanjung Tokong (57), Permatang Damar Laut (35), Bagan Teluk Kumbar (30), Pulau Betong (40), Kuala Muda (273). Medical staff affiliated with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association offered free clinic services to the victims at the relief shelters in Tanjung Tokong and Kuala Muda. Number of victims received medical attention: 28 people. Households received relief goods: 435. Hot meal served: 1,260 bags. Number of volunteers participated: 300 Date: Dec. 28, 2004 Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution. Number of households helped: Kuala Jalan Baru (36), Permatang Damar Laut (16), Sungai Pinang (50), Bagan Jermal(83), Tanjung Tokong (20), Tanjung Bungah (88), Kuala Muda (295). Another group of volunteers headed to the disaster areas to clean up the trash and debris. Later, they were joined by the relief team and transported a total of seven truckloads of trash. Medical staff went to the relief shelter in Kuala Muda to provide free medical care. Number of victims received medical care: 100 people. Households received relief goods: 588. Hot meal served: 690 bags. Number of volunteers participated: 200. Date: Dec. 29, 2004 Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution. Number of households helped: relief goods delivered in Tanjong Bungah of Penang (66) and Bagan Jelma (5). Relief goods were distributed in Kuala Teriang of Langkawi (210). Volunteers continued the cleaning effort after the relief was finished. They provided cleaning effort in the same disaster area as yesterday. Another eight truckloads of trash were transported today. Forty-five Tzu Chi volunteers from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi came to the Langkawi relief shelter to provide relief goods to the victims. Tzu Chi volunteers were able to identify residents who needed special care and help in the Tanjung Bungah disaster area with the help of the village's top official. The volunteers collected the case data in preparation for subsequent post-disaster care. Hot meals were served to the victims without hot food in Bagan Jelma of Penang. Households received relief goods: 281. Hot meal served: 24 bags. Number of volunteers participated: 77. Date: Dec. 30, 2004 Methods of relief efforts: distributing relief materials at a designated shelter. Number of households helped: Tanjung Bungah of Penang (13), Bukit Malut of Langkawi (330), and Sungain Bakau (51). Twenty-eight Tzu Chi volunteers continued the house cleaning and gave personal care in Kampung Nelayan of Tanjung Bungah. Tzu Chi volunteers also teamed up with a local Christian group to clean up the disaster areas. In the afternoon, 18 volunteers took over and continued the cleaning effort. More than 60 volunteers from Alor Setar, Jitra, Butterworth and Penang joined to help cleaning the victims’ houses in Kuala Muda. A total of five houses belonged to 10 elderly people and a kindergarten were cleaned by the volunteers. Volunteers were ordered to leave the area later by the police due to another possible tsunami attack. A Tzu Chi social worker and 10 volunteers provided care and relief goods to the families of the killed victims. Seven households were visited and four households received relief goods. Two rounds of relief goods distribution and free medical clinic were provided in Langkawi today -- in Bukit Malut in the morning and in Sungai Bakau in the afternoon. A total of 45 Tzu Chi volunteers and social workers from Penang, Kuala Lumpar, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi participated in today’s relief effort. About 200 people came to the free clinic for medical treatments. Two doctors, two nurses, one pharmacist and four volunteers helped in the free clinic. Number of Households received relief goods: 39 Number of volunteers participated: 151. Date: Dec. 31, 2004 A total of 22 volunteers participated in today’s cleaning up effort in Tanjong Bunga (including the beach area). Tzu Chi volunteers also provided hot meals (170 boxes) to these victims in two relief shelters, delivered relief goods to one household and reported five cases needing for further help. Tzu Chi social workers and volunteers continued to provide in-home care to the families of the deceased victims and delivered relief goods to them based on the information from two hospitals. Among the six families they visited, one lost five children when the tsunami hit. Both parents of that family were too devastated to take care of their own injuries. Tzu Chi volunteers provided loving care and would continue to offer their care and support. Households received relief goods: 7. Hot meal served: 170 boxes (Tajung Tokong: 150 boxes, Bagan Jelma: 20 boxes). Number of volunteers participated: 27. Date: Jan.1, 2005 A total of 218 Tzu Chi volunteers headed to the disaster areas in Pulau Betong in the morning to help community cleaning up. They also cleaned seven houses damaged by the tsunami. The cleaning work continued until 4:30 p.m. Besides Tzu Chi volunteers, there were many other people from local businesses and organizations joining the cleaning up effort during the New Year’s break. The day's volunteers included 218 from Tzu Chi, 150 from Intel, 80 from PPH, 30 from BLIA, 15 from Four-Wheel Drive Team, 3 from Inventec, and 50 others. Together with everyone’s cleaning effort, a total of 32 truckloads of trash were transported out from the tsunami-affected area.