Conditions are extremely difficult in the diocese. Hans Rettob, parish priest in a neighboring village, reports that hundreds of houses, schools, and church buildings were damaged. A public shelter has been set up in a field outside of town, with the help of local priests and sisters. Most of the residents, including Fr. Rettob, have had to abandon his homes.
Pastoral work is almost impossible, according to the priest.
Parish priests in Banggaiu, Sambuit, Nulion, Luwuk are living in tents or in the open. Bernadette Mokorimban, from Luwuk, the hardest hit location in the May 4 quake, told Fides that all the schools run by the Sisters are damaged and school activities have stopped. Many public buildings, banks, telecommunications stations, shops, and mosques, are in ruins. The sister's polyclinic is now unusable, and this has increased the difficulty in helping the injured. Church buildings at Mongke, Boloak and Nulion are also unusable.