Floods Hit Sigi, Ministry of Social Affairs Distributes Assistance Worth Rp878 million

SIGI (7 September 2022) - The Ministry of Social Affairs distributed assistance for disaster management in Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province amounting to Rp. 878 million after being hit by floods on Tuesday (6/9). The assistance was handed over directly by the Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini, during a visit to flood-affected locations, today (7/9).

"The assistance given is used to meet the basic needs of affected residents, who are currently evacuating in the mosque area and its surroundings," said Social Minister Risma in North Pakuli Village, Gumbasa District, Sigi Regency, Wednesday (7/9).

Since the flood disaster was reported, the Ministry of Social Affairs has sent emergency logistical assistance for the basic needs of affected residents from the "Nipotowe" Sentra Warehouse in Palu to the Sigi District Social Service.

The assistance includes 1,000 packages of ready-to-eat food, 504 packages of children's food, 300 packages of ready-to-eat side dishes, 200 sheets of blankets, 200 mattresses, 200 sheets of mattresses, 25 packages of adult clothing, 100 packages of baby clothes, 200 packages of Diapers, and 100 sanitary napkins package.

Responding to the flood disaster and its impact on meeting the basic needs of residents, the Minister of Social Affairs has also prepared six social granaries in Sigi Regency.

"Currently, if it rains, people still have to evacuate temporarily. So that, we have prepared 6 locations for social granaries," said the Minister of Social Affairs to the media crew.

The six social barns, said the Minister of Social Affairs, will be filled with buffer stock needs and distributed to several points so that residents can survive with the existing logistics, even though road access is cut off.

"The mapping is just ready, all of them are in Sigi Regency. The important thing is we need to know the storage of the buffer stock," she emphasized.

Need Special Handling for Upstream to Downstream Areas

After the flood hit Sigi Regency, the former Mayor of Surabaya considered the need for special handling of river water management from upstream to downstream.

"Living in valleys or on slopes maybe more difficult, it requires special treatment, especially for water management, especially from above," she said.

Regarding the handling process, the Minister of Social Affairs said that she had also coordinated to work on the embankment with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), which is also in the same location to map the impact of flood damage.

"Earlier, we have communicated with PUPR, hopefully it can be done because if it is closed so there will be an embankment, the water will not go to the housing. If it is not closed, they have to move and evacuate. It's not easy," said the Minister of Social Affairs after seeing the current condition of the river flow after the embankment was broke.

According to her, this must be done immediately because rainfall tends to increase until early next year. "Rainfall will continue to be high until January 2023. November and December (will be the weather with rainfall) are the heaviest," she said.

As is known, the flood hit Noth Pakuli Village, Gumbasa District, Sigi Regency, on Tuesday (6/9) at around 04.00 WITA due to the high enough rain intensity so that the embankment was unable to accommodate the river water discharge and submerged the residents' settlements.

The water from upstream to downstream, at least, caused 182 families/662 people to evacuate because 2 houses on the banks of the river were washed away, dozens of other houses were submerged in knee-deep water, and a bridge was collapsed.