Minister of Social Affairs Visited Flood Victims Padang Lawas in the First Day of Work

Writer :

Koesworo Setiawan

Translator :

Fia Arista Dewi

PADANG LAWAS (January 4th, 2022) – There is no time to relax for the Minister of Social Affairs. On early Monday morning, when the sun has just risen at 7.30 am, she was already on a plane.

With his officers, Minister Social Affairs went from Juanda Airport Surabaya to North Sumatera. At around 12.30 WIB, she landed in Silangit Siborongborong Airport, North Tapanuli Regency, just before have a transit in Jakarta.

From Silangit Airport, Social Minister continued his journey to Batang Lubu Sutam District, Padang Lawas Regency. The journey of 286 kilometers is taken for about 7 hours through a challenging road.

Crossing a long land route, it doesn’t make her less motivated to meet the survivor of flood disaster. At 21.00, she arrived at the disaster site at Tanjung Baru Village Office, Batang Lubu Sutam District, Padang Lawas Regency, North Sumatra Province.

She directly visiting evacuation center, checking the public kitchen, and the logistics aids that will be given to the victims.

Even though the journey takes very long, the Minister still have a spirit and energy to show her friendliness. She distributed kids’ meal patiently to the children that waiting for her presence.

Risma also look at the condition of some people house that broken because of the flood from Sutam River. Even though the flood has been subsided, but some of the material still around their house.

With smiles dan friendliness, she even let the people deliver their aspiration and suggestion. They have a discussion at Tanjung Baru Village Office, Batang Lubu Sutam District, Padang Lawas Regency.

Some of them ask Risma if there is an assistance to renovate their house. Because there are many houses that distracted by the flood in the night before turning year.

To the journalist, Risma said that she had encouraged local government to immediately examine this kind of request from the residents. Risma wants local government along with academician to determine whether it is safe to rebuild a house in the former area effected by the flood.

“If it rebuilt in the unsafe area, it may be more danger and it can cause another problem and victim,” Risma said to the journalist.

Risma said that she doesn’t want the residents having the same problem with other area which is also affected landslide disaster. Because previously after the residents rebuilt the house, but then there was a landslide disaster so it destroyed the house again.

Therefore, Risma said that we need to have a redevelopment feasibility test on areas affected by floods in Batang Labu Sutam. “Whether it will be relocated or not, we will see the feasibility later. The decision whether it is necessary or not regarding relocation cannot be done now," she said.

Minister of Social Affairs requested that this matter should be discussed with an in-depth study by the regent in the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda). The flash flood occurred due to the overflow of the Sutam River, Batang Labu Sutam District on Friday (12/31/2021) night.

At the end of 2021, Padang Lawas Regency area was hit by flash floods that soaked 15 villages. The disaster caused 79 houses unit being heavily damaged, 51 units being moderately damaged, 56 units being lightly damaged, 12 housing units being washed away, and 1 school being heavily damaged (Nizoumul Hikmah Islamic Boarding School).

The disaster caused 100 people to move to the evacuation center in SD 1 Tanjung Baru and 200 people to take in the Babul Hasannah Islamic Boarding School, which the total number of victims is 300 people.

On that occasion, the Minister of Social Affairs symbolically handed over several types of logistical assistance. Overall, the Ministry of Social assistance provided 700 mattresses, 720 ready-to-eat food packages, 100 mattresses, 8 family-purpose tents, 100 baby diaper packages, and 100 sanitary napkins.

Then also 40 packages of kid ware, 60 food ware, 10 packages of family kitchen equipment, 150 packages of children's food, 1 unit of red and white tent, 10 units of water purifier. The total value of logistical assistance is Rp. 782.237,253.

Logistics buffer stock assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs was sent on Saturday, January 1st, 2022 from some warehouses, such as North Sumatra Province Warehouse, Bekasi Central Regional Warehouse, and Padang Warehouse. As of January 3rd, some aids had arrived at the disaster site and the other were still on the way.

In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs through the District Social Service Office. Padang Lawas conducted an assessment of victims affected by the disaster and continued to establish 3 public kitchens in Tanjung Baru village, Manggis, and Tamiang which were managed by Tagana Padang Lawas.

Public Relation Bureau

Ministry of Social Affairs

2022-01-04
Visits : 1679