Ministry of Social Affairs Disbursed 89.4 Billion Jadup to 297 Thousand Lives of NTB Earthquake Victims

SUMBAWA (20 December 2020) - The Ministry of Social Affairs distributes life insurance assistance (jadup) to 297,881 victims of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) earthquake. The recipients of jadup phase II assistance were spread across three districts, namely North Lombok, East Lombok and Sumbawa, with a total aid of 89.4 billion rupiah.

The aid was symbolically handed over by Social Minister ad interim, Muhadjir Effendi, represented by the Director of Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims (PSKBA), M. Safii Nasution, to the Head of the NTB Provincial Social Office, Ahsanul Khalik, and witnessed by the Assistant Deputy for Emergency and Post Disaster Management, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Nelwan Harahap, as well as local officials from each district who received jadup assistance.

In his remarks, Safii hopes that jadup recipients can take advantage of the assistance received for urgent needs. "This assistance targets those who have never received assistance before, and we hope that this assistance can be used wisely by the beneficiaries," said Safii.

Jadup assistance worth Rp 89.4 billion was given to three districts, namely Sumbawa Regency with 15,090 families or 57,365 people worth 17.2 billion rupiah, North Lombok Regency for 37,777 families or 121,286 people worth 36.4 billion rupiah and East Lombok Regency for 33,957 families or 119,230 people worth 35.8 billion rupiah.

Furthermore, Safii said that in a situation of the COVID-19 pandemic which affects all aspects of human life, all areas are affected by this pandemic. "The costs required are not small, both in terms of emergency management and economic recovery efforts, so that it will also have an impact in determining policies on program priorities," he explained.

For this reason, he hopes that with the help of Jadup, the community can begin to reorganize their lives back to normal life as before. "However, it is true that on the way to normalcy, it cannot be done quickly considering the impact of the disaster causes substantial material breach, loss of residence and lost family members, "he added.

NTB residents also welcomed this assistance. Zulkarnain, a resident of Utan District, thanked the government because he and his family received aid amounting to 1.5 million rupiah.

"I will use this assistance to meet the daily needs of the family. Hopefully this assistance can provide good benefits," said Zulkarnain.

Since the earthquake that struck the NTB area in 2018, the Ministry of Social Affairs has disbursed aid worth more than 130 billion rupiah for the handling of earthquake victims in several areas in NTB Province, starting from emergency handling in the form of logistics distribution, government rice reserves, regular rice, basic food, equipment family kitchens, cleaning equipment, to psychosocial support services worth 21.6 billion rupiah.

In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs has also distributed compensation to the heirs of the victims of the disaster who died as many as 567 people, worth 8.5 billion rupiah. Then, the first phase jadup assistance in 2019 for 5,118 families or 19,099 people in Central Lombok Regency, Mataram City, West Lombok Regency and West Sumbawa Regency worth 11.5 billion rupiah and Jadup phase II in 2020 for 86,824 families or 297,881 people in Lombok Regency North, East Lombok Regency and Sumbawa Regency worth 89.4 billion rupiah.

Assistance for Baturotok Fire Victims

On the same day, the Ministry of Social Affairs through the Directorate of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims (PSKBS) also distributed assistance to victims of the house fire disaster that occurred in Baturotok District, Sumbawa Regency, amounting to 2.2 billion rupiah.

The assistance was in the form of House Building Materials (BBR) assistance to 71 households worth 1.8 billion rupiah, Permanent Residential Contents assistance worth 213 million rupiah, and Productive Economic Business (UEP) assistance to 17 households worth 85 million rupiah.

The fire happened on Saturday (7/11) at 16.10 local time in Baturotok Village, Batulanteh District, Sumbawa Regency. It occurred as a result of an explosion of a battery in one of the residents' houses.