Floods Hit in a Number of Areas, the Ministry of Social Affairs Sends Logistic Assistance

JAKARTA (February, 2nd 2020) - The Ministry of Social Affairs sent logistical assistance and an assessment team to various areas in Indonesia that were affected by floods and landslides.

"The main priority of the Ministry of Social Affairs in every disaster event is the social protection of disaster victims. For this reason, when flash floods occur in a number of areas, we immediately send basic necessities such as food, blankets, clothes for children and adults, cleaning equipment, and send Disaster Preparedness Cadet and the assessment team to further record the needs of residents, "said Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara Jakarta, Sunday.

The Minister of Social Affairs said that the floods hit a number of areas on Saturday (1/2) causing flash floods and residents to evacuate. In Banten Province, heavy rains that occurred since Saturday (1/2) caused flooding in three areas, namely Serang Regency, Tangerang Regency and Tangerang City. In East Java, heavy rains caused three districts to be submerged, namely Jember Regency, Blitar Regency and Bondowoso Regency.

Furthermore, floods also hit Banjar Regency, West Jakarta City, South Lampung Regency, Central Tapanuli Regency, Kaur Regency, Bandung Regency, as well as floods and landslides in Klaten Regency.

"The Ministry of Social Affairs has coordinated with each of the social agencies in the affected cities and districts. The first is of course to ensure that the evacuation of residents has been carried out, supported by teams from the The Indonesian National Armed Forces, The Indonesian National Police, village officials and residents, "said Minister Ari.

Furthermore, deploying Disaster Preparedness Cadet (Tagana) and Disaster Alert Village (KSB) together with the Social Service to prepare evacuation sites, establishing field public kitchen to meet the people's food and drinking needs, and conducting assessments to record residents' needs.

"Assistance has also been distributed from the logistical warehouse of the Ministry of Social Affairs to the social service to arrange the distribution with Disaster Preparedness Cadet colleagues and social volunteers for the Disaster Alert Village and other volunteers," he explained.

Assistance Distribution

To ensure the distribution process runs well and is conveyed to the residents, Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara, represented by the Director General of Social Protection and Security, Harry Hikmat, visited Serang Regency, Tangerang City and Tangerang Regency, Banten Province by handing over logistical assistance in the three locations totaling Rp. 330,918,458,

"The area of ​​Serang Regency is one of the worst affected areas, especially in Bumi Ciruas Permai Housing (BCT)," said the Director General.

Floods in Serang Regency have occurred since Saturday (1/2) and inundated 15 villages in six sub-districts. A total of 670 people in Bumi Ciruas Permai Housing were affected. Of these, 450 of them fled.

"Until Sunday afternoon, some residents were still staying in the houses because they could still meet basic needs, but those whose houses were submerged up to 1.5 meters were evacuated by The Indonesian National Armed Forces, The Indonesian National Police village officials and residents.” said the Director General.

During this visit the Director General handed over the Minister of Social Affairs assistance for Serang Regency worth a total of IDR 105,260,270. Logistical assistance in the form of ready-to-eat food, children's meals, side dishes, instant noodles, family supplies, children's supplies, blankets, clothing packages, mattresses and rolling tents.

In addition to handing over assistance, the Director General also goes to the public kitchen to monitor and ensure that the management of public kitchens is running effectively.

"The field public kitchen has also been operating under the coordination of Disaster Preparedness Cadet. This morning we prepared 4000 packaged rice. In the afternoon, we will cook again, as well as for the evening, ”said Harry, who also wrapped the rice with the women.

He saw that in handling this disaster the coordination of various parties was very good and responsive. "The people's concern is very good. Mothers cook, wrap, share food with other residents. Disaster Preparedness Cadet, volunteers, The Indonesian National Armed Forces, The Indonesian National Police went down together. "Hopefully, going down together can alleviate the suffering of the residents," he said.

The Director General of Social Protection and Security and his entourage then continued the survey of the disaster location in Muara Village, Teluk Naga District, Tangerang Regency and the Public Kitchen located at the Periuk District office, Tangerang City.

Before visiting Banten, the Director General visited the Ministry of Social Affairs Main Command Post at the Cawang Kencana Building, East Jakarta, to ensure adequate logistics and the Ministry of Social Affairs team could work fast and responsive.

Logistical Assistance

Furthermore, as directed by the Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P. Batubara, the Ministry of Social Affairs sent logistics to various areas affected by floods and landslides.

Assistance for West Jakarta in the form of towels, blankets, mattresses, children's meals, ready-to-eat food and mineral water. The logistics for South Lampung Regency are blankets, family equipment, mattresses, and family tents. The logistics for Jember Regency consist of rolling tents, children's equipment, eating utensils, instant noodles, blankets, children's food, food packages, ready-to-eat food, cleaning tools in the form of broom sticks and scrape, and mattresses.

The Ministry of Social Affairs also sent logistical support to Blitar Regency in the form of rolling tents, family equipment, eating utensils, blankets, instant noodles, and ready-to-eat food. In Bondowoso Regency, logistical assistance was sent in the form of rolling tents, food supplies, mattresses, multipurpose tents, family kitchen utensils, instant noodles and children's food.

The district of Klaten, which has experienced floods and landslides, is also a concern of the Ministry of Social Affairs. A total of two river embankments broke down and Tagana has been lowered to carry out assessments with the local Social Service team. Furthermore, they carried out mutual cooperation in handling floods in Tegalrejo Village, Bayat District to clean tree trunks that were clogging the river flow.

Then the Ministry of Social Affairs distributed logistical assistance, carried out data collection and verification of heirs for grief compensation in response to the flash flood incident in Barus District and Andam Dewi District, Central Tapanuli Regency (28/1). As many as 9 people died and dozens of houses were severely damaged and moderately damaged. The logistics distribution for Central Tapanuli Regency consists of eating utensils, children's supplies, family supplies, roll tents, mattresses, side dishes, children's food, instant noodles, kitchen utensils, and velbeds.

In Kaur Regency, the Ministry of Social Affairs also mobilized a team to collect data and verify victims who died in the floods that occurred on Sunday (19/1). A total of 10 people died in the floods that hit Manau Sembilan II Village, Padang Guci Hulu District, Kaur Regency, Bengkulu.