Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Society (MPBI), Avianto Amri, has provided an update on the conditions in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra after a month under the emergency response status for disaster mitigation. The emergency response status for the three provinces affected by flash floods and landslides last November was scheduled to end today, unless extended.
According to Avianto, based on MPBI's monitoring over the past three days, several isolated areas remain, including Aceh Tengah, Gayo Luwes, and some areas near Sibolga in North Sumatra. Additionally, Avianto stated that many people still require basic assistance such as staple food supplies, clean water, shelter, and essential healthcare services. Fuel and gas are also limited, as evidenced by the long lines at several gas stations in Aceh Tengah. Electricity has only been restored in the last five days and has begun to stabilize in the past two days.
Meanwhile, some areas with mild to moderate damage have begun to recover. Avianto mentioned, "For example, moving towards rebuilding homes, repairing livelihood assets, and restoring healthcare and education facilities." He agreed with the government's desire to quickly transition to the recovery phase so people could return to normal life. However, Avianto regrets the lack of transparency from the central government in determining the criteria for lifting the disaster emergency response status.
He believes this uncertainty has confused regional governments and various contributors in ensuring assistance needs. According to him, the shift in the emergency response status goes beyond a mere status change. "With the shift in emergency response status, the resources deployed by the central and provincial governments to the affected districts and cities will also decrease," he said.The deadline for the emergency response period in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra was on December 24-25. The Governor of West Sumatra has officially ended the emergency response period and transitioned to the rehabilitation phase. Meanwhile, the Provincial Governments of North Sumatra and Aceh have not issued an official statement regarding the end of the emergency response status.
However, several local governments in Aceh, including the districts of Bener Meriah, North Aceh, and Aceh Tamiang, have decided to extend the disaster emergency response status until December 30, 2025.
As of Thursday afternoon, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has not responded to the latest developments and the status of the emergency response in these three provinces. Abdul Muhari, the Head of BNPB's Data and Information Center, has not responded to Tempo's confirmation message.
Based on the updated disaster impact report from BNPB today, the death toll from this disaster has reached 1,129 people, with over 7,000 injured. Meanwhile, 174 people are still reported missing.
The number of damaged houses in the three provinces has reached 157,838 units. Furthermore, there are 1,600 damaged public facilities, including 219 healthcare facilities, 967 educational facilities, 434 places of worship, 290 buildings or offices, and 145 bridges.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2076131/sumatra-disaster-conditions-in-affected-areas-after-one-mont