Speed Up Aid Distribution, Says President

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visits Petobo Village, South Palu District, Palu City, Central Sulawesi, Wednesday (3/10/2018), which was buried in mud material due to the soil liquefaction phenomenon after the earthquake on Friday (28/09/2018). During the visit, President Jokowi wanted to ensure the government\'s commitment and rapid movement in the post-disaster handling in Central Sulawesi.

PALU, KOMPAS – Disaster aid packages have arrived in Central Sulawesi, but their distribution is being severely hampered by heavily damaged roads. The distribution of aid must be accelerated using sea and air routes.

Five days after anSpeed Up Aid Distribution, Says President hit Palu, Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong in Central Sulawesi, the distribution of aid for disaster victims remains inefficient. Many local residents, especially in isolated areas, have received no aid. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed officials to accelerate the distribution of aid.

The President issued the instruction at an impromptu limited cabinet meeting on Wednesday (3/10/2018), after he and several state officials visited disaster-affected areas in Palu and in Donggala regency. The President said that aid distribution had yet to reach disaster victims in all affected areas.

Emergency supplies had arrived only in areas that were easily accessible by land. “I have ordered the immediate distribution of [relief supplies] in areas that are not accessible by land,” the President said.

The limited cabinet meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon at Palu’s Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri Airport. In attendance were Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani, Social Affairs Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Health Minister Nila Moeloek, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono and Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister M. Nasir. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Budi Gunawan and Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola also attended the meeting.

The President affirmed that disaster aid had arrived in Central Sulawesi, but distribution problems persisted. Speedier distribution using sea and air routes was necessary. Jokowi also ordered that relief aid operations involve police and military escorts.

He also questioned the role of the local administration, as many regional offices in disaster-affected areas remained closed. The President stressed that the disaster victims urgently needed public services and an official channel for lodging complaints. The local administration also had to resume its duties to coordinate disaster relief efforts, especially logistics and aid distribution.

The President ordered Longki to resume the local administration’s services. “The offices of the governor, local mayors and regents must be reopened and be adequately staffed,” he said.

Urging local recovery

During his visit to Palu and Donggala, the President encouraged the local people to get back up and resume their daily activities. He especially called on traders and businesspeople to resume economic

activities. “I call upon all businesspeople and shop owners to reopen their businesses. I will send the military and the police to ensure security,” he said.

On Wednesday, government agencies intensified their distribution efforts. However, as disaster victims were scattered among many shelters, the aid had yet to reach all locations. The limited availability of vehicles and fuel, along with the high prevalence of damaged roads, is hampering relief operations.

“We will continue to strive to reach all 138 shelters in Palu, Sigi and Donggala. However, as they are scattered across many locations and there are so many shelters, we have not been able to reach all of them. We are discovering new shelters in the field every day,” said XIII/Merdeka regional military command spokesman Col. M Tohir. The official list of refugees contained 70,821 names by Wednesday.

The disaster management task force is responsible for distributing aid as well as encouraging local residents to resume their activities, including asking traders to reopen their stalls at local markets.

Evacuation to Makassar

Around 1,500 disaster victims are scheduled to arrive on Thursday (4/10) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on the Indonesian Naval Academy’s KRI Makassar training vessel. The South Sulawesi administration and local volunteers are bracing for a surge in refugees.

Abdul Rahman Saleh, the public welfare and security head at the South Sulawesi Social Agency, said that the refugees would be housed at Makassar’s Sudiang haj dormitory. However, the dormitory had only 500 beds, 94 of which were already assigned to the refugees that arrived on Wednesday. “We will register the refugees as they arrive at Soekarno-Hatta Port in Makassar. The sick will be referred to a hospital. The other refugees will be taken by bus to the haj dormitory.

Abdul said that the dormitory could have empty beds if the refugees who had been housed there earlier had gone to their relatives’ houses. Over the last five days, the dormitory has taken in 613 refugees, of which 519 had left by Wednesday afternoon to live with their families and relatives in the area.

Waves of refugees continue to arrive at Makassar’s Sultan Hasanuddin airbase, which had seen the arrival of 6,391 refugees from Palu by noon on Wednesday.

“We have also sent 61,781 tons of aid to Palu. We will send more,” said airbase spokesperson Maj. Henny Purwani.

On Wednesday in Surabaya, East Java, Armada II commander Rear Adm. Didik Setiyono launched the KRI Surabaya-591 from the West Madura Dock. The vessel carried personnel and supplies to Palu, including 11 tons of rice, more than 2,000 cartons of bottled mineral water, around 1,300 cartons of instant noodles, more than 600 boxes of clothes, blankets and baby products. The personnel comprised students and staffers of the Navy’s indoctrination, education and training command.

“Earlier, we sent the KRI Layang, the KRI Makassar and the KRI Soeharso,” said Didik. The KRI Soeharso hospital vessel carried 100 medical personnel onboard, while the KRI Makassar carried Army personnel and policemen, volunteers, cars and motorcycles to provide logistical support in disaster-affected regions. “The KRI Teluk Ende is now being readied,” he said.

State-owned plantation holding company PT Perkebunan Nusantara III president director Dolly Pulungan said that it would also send aid and volunteers to Palu and Donggala. (KOMPAS TEAM)