TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The World Food Program (WFP) is working together with the National Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BNPB) to evaluate the disaster management operation that took place during the eruption of Mt. Sinabung in North Sumatra. The eruptions - which occurred continuously between November 2013 and February 2014 - claimed 16 lives and displaced around 32,000 people from their homes.
"Every disaster is unique - that's why it is very important for us to learn from each one carefully in order to develop better emergency preparedness and response plans," said the BPNB’s Head of Information and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, on Wednesday, August 27, 2014.
According to a joint statement released by WFP and BNPB, the experiences of emergency response teams deployed at Mt. Sinabung could provide valuable lessons that could be used to help design an emergency plan-of-action in the possible event of an eruption at Mt. Slamet in Central Java, which has recently begun to show signs of increased volcanic activity.
The statement was released during a workshop hosted by WFP in Medan - a part of a six-months joint relief effort by the WFP, BNPB, and the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which was established immediately following the first eruptions of Mt. Sinabung in 2013.
"BNPB truly appreciates the assistance of WFP during the Mount Sinabung emergency response operations. We expect to use the experiences we gathered during the relief operations in Sinabung to improve our emergency preparedness and response in the future," said Sutopo.
Indonesia makes up a part of the Pacific Ring-of-Fire, an active geological zone which is characterized by frequent seismic and volcanic activities. BNPB is monitoring the status of Mt. Slamet with the assistance of WFP - as per August 24, 2014, Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has raised the status of Mt. Slamet to 'alert'. (*)
