TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Syamsul Maarif, the chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), has ordered the agency’s rapid response team in Aceh province’s flooded areas to continue assisting the local disaster mitigation agency (BPBD) in taking emergency measures to cope with the floods.
For the initial phase, the BNPB has disbursed Rp1.2 billion for emergency operations. “The figure is based on the proposals to address the emergency situation,” Syamsul told Tempo in a written statement on Tuesday night, November 4, 2014.
Based on preliminary data, floods have hit 37 districts in six regencies in Aceh. The six regencies include Aceh Besar regency, where three districts are inundated, Aceh Singkil (four districts), Aceh Jaya (five districts), West Aceh (eight districts), South Aceh (seven districts) and Nagan Raya (10 districts).
A total of 1,194 families (4,390 people) have been evacuated to Aceh Jaya and another 12 to Aceh Besar.
Heavy rains have also resulted in overflowing rivers in the province, causing thousands of houses to be submerged in a 2.5-meter-deep floodwater. In Aceh Besar, 1,000 houses were reportedly flooded, Aceh Singkil (203 houses), Aceh Jaya (1,863 houses), West Aceh (100 houses), South Aceh (3,697 houses) and Nagan Raya (6,642 houses).
SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID
