1,225 Tonnes of Logistics Enter NTT, Distribution Reaches Difficult Areas
A total of 1,225 tonnes of logistics have entered Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) to meet the needs of communities affected by the earthquake. The aid continues to be distributed to seven affected regencies, including areas that are difficult to reach by vehicle.
Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto said logistics distribution has become smoother after the government established handling posts at both national and regional levels.
“Based on today’s data, we report that logistics entering Flores have reached 1,225 tonnes, divided into two: 869 tonnes in Labuan Bajo and 356 tonnes for Maumere,” Suharyanto said on Monday (24/8).
According to him, to support aid distribution, BNPB has prepared a National Logistics Post at Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta. From this post, aid is sent to two forward posts in Flores, namely Forward Post 1 in Labuan Bajo and Forward Post 2 in Maumere.
The post in Labuan Bajo serves the logistics needs of West Manggarai, Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Ngada. Meanwhile, the Maumere post handles Sikka, Ende, and Nagekeo, including the needs of communities on Palue Island, Alok District, Sikka.
According to Suharyanto, the 1,225 tonnes of aid distributed does not include aid sent directly to affected areas by the government, private sector, individuals, or various other parties, not through the National Post at Halim Perdanakusuma.
Therefore, he continued, logistics data sent through the Halim Post differs from the total aid available and distributed in affected areas.
According to Suharyanto, the geographical conditions of several affected areas mean distribution requires various methods to ensure aid reaches the community.
Fleets in the regencies are used according to terrain conditions, ranging from four-wheeled vehicles, pickup trucks, motorcycles, to travelling on foot.
Distribution on foot is carried out in locations that cannot be reached by vehicles. One such location was Palue Island in the early days after the earthquake.
“At that time, four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles could not yet reach several locations, so aid had to be carried on foot, and we delivered it to the community by walking,” he said.
According to him, geographical conditions are one of the factors that make aid distribution require different times and methods in each area. Therefore, the regional government together with BNPB continue to deploy available fleets to shorten distribution routes from posts to affected communities.
He explained that logistics already at the posts continue to be distributed and are not left to pile up in warehouses for too long. This mechanism has become protocol in logistics handling at the Maumere and Labuan Bajo Forward Posts.
Currently, at Forward Post 2 Maumere, 375.9 tonnes of logistics have been recorded as received and 258.5 tonnes have been distributed. The remainder is prepared as buffer stock.
In the field, Suharyanto said, there are still residents who are sheltering independently and have not all received aid. They are spread across seven affected regencies, including residents who choose to remain in their respective locations due to fear of aftershocks.
Therefore, he urged communities sheltering independently to occupy centralised evacuation points that the government has prepared at village, sub-district, and regency levels. However, residents who choose to remain at independent evacuation sites will still be served.
“Has everyone been covered? Has everyone received aid? Has everyone had enough? We answer: not yet enough,” Suharyanto said.