After NTT Earthquake, Focus on Restoring Basic Services and Accelerating Data Collection
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has confirmed that the government is moving quickly to handle the impact of the earthquake that struck several areas in East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday morning (15/8). Tito made the statement during a coordination meeting on earthquake handling for the NTT region, held in a hybrid format from the Regional Secretariat office of West Manggarai Regency on Sunday (16/8).
Tito said that initial post-earthquake handling is focused on rescuing victims and restoring various basic public services. These services include electricity, telecommunications, availability of fuel, logistics, as well as handling of fatalities and injured residents. “Then also providing urgent assistance, tents, food, fast food at evacuation sites, including those who are injured,” Tito said.
At the same time, Tito expressed appreciation for the rapid restoration of basic services, such as by state electricity company PLN and telecommunications operators. According to him, restoring electricity and communication networks is important to support mobility and coordination of disaster response in the field.
In addition to electricity and telecommunications, the Home Affairs Minister stressed the importance of accelerating the reopening of road access so that the movement of people and heavy equipment for disaster response can be carried out immediately. He also asked regional governments to pay attention to affected communities, including residents whose homes suffered damage. Data collection was emphasised to be carried out thoroughly on damage to houses and public facilities.
The data is said to be necessary as a basis for providing government assistance, whether for lightly, moderately or heavily damaged houses, as well as support for residents still in evacuation. The Home Affairs Minister also requested the same approach be applied to affected government offices, from district government offices down to village and sub-district levels. The data collection aims to determine the repair needs of government facilities so that public services continue to run.
“Our suggestion earlier was, if possible, the opinion of the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture and the Head of BNPB, we should create two command posts, an eastern post and a western Flores post. One in Labuan Bajo to handle the western region… Then one in Ende, with its centre in Ende because the airport is there,” Tito said.
Furthermore, the Home Affairs Minister highlighted the fiscal condition of several affected regions. He said the central government will provide support to regions with limited fiscal capacity or low budget absorption rates. He also requested that cross-ministerial and institutional coordination with regional governments be strengthened so that disaster handling can be carried out according to disaster management stages, namely from the emergency response period, transition, to rehabilitation and reconstruction.
“We suggest truly mapping the existing problems. And let us immediately move with our respective authorities. Whether it is Pertamina, electricity, roads, health, and so on,” the Home Affairs Minister concluded.
The coordination meeting was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency Suharyanto, Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency Mohammad Syafii, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, and several other relevant officials.