Agriculture Ministry Assures Rice Stocks for Flores Earthquake Victims Safe for Up to One Year
The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that rice availability to meet the needs of communities affected by the earthquake on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, is in a secure condition. Minister of Agriculture and Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Andi Amran Sulaiman, said the government moved quickly after the earthquake struck on Saturday (15/8).
The action was taken on the orders of President Prabowo Subianto to ensure the basic needs of communities in affected areas are met promptly. Amran said the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Bapanas, has dispatched around 6,800 tonnes of regular and non-regular rice assistance for disaster response.
“We have been on the ground since the incident on Saturday. We were ordered by the President to move quickly. We have sent 6,800 tonnes of regular and non-regular rice,” Amran said while inspecting the earthquake-affected location in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday (19/8).
According to Amran, the distribution of aid must not be hampered by lengthy administrative processes. Therefore, in emergency conditions, the government has granted authority to field officials to make decisions so that aid reaches the public immediately. He cited the example of a request for 20 tonnes of rice that was immediately fulfilled up to 200 tonnes. The decision was made based on needs on the ground and reinforced through the disposition of regional officials and security personnel.
“If it is processed in Jakarta, it could take three days or a week. Resolve it. This is the President’s order, we must move quickly,” he said.
Amran also stressed that in disaster conditions, authorised officials may take rice from warehouses first, while administrative processes and approvals can be completed afterwards.
“This is an emergency, decisions can be made. Signatures can follow later,” he said.
He emphasised that disaster response must be oriented towards resolving the public’s problems, not merely reporting problems to the central government.
Amran said that based on government calculations, there are around 34,000 displaced people requiring food support. With an estimated rice requirement of around 300 tonnes per month and available stocks of around 39,000 tonnes, he assured that rice supplies for the affected areas are in a secure condition.
“So there is no problem. Even for up to a year, hopefully it will not last that long, the rice is secure,” he asserted.
In addition to rice assistance, the government and various parties have also distributed other necessities such as cooking oil, instant noodles and sugar. Some of the aid comes from the government, while the rest consists of personal contributions from officials and parties involved in disaster response.
Amran said the government will continue to monitor the needs of the community during the emergency response period, which is currently set at 14 days and may be extended according to conditions on the ground.
“Move quickly, solve problems. Not bring problems to Jakarta, solve problems,” he said.
Amran reiterated that rice availability is not an issue in handling the Flores earthquake victims. The government has ensured that food stocks remain available as long as the needs of affected communities persist.