Bahorok flash flood still haunts residents two years on

Almost two years ago, on Nov. 2, a flash flood struck Bahorok district, Langkat regency in North Sumatra, killing at least 157 people, including six foreign tourists, and leaving 82 others missing. The tragedy left a number of problems in its wake, such as neglected families and the Bukit Lawang tourist resort that had been totally washed out by the flood. The Jakarta Post's Apriadi Gunawan reports on the matter.

Bahorok flash flood survivor Budiono was forced to stop sending his oldest children to school this year simply because he was low on money after living in a shelter for displaced people for nearly two years.

These days the two teenagers, Hendrik and Rudianto, spend their time doing nothing. Budiono's three other children, who still attend elementary school, might soon face the same predicament.

"We've had to borrow money sometimes for meals. How could we possibly pay school fees? It's hard to get a job here," he said at the shelter located near the Bahorok bus terminal in Langkat regency.

There are 292 shelters in the compound, each measuring six square meters, that were built by the local administration for survivors of the flood.

Previously, 429 families lived at the shelter, but after six months many left and headed for other provinces or moved in with relatives due to financial hardship and the miserable living conditions at the shelter. The roofs leak when it rains and most of the sanitation facilities, like toilets and water pipes, are broken.

Now almost two years after the flood, 297 families, or around 1,100 people, remain, including Budiono's family, who has no relatives and no place to go.

Budiono said he felt neglected by the government, which in the past two years has only assisted families in the shelter with 20 kilograms of rice twice and side dishes. "Actually, I can't stand staying but I have no choice," he said.

The head of the survivors' hamlet, Darnawati Pinem, 38, said requests for rice and cash assistance had been consistently turned down by the local administration due to lack of relief supplies.

Survivors, she said, had also requested cash aid from the fuel compensation fund but were turned down since the authorities claim they are not entitled to the aid but were instead under the care of the social services office.

"But the social services office never provides relief. We don't know who to turn to," Darnawati said, adding that at least six refugees had died in the past two years due to malnutrition and unhygienic conditions.

She expressed fear that more, especially children, would not survive. "The government should be held responsible if victims keep falling ill. Only time will tell," said Darnawati, a teacher by profession.

She also criticized the government for not providing free schooling for the children of displaced families, saying that dozens had been forced to leave school as their parents did not have the money.

The refugees are also disappointed that the promised relocation has not come about.

Daliman, a relocation team member representing the survivors, said that based on the operational guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Housing and Regional Infrastructure, refugees would be relocated not far from the Bukit Lawang tourist resort six months ago and each would be given basic housing.

But still they wait. Out of the 354 planned houses, measuring 21 square meters each, 200 have been completed but do not have running water or electricity as yet.

Daliman said the team had repeatedly asked the government about the relocation plan but was told it was facing land acquisition problems.

Under the plan, the houses will be built on a 14-hectare plot of land owned by state plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara II. But the company reportedly only handed over seven hectares to the Langkat regental administration.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, when he was coordinating minister for people's welfare, had promised to provide Rp 50 billion (US$5 million) to cover relocation costs, but to date only Rp 25 billion has been disbursed.

In September this year, a delegation representing the refugees traveled to Jakarta to demand the promised cash assistance and that the central government audit the use of the Rp 25 billion by the Langkat administration.

Erwin Manalu from North Sumatra Forum for the Environment said the central government should audit the relocation funds disbursed so far because of the implications of the money being misused. He did not elaborate.

When asked about the money, Langkat Development Planning Board chairman Amiruddin Hamzah said that part of the relocation funds had been used, while the remaining money was still in the regental administration's coffers.

However, he did not provide details of the amount, only insisting the money would all be used to build houses for survivors and to restore the Bukit Lawang tourist resort.

He said the administration had long requested that flood victims move into the houses already built but they refused, saying they would wait for all the houses to be finished.

He said the government would build the remaining houses soon, explaining the problem with land acquisition had been settled.

Responding to claims that the refugees had been neglected, he said the government provided a great deal of assistance in the initial stage, but stopped due to lack of funding.

"It's true we have stopped providing assistance to the affected families, but it is due to a shortage of funds," said Amiruddin.