Central Sulawesi Governor Orders End to Long-Term Tent Use for Earthquake Refugees

The end of the emergency response status following the earthquake in Central Sulawesi must not slow down the handling of refugees, according to Governor Anwar Hafid. He stressed that the transition from emergency response to recovery is merely a standard administrative procedure. “The handling of disaster victims must continue regardless of the status. We must ensure the guarantee of life for the affected community until they fully recover,” he asserted in Palu on Friday (3/7). In his directive, Anwar instructed all ranks to prohibit the use of emergency tents for long-term shelter. Instead, the construction of decent semi-permanent housing must be accelerated. This measure is prioritised for families who lost their homes in severely affected areas, such as Sigi and Parigi Moutong regencies. Anwar also emphasised the importance of validating damage data to ensure that aid distribution is not interrupted, which could potentially trigger social unrest. According to BNPB data, the earthquake damaged a total of 4,210 houses. Sigi Regency suffered the most extensive damage with 4,012 houses affected, while the remainder was spread across Parigi Moutong, Palu, and Poso. Sigi Regent Mohamad Rizal Intjenae confirmed that his region has officially transitioned to the recovery phase and that all outstanding tasks from the emergency response period will be completed without delay. Beyond housing, the local government is rapidly working to restore basic infrastructure, including reopening road access to the Tongoa Valley and repairing clean water distribution networks.