Home Affairs Minister Continues Inspection in Waekokak, Delivers Aid for Earthquake Victims
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian continued his inspection of earthquake-affected areas in East Nusa Tenggara Province. This time, the visit was conducted at the evacuation post in Waekokak Village, Aesesa District, Nagekeo Regency, on Tuesday (18/8).
During the occasion, he listened to a number of reports from local residents regarding their conditions following the earthquake. He also handed over condolence assistance from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the heirs of victims who died as a result of the disaster.
The condolence assistance provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs to each heir of the victims is valued at Rp15 million. This amount is separate from similar assistance usually distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
“On this occasion we are also providing compassionate assistance to residents whose family members passed away. Usually the Ministry of Social Affairs also provides assistance worth 15 million rupiah, but this is specifically from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and we are also providing the same amount of 15 million,” Tito said in a written statement on Tuesday (18/8).
In addition to the condolence assistance, he also handed over assistance worth Rp100 million to the Head of Waekokak Village. The assistance is expected to ease the burden on village communities affected by the earthquake.
He stated that the government is currently prioritising the distribution of additional basic food assistance and drinking water for affected residents. Assistance with tents and blankets will also continue to be optimised so that the basic needs of evacuees remain met.
Beyond basic needs, Tito also highlighted damage to irrigation channels reported by residents during the inspection. He said around 100 hectares of irrigated land suffered damage due to the earthquake.
“And the last point earlier was irrigation. If it was conveyed that around 100 hectares of irrigation has broken sections, I will convey this immediately to the Minister of Agriculture,” he continued.
He cited similar handling previously carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture in other regions, where irrigation problems in rice fields were addressed with pump assistance. Through this measure, agricultural land that had dried up could be supplied with water again.
“So that the water can flow to those rice fields, which I will recommend later to the Minister of Agriculture,” Tito concluded.
For information, the inspection in Waekokak Village was also attended by Acting Regional Secretary of Nagekeo, Imanuel Ndun, and Director General of Regional Administration Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Safrizal ZA. A number of other relevant parties also accompanied the visit.