Post-flood assistance still out of reach

Post-flood assistance still out of reach

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It has been more than a month since floodwaters subsided from the
homes of Jakarta residents, but many damaged homes still remain
unrepaired as most flood victims have no money to fix them.

"I can't bear any longer to stay under this severely-cracked
roof and broken wall. The rains just pour into my home," said
Nurhayati, a resident of Kampung Pulo in Kampung Melayu, East
Jakarta.

Nurhayati said that she could not immediately repair the
damage as she was broke. Most of her meager earnings from selling
fried cakes were used to buy food for her family, while her
husband was unemployed.

Nurhayati, however, said she planned to borrow money from her
neighbors to repair her house.

Like many other flood victims, she was not aware that the city
administration has provided more than Rp 10 billion for the
renovation of 4,171 houses in 124 subdistricts which were damaged
during the floods.

The work would be conducted by developers appointed by the
City Housing Agency. It is not clear when the project would
start. But the agency has made it clear that they would cut the
Rp 200,000 administration fee, and another Rp 250,000 as a 10
percent tax, from the Rp 2.5 million fund allocated for each
damaged house.

The administration also allocated Rp 250 million for each of
the city's 267 subdistricts in the so-called Subdistrict
Community Empowerment Program.

The disbursement of the fund is also not clear, and the flood
victims have to find another way to survive while they wait.

Sadiyah and her husband, who sell fuel and oil for motorists
in a small kiosk in front of her house in Teluk Gong, Pejagalan
subdistrict, North Jakarta, lost all of their merchandise, home
appliances and other goods during the floods.

"I'm broke now as all my working capital vanished during the
floods," she said.

She was able to start the business as a good Samaritan lent
her a drum of gasoline and another drum of diesel fuel about two
weeks ago.

But, life was much harder for other flood victims like Sati,
who had to live in a shabby hut with her twin toddlers.

"With my husband working as a low-paid worker in a plant here,
we are thankful if our children are able to eat rice everyday,"
said the woman, who only had three items of clothing to wear.

Another flood victim in Kampung Pulo, Ramli, complained that
as of Saturday, no financial support had been disbursed by the
city administration to help relieve the suffering of flood
victims in his neighborhood.

"We are in dire need of such funds. With our own money, it's
impossible to repair all the damage as we don't have enough to
cover our basic needs," said Ramli who makes a living by
repairing out-of-order electronics.

Pejagalan subdistrict chief Widodo Budiyono said he had
received Rp 250 million for the community-based empowerment
program. He said his office was conducting the "proper test" for
11 families who had sent their proposals for assistance.