Introductory Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at Limited Meeting on Disaster Management in West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara Provinces (Through Video Conference) on 6 April 2021 from Merdeka Palace, Jakarta

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good morning,

May peace be upon us all.

Distinguished Vice President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For the past week, many regions in Indonesia have seen extreme weather triggered by Tropical Cyclone Seroja with East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara provinces being worst affected.

Therefore, this morning let me underscore several matters.

First, regarding acceleration of evacuation, search, and rescue of victims who have not been found. I order Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, as well as Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and all their ranks to deploy more SAR personnel so they can cover more impacted regions, including isolated regions and many islands in East Nusa Tenggara, in Alor island, Pantar island, and other islands, to smoothen victim evacuation, search, and rescue process.

I also order Minister of Public Works and Public Housing to deploy heavy equipment from many places. If land routes are difficult to penetrate, I order faster access opening through the sea and air.

Second, do ensure availability of medical service and treatment for victims who require medical aids. Minister of Health, I suppose the assistance team must arrive immediately at the location. I order Minister of Health to provide more medical service facilities on the ground, to prepare hospitals to treat the victims, and to ensure availability of medicines.

Third, do immediately handle and fulfill the needs of the affected residents. Although I am aware that since Sunday, some (aids) have been deployed to East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, due to terribly extreme weather, the aids had not yet reached the location until yesterday, based on what I have seen. I order the BNPB and regional governments to immediately record evacuation shelters to ensure the logistics, tents, kitchens, to fulfill their basic needs as well as the needs of babies and children, especially clean water and bathrooms.

Then fourth, for Minister of Public Works and Public Housing again, do accelerate recovery of damaged infrastructure. I saw several bridges collapsed and road accesses (have been disrupted) too. Do immediately recover power grid, telecommunication network, internet network, and distribute logistics and fuel, so aids can be distributed immediately to the victims of the disasters.

Finally, do anticipate the hazards of extreme weather that occurs in different regions in Indonesia. And also, I order the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to intensify warnings of extreme weather due to Tropical Cyclone Seroja. Make sure that all heads of regions and the public can access, monitor the forecast of weather and climate issued by the BMKG. They must be aware of everything, so the public can be more alert and vigilant to prepare for the risks, including strong winds, floods, flash floods, and landslides.

That concludes my introductory remarks on this auspicious occasion.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (DH/EP)