Lombok Quake Recovery Phase Replaces Emergency Response

Rescuers use excavators to search for victims in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

Lombok earthquake emergency response was declared to end on Saturday (25/8). Based on a coordinating meeting held at Lombok Earthquake Command Post in Tanjung, North Lombok Regency, on Friday (24/8), it will be continued with the transition from emergency to recovery phase.

“Currently, emergency relief to recovery phase to handle Lombok quake’s impact is still being discussed. It will be stipulated by the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) in Governor Decree on transition from emergency to recovery phase of the handling of Lombok quake’s impact,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of the Center for Data, Information and Public Relations of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), said during a press statement on Friday (25/8).

According to Sutopo, the phase is still within the scope of emergency status. It is only the matter of administration since elucidation of Article 23 paragraph (1) of Government Regulation Number 21 of 2008 on Disaster Management reads emergency status shall begin since the time of red alert status, emergency response, and transition from emergency to recovery.

“Transition from emergency to recovery status means a condition where emergency handling is temporary or permanent based on technical studies from the authorized agency. With the aim that vital infrastructure facilities and socio-economic activities of the community will immediately back to normal, which is carried out since the emergency response until the starting of rehabilitation and reconstruction phases,” he added.

According to Sutopo, humanitarian aid that have not been distributed during emergency response period will be carried on in transition period, for example temporary place for residents to replace their houses which are severely damaged or crumbled by landslide.

The same condition also applied to immediate recovery of vital infrastructures and facilities, compensation for people’s land, buildings, and crops, clean water and sanitation, food, clothing, health services and basic needs.

In the meantime, Sutopo asserted that emergency response is still running. Cleaning of debris is still being carried out in several affected areas, including to houses based on residents’ request.

“Clean water is still distributed because some hamlets in Sokong Village are reported have not received clean water yet,” Sutopo said adding that 123 households in Kuripan Village, West Lombok Regency have not received water in a week because water truck can not reach that area.

However, Sutopo explained that so far there is no report to evacuate the residents so the BNPB personnels are on standby at Tanjung Earthquake Command Post and wait for further instruction.

To date, it is reported that the quake caused 555 deaths, including 466 in North Lombok Regency, 40 in West Lombok, 31 in East Lombok, 2 in Central Lombok, 9 in Mataram City, 5 in Sumbawa Besar, and 2 in West Sumbawa. Due to the quake, more than 380,000 people displaced from their home, consisting of 134,235 resident in North Lombok, 116,453 in West Lombok, 104,060 in East Lombok, 13,887 in Central Lombok, and 18,894 in Mataram City.

The Head of the Center for Data, Information and Public Relations of the BNPB also said that smaller quakes still hit the region.

“Up to Friday (24/8) afternoon there had been 1,089 earthquakes following the 7 magnitude quake on 5 August. As many as 50 out of 1,089 aftershocks can be felt by the residents,” Sutopo concluded.