President Prabowo Subianto Reviews Flores Earthquake Recovery as Essential Services Resume
President Prabowo Subianto Monday (09/07) chaired a limited meeting to review the progress of earthquake response in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province.
The meeting was held via video conference from the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, with relevant officials on the ground joining remotely.
Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto reported that emergency response operations had proceeded through the 24th day following the disaster.
One indication of this was additional fatalities had been reported as a result of aftershocks.
“In conclusion, Mr. President, based on BNPB’s assessment, emergency response operations have proceeded smoothly through the 23rd and the 24th day following the disaster,” Suharyanto said.
According to Suharyanto, the distribution of logistical assistance had also proceeded without significant obstacles. Community needs are being identified progressively, from neighborhood units (RT) and community units (RW) to villages and subdistricts, and are subsequently met through logistical posts.
In addition to logistical assistance, essential services such as electricity, telecommunications, fuel supplies, clean water, road access, healthcare, and education have largely been restored.
Residents whose homes sustained minor to moderate damage have also begun returning home, while public activities are gradually resuming.
“Markets are bustling again, religious gatherings, including weddings, and other community activities, have also returned to normal,” Suharyanto said.
Meanwhile, NTT Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said the regional government, together with the BNPB, the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and relevant ministries and government agencies, continued to ensure that response efforts were properly carried out on the ground.
In the health sector, three damaged hospitals have been supported by field hospitals provided by Ministry of Health.
Recovery efforts have also begun in the education sector. Teaching and learning activities have resumed on a limited basis, particularly for students in their final year.
“Classes have resumed, particularly for third-year senior high school students and sixth-year elementary school students,” Laka Lena said.
However, the regional government still requires additional tents and supporting facilities to provide temporary classrooms for elementary, junior high, and senior high school students. The Government is also expected to soon provide tuition relief for affected students and university students.
In the economic sector, the NTT Provincial Government has begun coordinating with central bank Bank Indonesia, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and other stakeholders to prepare measures for Flores’ economic recovery.
The regional government has also proposed loan-payment relief for affected communities who are not yet able to meet their obligations to banks and non-bank financial institutions.
“If this can be adopted as a joint policy, we hope it will help the people of Flores recover more quickly from this situation,” Laka Lena said.
Laka Lena also reported that government budget support had begun to be used for disaster response efforts. In addition, he requested support for volunteers including vitamins and trauma-healing services, as well as greater transportation capacity, including aircraft and ships, to accelerate mobilization during disasters.
“Fortunately, when the disaster struck, a ship and a CASA aircraft from the Indonesian National Police were available. Their presence was a great help as local TNI or Polri units generally do not have aircraft capable of operating during a disaster,” he said.
The BNPB also said the NTT Provincial Government had begun coordinating preparations for the end of the emergency response period and the transition to rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The Government also reaffirmed that recovery efforts would continue, taking into account the needs of affected communities and public facilities that have not yet fully recovered.
The Government is closely monitoring Flores’ recovery efforts until the lives of affected residents have fully returned to normal. From meeting basic needs to restoring economic activity, the recovery process is being carried out in an integrated manner to help communities recover quickly and resume their daily lives. (BPMI of the Presidential Secretariat) (AY/MEP)
