Govt

won’t declare Lombok

quakes ‘national disaster’
Panca Nugraha
The Jakarta Post

Mataram | Tue, August 21, 2018 | 11:56 pm

This aerial photo shows a collapsed mosque in the village of Sugian on Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara on
Tuesday after a series of recent earthquakes. (AFP/Fred Dufour)
Vice President Jusuf Kalla has confirmed that the Lombok earthquakes in West
Nusa Tenggara (NTB) will remain classified as a local disaster, despite mounting
calls to “upgrade” the disaster to national status.

However, the government promised to extend its full support in the handling of
the post-disaster period up until the recovery process.

“The disaster is indeed a big one. Even though we do not regard it as a national
disaster, the handling procedure is conducted on a national scale,” Kalla said
while visiting victims in Kekait village in West Lombok on Tuesday.

Kalla cited the tsunami that ransacked Aceh in 2004, which was declared a
national disaster. “[It was] because our country could not handle it ourselves. But
for now, we are still able to handle [the situation] and we do not need foreign
aid,” he said. Kalla was sworn in as vice president to then-president Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono only two months before the tsunami hit.

According to him, the current post-disaster handling process conducted by the

NTB administration, heads of affected districts and relevant ministries have gone
smoothly.

“If the governors and regents are unable to do anything, we may consider this a
national disaster,” he stated.

A series of earthquakes and aftershocks have jolted the holiday island of Lombok
in the past few weeks, killing hundreds and displacing thousands. Northern parts
of the island have been hit the hardest. (swd)
Earthquake survivors struggle to
meet daily needs, request govt
allowance
Panca Nugraha and Aman Rochman
The Jakarta Post

As the emergency response period for recent earthquakes in Lombok, West Nusa
Tenggara (NTB) comes to an end, survivors continue to struggle with daily needs
as they remain displaced from their homes.

Earthquake victims shared their troubles with newly appointed Social Affairs
Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita on Saturday during his visit to a shelter in
Gunungsari district, West Lombok regency.

The evacuees told Agus that they hoped the government could provide them with
a daily allowance while they await the rebuilding of their homes.

“We have many problems, sir,” said Asmahan, a 42-year-old housewife.

“Especially for our daily needs, our stomachs, because we are unable to carry out
our activities as usual.”

West Lombok Regent Fauzan Khalid echoed Asmahan’s concerns.

“Hopefully, there will be a daily allowance, some social aid, especially for our
residents whose houses are badly damaged, and even for those [whose homes]
only suffered light damage, because they are still unable to work,” he said.

He also asked that charitable donations be allocated to productive sectors, such

as for the construction of an emergency market to replace West Lombok’s
damaged traditional market.

According to Fauzan, some 170,000 West Lombok residents remained displaced

while 52,000 houses were damaged in a series of large earthquakes in August.

Separately, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said his
ministry was targeting to rebuild 11,000 homes within the next six months.

“The government has set aside Rp 4 trillion [US$274 million] in the state budget
to fund the rebuilding of infrastructure affected by the earthquake in Lombok,”
he said in Malang, East Java, on Saturday.

Agus assured the victims that the government would provide whatever help was
needed.
“Do not worry because central government will do anything that is needed to
solve the problems here, from the early stages until life returns to normal,” Agus
said, adding that he would speak to Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Monday
regarding the daily allowance.

“Hopefully, the state has the funds. And if it does, God willing, we will work it out
so that we can provide the allowance,” he said. (kmt/ipa)