Indonesian President Promises to Beef Up Crisis Response Agency

Jakarta Globe, Camelia Pasandaran & Lutfia Ismira | November 02, 2010

Jakarta. In the wake of criticism over relief efforts following last week’s natural disasters, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that the National Disaster Management Agency would be provided with the necessary equipment to do its job.

A plume of ash and smoke shot about 3,500
meters into the air, covering nearby Yogyakarta
in a layer of dust. (EPA, AFP Photos)

He said the head of the agency, known as BNPB, held ministerial rank and therefore could sidestep the bureaucracy.

This meant the BNPB did not have to waste time coordinating with other ministries.

Commenting on criticism of the relief effort, he told officials to just focus on their jobs.

“I say don’t worry about all that,” he told a cabinet meeting. “Think of it as a whipping. It always happens. There are people who give help, and there are also many who criticize and forget to help.”

B ad weather and rough seas on Monday continued to hamper the distribution of relief supplies for the tsunami survivors .

The situation was made worse by tropical cyclone Orchid, which is bringing heavy rain and high waves to the Mentawai area.

Yudhoyono said he wanted extra funding for the agency in the 2011 budget to ensure its effective operation.

“The BNPB should have a high level of readiness, not only concerning its personnel but also its communication equipment and air transport,” he said.

The BNPB has 10 helicopters, two Hercules planes, five warships, two ships, six speedboats and 15 longboats at its disposal.

“We need to change our point of view in handling disasters as we are vulnerable,” Yudhoyono said. “We have to do everything to survive in the face of disasters.”

He praised the military for quickly mobilizing its Hercules planes to deliver supplies in Mentawai, where access was difficult.

“This model should be followed in the future,” he said. “If we cannot get supplies through by sea it should be through air.”

However, he said the first priority should be rescuing the injured. “I underline the need for speedy evacuations,” the president said . “The use of helicopters should be prioritized to transport the injured.”

The president said people in disaster-prone areas should be trained in what to do when a tragedy struck.

“There should be new policies that will really be able to reduce the number of victims when natural disasters hit,” he said.

In the case of Mentawai, the president said it was dangerous to allow people to return to villages too close to the sea. “We need a new regulation or a law if necessary to reorganize this for their own safety,” Yudhoyono said.

Andi Arief, the president’s adviser for social and disaster management, said the death toll from the tsunami had been revised slightly down to 431, with 88 missing, presumed dead. About 15,000 people had been displaced.

BNPB’s director of disaster risk reduction, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said that apart from bad weather, their efforts were being hampered by poor communications.

“We are also faced with technical hindrances such as communications, which are only available in Sikakap, while electricity and communications infrastructure were never available in the rest of the areas that have been affected,” he said.

Despite the hindrances, he claimed the flow of aid was being well coordinated.

“We realize, however, that not all the aid supplies are being distributed evenly among the victims, considering the circumstances,” Sutopo said.

Another week of disaster - The Jakarta Post/Irma Rahmi Damayanti

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