Floods In East Aceh Have Begun To Recede, 2,066 People Are Still Displaced

JAKARTA - The floods that inundated 226 villages or gampong in 19 sub-districts, East Aceh district began to recede, but 2,066 people in 533 households (KK) were still displaced at a number of points.

"Previously, the data on refugees reached 21,397 people in 6,969 families spread across a number of sub-districts but today the remaining 2,066 people are in 533 families," said Head of the East Aceh Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ashadi., Quoted by Antara, Wednesday, December 9.

The refugees are scattered in two sub-districts, namely West Pereulak District covering Kabu Village with 264 people in 66 families, Beusa Sebrang village with 600 people in 150 families, Beuringin village 17 families with 69 people, and Paya Biek village with 24 people in 5 families.

Furthermore, in Tanjong Tualang Village 142 people in 35 families, Beusa Baroh village 102 people in 25 families, Paya Gajah village 21 families with a total of 84 people and Tempeun village 169 families with a total of 676 people.

Meanwhile, Pereulak District includes Lubok Pempeng Village with 75 people in 15 families and Desa Cek Embon 30 families.

"They took refuge in mosques, meunasah (mushalla), school buildings, village halls and neighboring houses because their houses were still flooded with water levels between 10-50 centimeters," said Ashadi.

Meanwhile, some other refugees, according to the sub-district report, have returned to their homes to clean the mud, except for residents whose houses were damaged who are still staying in the evacuation.

"Until today, we are still opening public kitchens at a number of evacuation points and are still collecting data on roads, rice fields, plantations, schools and school facilities that were affected," he said.

Meanwhile, the Regent of East Aceh said that his party had assigned the East Aceh BPBD to immediately rebuild residents' houses damaged by natural disasters, including several other housing units that were hit by landslides.

"All houses damaged by natural disasters will be rehabilitated, either in Banda Alam or other sub-districts," he said.