Trauma Healing And Hoax Education For Poso Residents After The Earthquake

JAKARTA - The earthquake that hit Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, in mid-August still left a feeling of anxiety among residents. Although aftershocks are now happening on a smaller scale, many people still feel traumatized, especially because of the experience of evacuation and uncertainty of conditions.

Director of Emergency Infrastructure Support for BNPB, Andria Yusferryzal, emphasized the importance of psychological recovery for affected communities.

"This trauma must be handled, because when the new earthquake has not yet recovered," he said in an online discussion on Teropong Disaster, as quoted by ANTARA.

On the ground, one of the biggest challenges is not just the earthquake itself, but the rise of false information on social media. Starting from the issue of large waves to the prediction of a frightening aftershock.

"We are monitoring it by educating the public, in this case it is led directly by the head of the BNPB (Abdul Muhari) data center to only trust credible information from the government and state official institutions," said Andria.

To overcome this, BNPB collaborated with the Poso and Central Sulawesi Kominfo Offices. They make public educational materials about the right steps when an earthquake occurs, and compare them with experiences in regions and other countries. BMKG also regularly releases official press releases that are distributed locally so that residents feel calm and avoid hoaxes.

Apart from media, education is also given directly at the evacuation posts and village halls through meetings with residents. Our advice is that the news received by the public must be verified to competent parties. Psychologically, that is what is now most important to do, "added Andria.

While trauma healing is running, BNPB together with related teams also handle the basic needs of the community and restore public facilities. According to BPBD data, at least 433 people were affected by the earthquake, including the elderly, toddlers, and people with disabilities. Tangkura Village is the worst area, with dozens of houses heavily damaged to worship facilities and schools that were also affected.