753 Killed, 650 Missing: PGI Asks The State To Set Floods In Aceh 'Sumut' West Sumatra As A National Disaster

The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) asked the government to determine floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra as national disasters given the magnitude of the impacts that occurred in the three provinces.

"Determination of national disaster status is urgently needed so that the government can mobilize national resources to the maximum, including ready-to-use funds, emergency logistics, and the deployment of the National Police", said PGI General Secretary Darwin Darmawan, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, December 3.

PGI assesses that local governments do not have sufficient capacity to respond quickly to the situation on the ground.

The expansion of the affected areas, the high number of victims, as well as damage to infrastructure across districts/cities and provinces show emergency conditions that require stronger and coordinated state presence.

Referring to Law Number 24 of 2007 and Government Regulation Number 21 of 2008 concerning Disaster Management, PGI said all indicators of national disaster determination have been fulfilled.

Based on data from the Pusdatin of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as of Wednesday, December 3, 753 people died, 650 people were missing, and 2,600 people were injured. The disaster also caused heavy infrastructure damage that hampered access to aid to various affected locations.

According to Darwin, the determination of the status of the national disaster will concentrate the command structure under the BNPB so that coordination can run faster without constraints from local governments.

"Other things that are also important, through the determination of national disaster status, assistance from various parties, including international institutions, can immediately be included in the right legal framework," he said.

Due to this condition, PGI proposed three main steps to the government. First, President Prabowo was asked to immediately determine disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra as national disasters. Second, BNPB was asked to improve emergency response operations by fully mobilizing national resources. Third, the relevant ministries and institutions are asked to accelerate the recovery of road access, health services, food, clean water, and protection for vulnerable groups.

PGI also appealed to its member churches and humanitarian partners to gather support and distribute aid to affected areas. In addition, the Indonesian people are invited to pray for the victims and strengthen humanitarian solidarity across religions and cultures.

“PGI percaya bahwa keselamatan, martabat, dan kehidupan setiap warga bangsa adalah prioritas utama. Kehadiran negara yang cepat dan efektif adalah bentuk nyata pelaksanaan konstitusi,” kata Darwin.

PGI believes that the safety, dignity, and life of every citizen of the nation is a top priority. The fast and effective presence of the country is a tangible form of implementation of the constitution," said Darwin.