Sumatra Floods Are Not Yet National Disaster Status, Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture: The Handling Is Full Of National Power

The central government has yet to determine floods and landslides in Sumatra as a national disaster emergency status.

However, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno emphasized that disaster management had taken place on a national scale.

"The handling (already) is national," said Pratikno at a press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, East Jakarta, Wednesday, November 3.

Pratikno explained that President Prabowo Subianto had ordered all ministries and institutions to carry out disaster management operations in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra with full strength.

"All ministries and institutions are ordered by the President, including the TNI, Polri, BNPB and all components to mobilize existing resources to the maximum extent possible to deal with disasters in Sumatra. This is the handling of fully national forces," he explained.

Pratikno added that Prabowo also asked that this situation be treated as a national priority. One form is the use of ready-to-use funds and guaranteeing the complete availability of logistics during the emergency response period.

"All institutions have been instructed by the president to be extra responsive and ensure focus on saving victims, distributing aid and recovering various vital facilities and services," he said.

Furthermore, Pratikno said that the government is targeting disaster management achievements in two stages, namely in 100 days and one year. Not only in the distribution of basic assistance to affected residents, but also ensuring that residents return to have hopes to start a post-disaster life.

"The government's focus is not only on sharing logistical assistance, such as rice and instant noodles, but also on keeping all citizens hope to rebuild life," said Pratikno.

"We also apologize if in an effort to deal with floods and landslides in North Sumatra and West Sumatra there are still shortcomings. But the instructions from the President are very clear, we must mobilize all resources from the central government," he continued.

As previously reported, a number of people have begun to question whether the government needs to establish a national disaster emergency status. This question arose with the wide impact of the Sumatra disaster which damaged dozens of infrastructures, disrupted logistics chains, thousands of people had to evacuate.

Based on the BNPB document entitled 'Disaster Emergency Status Determination Guidelines', there are three levels of disaster emergency status, namely district/city disasters, provincial disasters, and national disasters.

The status of a national disaster is a condition set by the central government when a disaster is considered to have a very broad impact and exceeds the ability of local governments to handle it.

In other words, not all disasters that occur in Indonesia have national disaster status. The status of a national disaster is the authority of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, based on the recommendations of BNPB and related ministries/agencies.