104 North Aceh Disaster Victims Start to Occupy Huntap in Kuala Cangkoi

JAKARTA - Post-disaster recovery continues in Aceh. Most recently, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that 104 families (KK) had occupied permanent housing (huntap) in Kuala Cangkoi Village, Lapang District, North Aceh Regency.

The huntap complex looks beautiful. The complex's yard is full of paving blocks or concrete bricks and stretches of drainage. There are also public facilities in the form of a meeting hall and a mosque in the huntap area.

All houses are also equipped with electricity installations and water pumps. Some people, including members of the TNI, are also checking wells as a source of clean water.

Each huntap is already ceramic complete with interior furniture such as guest chairs, dining tables, televisions, stoves, and dish racks. Inside the room there are mattresses, pillows, futons, and wardrobes. The bathroom is also ceramic with a squat toilet and a bathtub.

The construction of this huntap is supported by the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam). The housing is expected to provide a safer and more comfortable place for people who were previously affected by the disaster.

From the emergency response period to recovery, the Ministry of Defense has also provided logistical assistance and water heater vehicles which are used for emergency handling in the field to the construction of huntap and the provision of supporting facilities.

BNPB ensures that the post-disaster handling and recovery process for floods and landslides that hit three provinces in Sumatra runs optimally. BNPB collaborates with ministries/institutions and local governments to continue to accompany the affected people so that they can occupy decent and safe housing.

BNPB Head, Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto, said that recovery would not stop even though there were holidays such as Idulfitri. According to him, the government will continue to be present to accompany people affected by disasters.

"Even though this is a holiday, we arrange it. For (personnel) who are Muslims, they can take a few days off, replaced by personnel who are Christians," said Suharyanto.