How Many Disasters Has Occurred In Aceh Throughout This Year?

Photo by Nazrin Babashova on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The Aceh Disaster Management Agency (BPBA) noted that the westernmost province of Indonesia experienced 398 disasters from January to mid-December 2022.

"Of the 398 incidents, the most frequent disasters were residential fires reaching 35.1 percent or 136 incidents, and 344 houses were damaged," said BPBA Chief Executive Ilyas, in Banda Aceh, Monday, December 19.

Another disaster incident was land and forest fires 20.4 percent with 79 incidents and burned 241 hectares of land.

Then, 69 floods that caused 2,573 houses to be submerged, 20 landslides damaged four houses, as well as 15 floods and landslides, and resulted in 35 houses being submerged.

As a result of the disaster, the total loss is estimated at IDR 230 billion and has an impact on 3.807 houses, 146 educational facilities, two market buildings, three health facilities, 16 government facilities, and nine places of worship.

"The total number of people affected by 86,912 families / 286,002 people in 718 sub-districts in 1,731 villages with a total of 79,955 refugees," he said.

In addition, said Ilyas, all these disasters have also affected 67 shop houses, 22 bridges, 38 embankments, and 837 meters of roads due to floods and landslides, as well as 241 hectares of land burned due to forest and land fires.

Then, also made 11 people die, consisting of two victims due to landslides, three were swept away by flash floods, five were swept away by flood currents, one fire, and four people were injured by the disaster.

Ilyas added that to be prepared for disasters, BPBA made a number of efforts, namely increasing the capacity of the apparatus, increasing community capacity (gladi/simulation, SMAB, disaster-resilient villages, PRB movements).

"We also focus on controlling PB operations (fast and valid data), coordinating with Regency/City BPBD, preparing disaster management sarpras, and forming a rapid reaction team," he said.

Not only that, continued Ilyas, BPBA also conducts rehabilitation and reconstruction including coordination with PUPR technical agencies, planting landslide prevention grass (vetivers), carrying out post-disaster economic recovery.

"Lastly, we are also restoring the disaster-affected environment (river cliff strengthening and disaster area reconstruction)," said Ilyas.