President Joko Widodo presided a limited cabinet meeting to discuss the handling of natural disasters that hit West Nusa Tenggara Province -NTB, at the Presidential Office in Jakarta. In his direction, the President said that he continues to monitor the process of handling the impact of disasters as well as to get a direct handling report from the field, both in relation to the number of deaths and the damage caused by the earthquake. President Joko Widodo also affirmed that he has ordered the National Disaster Mitigation Agency -BNPB and other related agencies to move directly by focusing efforts on the evacuation of residents and tourists affected by the disaster. This effort includes providing care and handling of evacuees. Regarding the evacuation process, President Joko Widodo underlined the importance of prioritizing the search for undiscovered victims. He also requested that BNPB and all relevant agencies make sure logistics availability during the process of handling disaster victims.
“I ask for evacuees that have not yet been found to be a priority and I get reports from the field that the process of searching for victims continues to be carried out intensively. This has been started a lot by moving heavy equipment, and for the handling of evacuees and earthquake victims, I ask to ensure the availability of logistical supplies for food, blankets, especially food for babies, medicines for water supply and those related to electricity,” said President Joko Widodo.
If the emergency response period has passed, President Joko Widodo emphasized the importance of the rehabilitation process for damaged buildings affected by the disaster. This process, according to the President, includes the effort to reconstruct buildings both housing and public facilities for the community. (Ndy/Trans by Rhm)