VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Secretary General of Indonesian Social Affairs Ministry, Hartono Laras said that his side has provided psychosocial or trauma healing to earthquake and tsunami victims in Central Sulawesi. The healing is provided since most of the victims at the refugees center especially children had depression. During the Forum Merdeka Barat 9 in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 2018, Hartono explained that psychosocial support team of the Social Affairs Ministry has worked together with socials agencies and universities. Beside psychosocial assistance, the ministry also prepared logistic aid that are currently stored in the regional warehouse around Central Sulawesi.   

“The psychosocial service gives support and advice to the stressfull children and depressed elderly. Because there are many people in the refugee camp still wonder what happen. So we arrived with psychosocial team that supported by universities, and social department. We send them all to Palu. For logistic, we want to say here that logistic around Central Sulawesi such as Gorontalo, North Sulawesi, Makassar are mobilized. Our regional warehouse is ready. In Makasar for instance, our regional warehouse is in Salodong, one warehouse contain food, clothes and they are ready to use during disaster,” said Hartono Laras.

Hartono further explained that they will give moral support to the victims in a form of play therapy, community based, and assessment approach. The team will divide their duties to the refugee camp, victim data, data process and people’s complaint. He added that all social affairs ministry units will synergize to support the after earthquake and tsunami rehabilitation process in central Sulawesi. He said it was the instruction of Indonesian President to Social affairs minister, Agus Gumiwang Kartasaswita in handling central Sulawesi disasters that have to be focused on refugees. (VOI/Rezha/Trans : NK/AHM)

Indonesian government has decided to receive international assistance following the earthquake and Tsunami in Palu and Donggala, Central Sulawesi. Head of Information Center and Public Relations of National Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho in a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (2/10) said Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that there are six kinds of assistance to be prioritized. One of them is air transportation that is able to land and take off on the two thousand meter runway. 

“The coordination of the assistant is held by the Coordinating Ministry of Politic, Law and Security Affairs, and the execution on the field is done by the National Mitigation Agency along with Foreign Affairs Ministry. There are six kinds of aids that we really need such as air transportation that are able to land and take off on a 2000 meter runway, like Hercules C-130 that can carry many cargos, then tents, water treatment, generator, field hospital and fogging. So there are six things we need and the process will be submitted in written form by each countries or international organization,” Sutopo said.

Furthermore, Sutopo explained fogging is needed to spray location considered to have buried dead bodies. Based on information received from the field, there are several places that begin to spread stench of dead bodies and has a potency to be the source of disease. Currently, there are twenty six countries and two international organizations offering their assistance. Sutopo also said that international aid can only be received and delivered by the state. It means that international agency can directly deliver their assistance, both in the form of logistic and volunteers.(REZHA/trans: NK/AHM)

The Head of Data Information Center and Public Relations of National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Tuesday (2/10), until13.00 Western Indonesia Time,120 foreign tourists have been evacuated due to the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Donggala, Central Sulawesi. In a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (2/10), Sutopo admitted that there are two more foreign tourists still missing. They are from South Korea and Belgium.

“We have coordinated with the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, there are 122 foreign tourists have to be evacuated from Palu and Donggala. 120 of them has been identified, while other two foreigners, from South Korea andBelgium are still missing,” said Sutopo.

Furthermore Sutopo Purwonugroho said that a South Koreancitizen is still missing. He might be trapped in the ruins of Road Roa Hotel, Palu. Meanwhile a Belgian citizen cannot be contacted. According to Sutopo the evacuation process of the foreign touristsis coordinated by foreign affairs ministry in cooperation with BNPB, Indonesian military, Indonesian Police, National Search and Rescue Agency and other ministries.Sutopo added that foreign tourists must be priority to be evacuated by Hercules Helicopter from Palu to Jakarta or Makassar, South Sulawesi. (VOI/Rezha/Trs.NK/AHM)

The Head of Public Relation Division of Indonesian Police, Inspector General (Pol) Setyo Wasisto said that 2,143 personnel from all over Indonesia headed to Central Sulawesi to help for rescue and evacuation of the victims affected by earthquake and Tsunami in the region. Setyo Wasisto, at the Merdeka Selatan 9 Forum at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Building on Tuesday (2/10) said that the 2,143 personnel consist of mobile Brigade (Brimob), Samapta Bhayangkara (Sabhara), Health Team, Disaster Victims Identification Team (DVI), K9 (sniffer dogs). The Police has also sent six dogs to search the victims at the ruins.

“As I said earlier that there are 2000 personnel from the Indonesian Police. We will send 2,143 police personnel that consists of mobile Brigade (Brimob),  Samapta Bhayangkara (Sabhara), Health Team, Disaster Victim Identification Team (DVI), K9 team. 4 dogs are already sent to help identification in the ruins. South Sulawesi regional police also sent two dogs,” said Setyo Wasisto.

Moreover, Setyo said of the total personnel, six hundred personnel has just entered the disaster area due to the limited transportation to the disaster area. In addition to the Police personnel, the Indonesian Police Headquarters and regional Police will also send the Abimanyu 7010 and Bisma 8001 hospital ships that will help treatment for victims, along with other ships that can turn salt water into mineral water. Setyo also stated that the police will give deterrent effect for the crime in the area. (VOI/Rezha/trs.NK/AHM)