Indonesia: death toll from recent floods exceeds 1,000, further heavy rains expected

The death toll from floods and landslides that devastated western Indonesia has exceeded 1,000, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) announced on Saturday. And further heavy rains are expected in the region.

The floods which hit the provinces of North and West Sumatra and Aceh two weeks ago have left “1,006 dead and 217 missing to date”, declared Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the BNPB agency at a press conference. In the province of Aceh, the most affected and already devastated by the devastating tsunami of 2004, “the number of deaths increased from 411 to 415. North Sumatra has 349 deaths and West Sumatra 242,” he added.

One of the worst recent natural disasters in the region

Tropical storms and monsoon rains hit Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) and South Asia (Sri Lanka) this month, causing landslides and flash floods.

While hundreds of thousands of residents who lost everything are still housed in temporary shelters, the Indonesian Meteorology and Climatology Agency (BMKG) said “extreme weather conditions are expected to persist, including heavy rainfall in several regions, including Aceh and Sumatra, as well as Bengkulu and Banten.”

It is one of the worst disasters to have recently affected Sumatra and in particular Aceh, at its western end. “Most of the houses here have disappeared, totally destroyed,” Sri Lestari, a 50-year-old woman, told an AFP team, interviewed in the village of Anjung Karang, near Aceh Tamiang.

Her house was destroyed by tree trunks carried by the waves, and she now lives in a tent with her three children. “Look at our house. Without construction equipment, how will we be able to repair it? », Added her husband Tarmiji, 55 years old. “The interior is about to collapse. We can’t live there anymore.”

More than $3 billion needed for reconstruction

On Aceh’s main Tamian road, AFP journalists could see a long line of trucks and private cars distributing aid, food and water. In nearby villages, most houses are still filled with mud. And in the most affected places, many residents are living in tents.

Beyond a roof, the victims also need water and food. “More than 11.7 tonnes of logistical aid were delivered today to Sumatra and Aceh by sea, land and air,” said Abdul Muhari. “At the same time, the construction of temporary shelters for displaced people began today in North and West Sumatra,” he added. The cost of reconstruction could amount to 51.82 trillion rupees ($3.1 billion).

The Indonesian government is criticized for not having declared a state of natural disaster, which could have allowed for faster relief and better coordination. Jakarta has also not appealed for international aid, unlike Sri Lanka.

This Saturday, President Prabowo Subianto once again visited the affected provinces. “Here and there, due to natural and physical conditions, there have been slight delays, but I have inspected all the evacuation sites: their conditions are good, the services provided are adequate and the food supplies are sufficient,” the Indonesian president said after a visit to Langkat, in North Sumatra province.

“In the most isolated areas, like Takengon, we continue to work tirelessly to reopen access roads. Also in Bener Meriah, I believe the bridge is already operational,” added Prabowo Subianto, from Soewondo Air Base, managed by the Indonesian Air Force.