Provision of Family Tents Relies on Donors

While waiting for earthquake-resistant houses to be built, residents with damaged houses are temporarily living in family tents. The provision of these tents relies on donors.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

A number of refugee children play with their peers around the earthquake evacuation tents in Gintung Village, Mangunkerta Village, Cugenang, Cianjur Regency, West Java, Friday (11/25/2022).

CIANJUR, KOMPAS – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) will soon build earthquake-resistant model houses for earthquake survivors in Cianjur, West Java. Residents with heavily damaged houses can build new houses with direct cash assistance of Rp 50 million provided by the central government.

While waiting for the cash assistance from the central government, Cianjur Regent Herman Suherman said on Wednesday (30/11/2022) that residents whose houses had been heavily damaged or destroyed and wanted to stay near their homes could temporarily live in family tents.

“We have directed those whose houses were destroyed to set up tents by family. The government has also directed them to tidy up the rubble [from the buildings],” he said.

Family tents continue to be obtained through donations from various volunteers. According to Herman, this was because the district administration did not have the budget.

Also read:

> Data Collection Begins for Damaged Houses

> More Evacuees, Not Enough Tents

With a tight budget, Herman promised rewards for residents if they accelerated the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the area.

“Residents willing to clean up their own destroyed houses will have priority over restoration. We will reward them with home appliances,” he said.

Previously, BNPB acting data, information and communication center head Abdul Muhari said earthquake-resistant model houses would be built in the 12 subdistricts affected by the earthquake. These houses were recommended as a reference for those who needed to rebuild their destroyed homes.

Residents willing to clean up their own destroyed houses will have priority over restoration. We will reward them with home appliances.

Reconstruction of destroyed houses was previously done in Aceh and Nias in 2004, Yogyakarta in 2006, after the eruption of Mount Sinabung in 2015 and after the 2018 Lombok and Palu earthquakes.

Earthquake-resistant houses be built using the cash assistance of Rp 50 million from the government. The funds will be distributed by the central government for residents with heavily damaged homes. Residents whose houses were severely damaged were given the option of relocating to several places proposed by the Cianjur regency administration. During this relocation, the government will build houses in accordance with the standards prepared by the Public Works and Housing Ministry.

“For relocation, it is 100 percent from the [ministry]. Those houses will be different from a Rp 50 million house,” he said.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

Volunteers distribute aid to earthquake refugees in Ciputri Village, Pacet District, Cianjur Regency, West Java, Sunday (27/11/2022).

The model house is a type-36 earthquake-resistant house made with a raft system that is easy to install. One of the model houses will be built in Warungkondang subdistrict, which is currently under direct review by Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy.

Meanwhile, the Cianjur regency administration proposed three locations for relocation, namely Cilaku district, Mande district and Pacet district. The area in Cilaku, specifically in Sirnagalih village, is 2.5 hectares, while the area in Mande is 4 ha and the area in Pacet is 10 ha.

These three areas currently await a soil density assessment from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to ensure that the land is not prone to damage from earthquakes.

Damage assessment

Muhadjir instructed related institutions and the local administration to finalize the verified house damage assessment data on Wednesday. This data will be used for the distribution of direct cash assistance.

“The number of verified houses will be locked. So that they do not overlap, we will finalize them. Let us consider this the first batch, which we have closed. Later, we will begin the second batch,” said Muhadjir at the Cianjur regent’s office.

Also read:

> Earthquake Zone and Earthquake Resistant Houses

> Humanizing the Bodies of Cianjur Earthquake Victims

Based on BNPB data, as of Wednesday (30/11) afternoon, a total of 15,213 houses were damaged. Of this figure, 4,132 were heavily damaged, 4,525 were moderately damaged and 6,556 were mildly damaged.

Herman said many evacuees whose houses were only mildly damaged and were still safe to live in had already returned. This was in accordance with the instructions in a BMKG letter. Residents who had returned to their homes had begun renovating their houses, although they had not yet been surveyed.

Until 3 Dec.

It has been suggested that the search period for the missing victims of the Cianjur earthquake, which was supposed to end today, be extended until Saturday (3/12). This suggestion was made because there were still 13 missing people as of Tuesday (29/11). The death toll has reached 327 people.

The extension is expected to be maximized to complete the search. However, if not, Muhadjir has asked the families of the missing victims to be accepting. He said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had instructed the regions to accelerate rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The people have accepted that the victims are dead, but we want to bury their bodies

Adul Zulkifli, 49, a resident of Cijedil, asked for the search for earthquake victims to continue. Ten days after the earthquake, his older sibling and niece/nephew have still not been found.

“Hopefully, the search will be extended. It is not just one or two people still buried [under the rubble], but many,” he said.

“The people have accepted that the victims are dead, but we want to bury their bodies,” said Naih Atikah, head of neighborhood unit (RT) 3, community unit (RW) 1, Cijedil.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.