President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is set to visit the victims of the Mount Sinabung eruptions in Karo regency, North Sumatra, next week, has instructed the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and other relevant ministries and institutions to boost national coordination in helping the victims to resume their daily lives.

According to BNPB chief Syamsul Maarif, the number of victims '€” who have been living in shelters for a long period due to continued eruptions since September last year '€” has reached 26,174 people, or 8,160 families, an increase from 25,516 people, or 7,785 families, last week.

The situation has led to at least 14 deaths, mostly due to illness.

'€œThe President told [us] not to let the regency, which no longer has the capability [to deal with the disaster], work alone,'€ Syamsul told a press conference after a Cabinet plenary meeting to discuss the disaster, among other topics, on Thursday.

During the meeting, Syamsul said, the President ordered all relevant ministries and institutions to boost national coordination in mitigating the disaster.

'€œParticularly [in ensuring] services for the victims and [in ensuring they can resume] their daily lives, through a cash-for-work program overseen by the coordinating people'€™s welfare minister, for example,'€ Syamsul said.

Medicines and baby food are expected to reach the affected areas by Jan. 18.

According to Syamsul, the President also ordered the Public Works Ministry to improve water services in the shelters to meet the needs of a growing number of displaced villagers.

The Education and Culture Ministry plans to give scholarships and meet educational needs of children in Karo, Syamsul added.

Meanwhile, the Karo regency administration on Thursday announced that it would immediately relocate settlements devastated by volcanic ash and hot dust clouds located in a dangerous zone within a 3-kilometer radius of Mt. Sinabung.

It said that, for the initial stage of relocations, residents of three villages '€” Simacem, Bekerah and Sigarang-garang '€” would be resettled to safer places, far from Mt. Sinabung.

Emergency response team commander Saberina Ginting said it was unlikely that the three villages could be inhabited again, as they had been devastated by volcanic ash and pyroclastic clouds.

Saberina added at least 1,000 homes in the three villages would be relocated to safer areas.

'€œThe planned relocation of settlements located within a 3-km radius has been approved and will be implemented soon. For the time being, [residents of] three villages will be relocated, while the rest [of the affected villages] will follow,'€ Saberina told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

She said several places had been recommended as resettlement sites, such as in Merek district. Saberina added all the recommended locations were located within Karo regency.

North Sumatra Deputy Governor Tengku Erry Nuradi said the planned relocation would be carried out in two stages. He added that in the first stage, settlements located within a 3-km radius of the volcano would be relocated, followed by those located in a 5-km radius. Erry said the relocation would be expensive and would take a relatively long time.

'€œObviously, we will discuss everything with the central government, including the right location for rebuilding the homes. They don'€™t have to be permanent homes; they can be semi-permanent homes but [they must be] habitable,'€ he said.

The Karo Agriculture Agency reported that, since Mt. Sinabung has been erupting, from September 2013 until Jan. 6 this year, the agricultural sector has suffered losses of up to Rp 712.2 billion (US$58.73 million).

Office head Agustoni Tarigan said the huge losses were attributed to harvest failure, as crops were
destroyed by the volcanic ash.

Agustoni added at least 10,406 hectares of farmland and plantations suffered harvest failure.

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