R

esidents displaced by the Mount Sinabung eruption in Karo regency, North Sumatra, have yet to receive cash aid to pay for accommodation and day-to-day needs despite the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) having transferred the funds to the Karo Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) last week.

Evacuee Ikuten Sitepu, of Sukanalu village, said they had been waiting for the cash assistance from the Karo regency administration for almost a week but as of noon on Tuesday evacuees accommodated in seven shelters had yet to receive cash for the so-called cash-for-work program.

He added that, as recommended by the government, the evacuees had opened bank accounts at Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) so the aid could immediately be transferred.

'€œThey promised to send the cash aid after we opened bank accounts, but we have yet to receive the cash,'€ Sitepu told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Sitepu said the distribution of the cash aid through bank accounts was prone to fraud because a number of outsiders claimed to be evacuees and opened bank accounts to receive the aid. '€œI know some of them. They have opened bank accounts and are waiting for the aid to be transferred,'€ said Sitepu, who declined to identify the people.

Last week, the BNPB disbursed Rp 7.3 billion (US$605,000) in cash aid for those displaced by the eruption through the Karo BPBD.

The aid is intended for evacuees who have been relocated and those who will be returning to their respective villages.

Each of the displaced families who will be relocated, will receive rent assistance of Rp 1.8 million for six months starting January, while each family will receive Rp 50,000 for daily expenses. The assistance will be provided for 60 days.

As many as 1,970 displaced families will be relocated. They hail from the seven villages of Suka Meriah, Simacem, Bekerah, Gurukinayan, Berastepu, Gamber and Kuta Tonggol, all located within a 3 to 5 kilometer-radius of the volcano, while 2,443 people, or 795 families will be returned to their villages of Sukanalu and Sigarang-garang.

Karo BPBD head Subur Tambun acknowledged the cash aid for returning evacuees had yet to be distributed, but around 370 families who would be relocated had received the aid.

Tambun claimed those who would be repatriated had not received the cash aid as some of them had yet to open bank accounts.

'€œWe are waiting until everything is complete, so we can distribute the aid at once,'€ said Tambun.

Regarding the allegation that some people had falsely claimed to be evacuees and opened bank accounts to get aid, Tambun said that if people were proven to be local residents they were entitled to the aid.

'€œIt'€™s difficult for us to check those who claim to be evacuees. In principle, if they can produce identity cards and family cards, they are entitled to receive the aid,'€ Tambun told the Post.