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Bima emergency relief work extended to Jan. 12
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In crisis -- A baby sleeps in a temporary shelter for Bima flood victims at Baitul Hamid Mosque in Penaraga sub-district, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, on Dec. 26. (Antara/Ahmad Subaidi)
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lash flooding in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, has left huge social problems, forcing the city administration to extend its emergency relief period which should have ended on Jan. 5, by one week to Jan. 12.
The Bima administration recorded that as of Thursday, at least 900 residents were still taking refuge in temporary shelters in nine points across the city. Activities in several schools and community health centers (Puskesmas) have not yet returned to normal as they are still not yet free of garbage and flood debris.
“Based on the results of the Bima flood mitigation team’s meeting, the emergency relief deadline will be extended by seven days to Jan. 12. This decision has been taken to make cleaning easier and because some problems in the management of displaced people have not yet been fully resolved, among other things,” Bima administration spokesperson Syahrial Nuryadin said in a statement on Thursday.
Bima suffered severe damage following a two-day flash flood on Dec.21 and Dec.23.
“In the education sector, many schools need special attention. Education facilities in several locations sustained severe damage. Many students are still suffering from trauma and do not yet have proper school equipment,” said Syahrial.
The joint clean-up team has not yet managed to achieve its target of 100 percent of areas free from garbage and flood debris. The volume of flood garbage taken to temporary trash disposal sites (TPS) has exceeded their capacities, creating more problems for the city administration.
In the health sector, only a few areas have been sterilized due to a lack of personnel, equipment and disinfectant. Syahrial said many health facilities had been cleaned of flood debris, but healthcare services were not yet optimal as many medicines and medical equipment had sustained severe damage. (ebf)
