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undreds of earthquake survivors in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), demonstrated in front of the North Lombok regent’s office on Wednesday, calling on the regency to make good on the central government’s promise of house construction funds.

Tens of thousands of houses were damaged or destroyed during the series of major quakes that rocked the region last month.

The government previously promised that victims would receive Rp 10 million (US$671) to Rp 50 million in aid, depending on the severity of the damage their houses sustained.

“We ask that the government quickly distribute the aid funds,” protest coordinator Bimbo Asmani said on Wednesday. “Do not let this matter drag on and on.”

He said the quake victims badly needed the funds, especially those whose houses were heavily damaged, as conditions in the emergency shelters were deteriorating and the rainy season was approaching.

The protesters also rejected the requirement to form a community group (Pokmas) before the funds could be disbursed, saying that it would unnecessary delay aid distribution.

“The bureaucracy of the aid funds should be easy and quick,” Bimbo said. “Requiring the formation of a Pokmas would only make us suffer longer.”

North Lombok Regent Najmul Akhyar met with the protesters and assured them that his administration was continuing its efforts to speed up post-quake rehabilitation and reconstruction.

“We appreciate the community’s aspirations and feelings and we will communicate them to the central government,” he said.

Najmul said the distribution of funds had in fact already started, as evidenced by the groundbreaking of a house in Salut village, Kayangan district, on Tuesday.

He also said he could not overturn the Pokmas requirement, which had been set by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Public Works and Housing Ministry, adding that forming a Pokmas would actually help simplify the bureaucracy.

“Without a Pokmas, every individual would have to be responsible for their own financial reports,” Najmul said. “With a Pokmas, the head of the group would be responsible for all of its members. So it would actually make things easier.

Nevertheless, Najmul said he would bring up the community’s concerns to the BNPB and the ministry.

He also joined the protestor’s calls for more active central government participation in reconstruction in North Lombok.

“In addition to the houses, our infrastructure is also badly damaged,” Najmul said. “We have to use tents as emergency offices, even the regent has to stay in a [freight] container. But this is the condition that we are in, we have to face it with the spirit to rise again.”

Based on cumulative data from the from NTB’s disaster mitigation command post, 149,715 houses in the province were damaged as a result of last month’s earthquakes.

The damaged houses were spread across the province: 4,446 in Mataram, 38,497 in North Lombok, 55,497 in West Lombok, 15,642 in East Lombok, 11,232 in Central Lombok, 9,040 in Sumbawa and 15,361 in West Sumbawa.

Only around 34,000 of the damaged houses have been verified and certified by the regional head. The remaining houses are still being processed.