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View all search resultsNo disaster status escalation for Northern Sumatra flood, BNPB says
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto acknowledged that there had been discussions on raising the disaster status from the provincial level to the national level for flood and landslide mitigation in northern and western Sumatra, but noted that such a decision has historically been rare.
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A man sits on debris on Friday after it was carried by floodwater and struck a house in South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra. Extreme weather has triggered floods and landslides in the region since Nov. 25. (Antara/Yudi Manar)
O
ngoing mitigation efforts for flood and landslide disasters in the northern and western part of Sumatra will be carried out under a provincial-level emergency status, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), dismissing suggestions to raise the disaster to national status.
During a press conference on Friday, BNPB head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto admitted discussions were ongoing on whether authorities should raise the alert status to a national emergency. But he noted that such declarations were historically rare.
Suharyanto cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2004 Aceh tsunami as examples of previous national emergencies, while noting earthquakes in Palu, Central Sulawesi and Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara in 2018 as well as in Cianjur, West Java in 2022 were handled as provincial level emergencies.
“The current status remains a provincial level emergency,” the three-star Army general said.
He added the central government, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police have been providing full support to the disaster mitigation efforts, while aid directed by President Prabowo Subianto had already arrived to the distribution site.
While reports circulating on social media may have made the situation appear alarming, Suharyanto claimed on the ground assessments showed work in most affected areas were still manageable.
