Disaster on New Year’s day

Wed, January 8, 2020 / 05:24 pm

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Hopeless: A landslide survivor cries at an emergency shelter in Sukajaya, Bogor, West Java, on Sunday. Thousands of Sukajaya residents are displaced as a result of floods and landslides. Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay
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Nowhere to go: Houses are trapped under a landslide in Sukajaya, Bogor, West Java. Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay
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Work together: A police officer helps residents cross a makeshift emergency bridge over the Cidurian River in Bogor, West Java, on Friday. Antara/Arif Firmansyah
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Get in line: Cars use an underpass as a flood inundates Jl. Angkasa in Central Jakarta on Thursday. Antara/Sigid Kurniawan
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What remains: Residents walk by destroyed cars in Bekasi, West Java, on Thursday after massive flooding triggered by heavy rainfall hit the area. AFP/Bagus Saragih
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Recovery starts now: A rescuer searches through the wreckage of a building destroyed by flooding and a landslide in Sangihe, North Sulawesi, on Saturday. The flood hit on Friday and killed three residents while displacing more than 300 others. Antara/Stenly Pontolawokang

For Indonesians, New Year’s Day is a time they will not forget.

A series of disasters struck various parts of the country during a period that is usually reserved for festivities and happiness.

While some might have enjoyed parties and celebrations on the eve of the new year, many had to face the catastrophic reality that came with heavy rainfall over Indonesia throughout the night and well into 2020.

Across the region, people faced heavy storms, floods and landslides.

More than 4,000 residents found themselves displaced and more than 400 houses were heavily damaged by disasters in Sukajaya district in Bogor regency, West Java.

The heavy toll of losses that came with the disasters is still on the rise, showing the Indonesian people the importance of sticking together.

The disasters are not over yet but, hopefully, Indonesians will rise together and become stronger after they have passed.

These images from various sources, including our own photojournalists, serve as a reminder to keep our hope alive amid the devastating disasters. A reminder to all, including ourselves.

Let’s stop fighting and bickering because it is now time for solidarity and compassion.