"Reconstruction should be taken up immediately," President Jokowi said during a limited cabinet meeting.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has directed that Aceh, which was rocked by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, should be immediately reconstructed.

"Reconstruction should be taken up immediately," President Jokowi said during a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday.

He asked the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) to mobilize their personnel to provide help in the reconstruction process. Jokowi appreciated the way the situation was handled after the earthquake struck on Wednesday, Dec 7.

Rescue and relief work was carried out speedily and the president observed it during his first visit to the location.

"During my second visit, I will ensure that all the people receive proper assistance and services," he assured.

Such assistance and services ranged from health care services, compensation to kin in case of death, logistics related to refugees, aid for children, reconstruction of public facilities, government offices, schools, mosques and residential houses.

In the limited cabinet meeting, the president asked the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to report the handling of the disaster, particularly regarding the number of victims and damaged structures and facilities.

"I want all aspects of the disaster and reconstruction to be handled immediately," he stressed.

Earlier, the BNPB had reported that the death toll in the earthquake disaster had reached 102, including 96 victims in Pidie Jaya District, four in Pidie District and two in Bireuen.

"The quake also left 857 people injured. A total of 83,838 people were evacuated to 124 locations," BNPB head for information data center and public relations, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, disclosed in a written statement on Tuesday (Dec 13).

He informed that some 4,836 personnel from ministries, institutions, TNI, National Police, local government, volunteers, non-governmental organizations and other societal organizations were still carrying out emergency response handling procedures.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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