This statement was made in response to several parties questioning why the national disaster status has not yet been declared by the government.
In a press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Friday, he asserted that the government immediately mobilized national resources after the disasters struck the three provinces of Sumatra—Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
He detailed that over 50,000 personnel, including members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and volunteers, have been deployed to the affected provinces.
During the first week alone, he noted, 26,000 Army personnel were already stationed in the affected areas.
Furthermore, the cabinet secretary dismissed claims that disaster relief funding cannot be accessed from the central government unless a national disaster status is officially declared.
According to him, President Prabowo Subianto emphasized from the beginning that the government would gradually allocate up to Rp60 trillion (around US$3.58 billion) for reconstruction efforts.
This budget will be used for rebuilding temporary and permanent housing, local government facilities, and even sub-district offices damaged by the floods and landslides.
"All 52 district heads and mayors have also immediately received funds," he added.
Wijaya further mentioned that more than 100 ships, planes, and helicopters have been deployed for logistics distribution, along with around 1,000 units of heavy equipment to support evacuation and infrastructure restoration.
He acknowledged that restoring infrastructure will take time, given the numerous collapsed bridges and severed roads, but noted that connectivity is being gradually restored.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that as of December 19, the death toll from the floods and landslides in the three provinces of Sumatra had reached 1,072, with 186 people still missing.
The disasters have damaged approximately 147,000 houses, 145 bridges, and 434 places of worship across 52 districts and cities in the three provinces.
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Translator: Mentari D, Andi F, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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