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Indonesia

Indonesia: Flash Floods and Landslides in South Sulawesi Province Information bulletin

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The situation

Due to heavy and non-stop rainfall in South Sulawesi area from Monday, 21 January 2019, the water volume in Bili-Bili water reservoir increased up to 101.9 metres from normal level. According to South Sulawesi province government head of public relations, this water level escalation is indicated as alert-status. Therefore, on the next day (Tuesday, 22 January) the government decided to open the Bili-bili reservoir spillway to normalize the water volume in the reservoir.

However, the decision caused Jeneberang river to become overflowed and flooded the area of Gowa District. Furthermore, the overflowed Jeneberang river caused Manuju bridge to collapse. The bridge used to connect Gowa district and Moncongloe village.

According to the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) official report on 25 January, the flood has affected 106 villages within 13 districts (Jenepoto, Maros, Gowa, Makassar-city, Soppeng, Wajo, Barru,
Pangkep, Sidra, Bantaeng, Takalar, Selayar and Sinjai district). Furthermore, according to the report:

  • 59 people reported dead, 25 people are missing, 47 people injured, 3,481 people evacuated and a total of 6,596 people affected by the flood;

  • 79 unit of houses are damaged (32 unit washed away by the flood, 26 heavily-damaged, 2 mediumdamaged, 14 lightly-damaged and 5 buried by landslides);

  • 4,857 houses covered by flood water;

  • 11,876 hectare of farm field covered by flood water;

  • 10 bridges damaged; the floods covered 16.2 km of road in the area, 2 markets, 12 praying houses, 6 government facilities and 22 schools.

Response by the provincial disaster management agency (BPBD)

BPBD together with the military, police, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), local government office, Ministry of Social Welfare Volunteers (Tagana), Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), volunteers and the community are providing emergency response support to the affected people. Relief aids are being delivered to the areas from various governmental organization and ministries or agencies such as BNPB with BPBD, Indonesian Military and Police unit, Basarnas, Social Ministry, Health Ministry, Ministry of Public Work and Housing. Furthermore, Head of BNPB has released in total of IDR 1.15 billion (on-call) Emergency Funds and in total of IDR 828.9 million worth of logistics to the Governor of South Sulawesi (24 January 2019). Relief items such as 250 tents, 425 clothes, 560 blankets, 100 family kits, 202 baby kits, 240 sleeping mats, 30 body bags, 300 sand bags, 540 packs of instant food, 714 packs of ready food and 690 packs of vitamins and nutritious food have been dispatched.

As of date, the situation keeps on improving. The water level (flood level) keeps on decreasing as well as the rainfall has stopped. Main activities in the affected areas are evacuation; search and rescue for the landslide affected area.

The Government has declared emergency status for South Sulawesi province. The emergency status started from 22 January 2019 and will last for 7 days or until 29 January 2019. The emergency response for Gowa,
Jenepoto, Maros and Makassar-city districts carried out and coordinated locally through BPBD along with the establishment of command post, field kitchen and displacement site.

Response by PMI and IFRC

PMI and the IFRC Country Cluster Support Team (CCST) in Jakarta are coordinating with each other and also coordinating with BNPB to monitor and carried out emergency response needs in the field.

Immediate needs

Based on initial information from secondary sources as well as from PMI teams on the ground, immediate needs include evacuation and management of injuries, medical and health services including referral services, food and non-food items and cleaning community water resource.