Monthly Humanitarian Update - January 2012

Natural Disasters

Between 25 - 29 January 2012, Tropical cyclone Iggy occurred in the Indian Ocean south of West Java, causing 15 fatalities and 60 injuries, along with damage to an estimated 2,364 houses in 35 districts/cities in Java and Bali. The cyclone triggered heavy rains and whirlwinds in the islands stretching from southern Lampung to southern Arafuru Sea. Reports indicate that three people were killed in Tabanan, three in Purbalingga and two each in Kediri and Banyumas. South Jakarta, Wonosobo, Ciamis, Pasuruan, Karangasem, and Serang each reported single casualties. Whirlwinds caused severe damage to 123 houses in Kelapa, Kelapa Dua and Harapan islands in One Thousand Islands District of Jakarta, which was the most seriously affected.

Elsewhere, three people were killed and thousands of families temporarily displaced by floods in several parts of the country beginning on 14 January. Worst affected were the districts of Lebak (9,100 families across 63 villages), Serang (2,723 families across 45 villages), Pandeglang (10,649 families across 34 villages) and Tangerang (4,128 families across 19 villages). The flooding prompted authorities to declare a two-week local emergency. On 26 January, Tangerang District experienced another flood that severely damaged 71 houses in Kresek sub-district; an additional 235 houses suffered light damage. In West Java, high tides caused the flooding of tens of houses in Sukabumi District, while flash floods on 29 January led to hundreds of houses being inundated across three sub-districts in Sumba Besar in West Nusa Tenggara. The Meteorology,Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in conjunction with the Water Resource Office and the National Mapping Agency had earlier forecasted rains and a high possibilty of floods in several areas across the country during January 2012.