FLOODS that hit Demak and Kudus Regencies, Central Java, have not subsided, as a result the number of refugees continues to increase. Apart from that, transportation access is paralyzed because the main roads between regions and cities are still blocked by flooding.
Based on monitoring by Media Indonesia on Wednesday (20/3), the Demak-Kudus Pantura route was still paralyzed due to being submerged by flood waters with a height of 30-70 centimeters in Karanganyar and several sections in Demak city. In fact, the flooding that occurred has spread to 100 villages in 11 sub-districts, including Demak City around the main square and the Sunan Kalijaga Grave Complex in Kadilangu.
The number of refugees also continues to increase in the two areas, reaching tens of thousands of people spread across dozens of refugee camps.
“I can’t go home yet, in my village the water is still precariously high or around 2.5 meters,” said Rina, 45, a refugee from Demak in Jati, Kudus Regency, Wednesday (20/3).
Suryati, 30, a refugee surviving on the embankment of the Wulan River in Demak, said the same thing, that she and her family had experienced flooding twice this year. In fact, to meet their needs while in refugee camps, Hanta relied on assistance sent by officers.
“Just one week following returning from evacuation, now I have evacuated once more,” he added.
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Head of the Emergency Section of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Kudus Munaji said the number of refugees in this area continues to increase. Not only did they come from Kudus but there were also thousands of Demak residents who took refuge here because their homes not far from the Wulan River were flooded.
“The number of refugees has now reached 5,014 people, namely from Kudus 3,041 people (828 families) and from Demak 1,973 people (500 families) spread across 29 locations,” said Munaji.
Munaji continued, to meet the needs of refugees and flood victims in 31 villages in six sub-districts in Kudus, 15 public kitchens have been established, especially around refugee locations, namely Golantepus Village Hall, Jati Wetan Village Hall, Gulang, Blimbing Kidul, DPRD building, mosque, TPQ, as well as the church. “There are 39,272 residents affected by the flood in Kudus,” he added.
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Head of BPBD Demak, Agus Nugroho Luhur, separately said that flooding continues to spread because the broken embankments have not been able to be patched and a number of rivers are still overflowing. Based on data to date there are 100 villages submerged or in good condition compared to previously 89 villages in 11 sub-districts.
“There are 97,147 people affected and 22,129 people are still displaced in dozens of refugee camps, even in Demak City there are 140 more displaced people placed in Wisma Halim,” said Agus Nugroho Luhur.
Apart from continuing to distribute aid to flood-affected residents, according to Agus Nugroho Luhur, flood management efforts are currently concentrating on saving lives and accelerating the filling of broken embankments before pumping water to be discharged back into the river.
(Z-9)
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