Not All Wasior Flood Refugees Get Shelters

Villagers walk near the wreckage of a truck in their flood-affected village in Wasior in Indonesias Papua province October 9, 2010. At least 126 people have died, 66 went missing and more than 800 were left injured after flash floods swept Wasior on Monday, according to data from Indonesias National Disaster Mitigation Agency on Saturday.

(News Today) - The number of temporary shelters the government had built was not enough for all refugees of the recent Wasior flood, Vice President Boediono said.

Boediono was quoted by his spokesman Yopie Hidayat here Wednesday as saying that the government had built temporary shelters but they were not enough for all the Wasior flood victims.

Two big problems that the West Papuan town of Wasior still faced in the aftermath of last October flood were the limited number of temporary shelters and reconstruction sites, he said. "The first problem is the number of refugees and second is reconstruction site. The construction of temporary shelters for the Wasior flood disaster refugees have been finished but their number is not enough," he said. Speaking to newsmen after heading a meeting for Wasior’s rehabilitation and reconstruction, Boediono said the government’s latest data had shown that there were 1,124 families in Wasior. "However, the number of families is bigger (than shown in the statistical data) because those taking refuge to other areas have returned to Wasior," Yopie quoted Boediono as saying. A total of 600 families who had returned to Wasior from various places had yet to have the temporary shelters, he said. The government itself still had to set up 12 refugee barracks, he said adding that the government had set up two teams.

The first team for Wasior rehabilitation and reconstruction would be headed by Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Agung Laksono and the second team would be led by Public works minister Djoko Kirmanto, he said. Yopie said the government maintained the previous location of Wasior but the water catchment areas would be relocated.

The sites for relocating the Wasior residents might be Naikere and Raisiei. The Wasior flash flood, which struck on October 3 and 4, had reportedly killed at least 150 people, and left a few hundreds of others still missing.

Wasior town in Teluk Wondama, West Papua Province, was covered with mud, logs and rocks following the flood. The central government, however, had ensured that there were no illegal logging activities in the dense forests of Wasior.

Source : kompas

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