Indonesia government plans daily living allowance, compensation for families hit by Sumatra floods

Victims of the recent deadly floods on Indonesia’s Sumatra island could receive government support, including a daily living allowance, household replacement aid and 15 million rupiah (US$896) in compensation for families of those killed in the disaster that has claimed more than 1,000 lives across three provinces.

As of Friday (Dec 18), the death toll has reached 1,068 people, with over 190 people still missing and about 7,000 injured in Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra after Cyclone Senyar struck in late November.

About 577,600 residents have been displaced and more than 147,000 homes were destroyed, according to Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB).

Indonesia Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf said that the government is mulling a daily living allowance scheme for displaced victims. 

“Once there is temporary housing or permanent housing (available for them), there will be a living allowance provided for three months in which in each family, every individual will receive financial support of 10,000 rupiah per day,” Saifullah was quoted as saying by local news outlet Detik on Thursday. 

“The living allowance is 10,000 rupiah per individual. For example, a family of five would receive 50,000 rupiah daily for three months.” 

He added that the proposed allowance amount is still under discussion with the Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno, to ensure it meets current living standards. 

The government also plans to distribute 3 million rupiah to help affected households purchase and replace household furniture and other essential items that were damaged or lost, local media reported. 

“This is intended to help replace household items such as kitchen utensils, chairs, tables and other basic necessities,” he said on Thursday, as quoted by Detik.

COMPENSATION FOR DECEASED AND SERIOUSLY INJURED VICTIMS 

The government is also preparing compensation for deceased victims and those who are seriously injured.

Families of those who died will receive 15 million rupiah, while victims with serious injuries will receive 5 million rupiah, said Saifullah. 

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Saifullah said that his ministry has so far distributed over 100 billion rupiah in aid across the affected provinces. 

The minister also apologised if his ministry’s efforts so far have not been optimal, noting that the social affairs ministry will continue to provide assistance based on data collected on the ground in coordination with local governments. 

“The logistics from the Ministry of Social Affairs are indeed limited, but other ministries also provide logistical support, often more than our ministry. We are one team,” he said, as quoted by local media platform Kompas.

“We apologise if not all areas have been reached yet, but we are distributing all the resources available to the best of our ability.” 

Local media earlier reported that government aid has struggled to reach some remote areas. In some parts of Aceh, residents have put up white flags to signal that they can no longer cope with the worsening living conditions amid hunger, severe shortages and uncertainty over when sufficient assistance will arrive.