UNFPA assists during Jakarta's January floods

Flood waters ravaged thousands of homes, buildings, and roads in Jakarta for days beginning Wednesday, 16 January 2013, leaving 26 dead after torrential rains caused a number of dykes to collapse.

According to a Situation Report produced by OCHA on 17 January 2013, 50 areas in Jakarta were affected by floods. Major roads were blocked, paralyzing transportation such as trains and city buses. Large parts of Jakarta went days without electricity.

Jakarta’s Provincial Disaster Management Agency (Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Provinsi Daerah Khusus Ibukota) reported that at least 19,000 people were evacuated and 55,000 people were directly affected.

On 17 January 2013, UNFPA received a formal request from the Ministry of Health’s Directorate for Maternal Health to assist in meeting affected populations’ need for hygiene kits, particularly those of vulnerable groups, such as women of reproductive age, pregnant women, post-delivery women, and newborn babies. UNFPA and the Ministry of Health conducted a joint assessment in Rawa Buaya, one of the most-affected areas in West Jakarta, on 19 January 2013.

Penyerahan kit bumilkit bulin dan kit bayi serta higiene kit secara simbolis di lokasi pengungsian gereja Koinonia Jaktim Photo: Women receive hygiene kits from UNFPA through the Ministry of Health.

Based on observations and assessments at the camp, hygiene kits were one of the priority needs of IDPs, who included vulnerable groups such as women, pregnant women, post-delivery women, and newborn babies. A total of 2400 hygiene kits for women, 150 pregnant mother kits, 150 post-delivery kits, and 150 baby kits were distributed to the IDP camps through the DKI Jakarta provincial health office. Of the kits distributed, 2000 hygiene kits and 150 newborn kits were contributed by UNFPA at a total value of about USD 25,000. Some kits were handed to IDPs directly by Minister of Health Dr. Nafsiah Mboi on 21 January 2013.

Pemberian kit bulin oleh MK di lokasi pengungsian gereja Koinania Jaktim Photo: Minister of Health Nafsiah Mboi distributes kits to post-delivery women.

In addition to hygiene kits, UNFPA provided technical assistance to the National Disaster Management Agency’s (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana, or BNPB) Center for Data and Public Information through deployment of a UNFPA programme officer for Data and Information with a background in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). The officer supported BNPB in spatial data collection, processing, and analysis to ensure data was available during the disaster response.

UNFPA is committed to support the Government of Indonesia in meeting the needs of populations affected by disaster, particularly those of vulnerable groups. Through collaboration and partnerships with the Ministry of Health, BNPB, and other national and international partners, UNFPA stands prepared in disasters to support the provision of reproductive health services, prevention and management of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as population data for disaster management programmes.

New Image1 Photo: Minister of Health Nafsiah Mboi and UNFPA Representative Jose Ferraris speak as health teams deploy at the Ministry of Health.