Massive Floods Still Haunt Jakarta

By Hendro Suwito, World Vision Indonesia communicator

Jakarta (January 18) – Scores of places across Jakarta still suffer from massive floods on Friday amid treats of more fresh floods in the coming days. The floods on the capital city’s main Thamrin highway and the Hotel Indonesia iconic roundabout, however, has slowly been subsiding after the collapsing dike nearby could be repaired.

World Vision Indonesia’s relief team, meanwhile, continues with their effort to distribute more emergency aid to thousands of flood victims forced to abandon their houses and take temporarily shelter at some public places near their neighborhoods.

The Thamrin street turned more like a brownish muddy river on Thursday as flood water of 50-70 centimeters high inundated the areas. The flood even lightly inundated the Presidential Palace compound.

The flood water on Thamrin and surrounding areas has subsided to some 10 centimeters earlier on Friday as the efforts of hundreds of officers to repair the West Flood Canal dike could be completed late on Thursday evening.

However, many other low places across Jakarta remained underwater. Flood waters as deep as one to two meters still inundated residential areas in Kampung Pulo, Rawa Jati, Bukit Duri, Ciledug and some other places. The floods impacted some 100,000 lives (some 25,000 families) and have forced some 15,000 to 20,000 people to flee to safer shelters nearby. At least five people were reported killed in the floods.

Main access roads to Jakarta were still flooded at an average of 50 centimeters on Friday making it difficult to reach the city center and business districts.

Climate observers noted moderate to heavy downpours would continue pounding Jakarta and its greater areas in the coming days. Sporadic moderate rain has taken place since last night.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for concerted efforts by the Jakarta and central government, including military and police officers, to immediately handle the disaster following his field visit to Rawa Jati in South Jakarta on Thursday afternoon.

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo has declared emergency situation up to January 27.

The floods impacted five World Vision ADPs in Jakarta: Jatinegara, Cawang, Kebon Pala, Penjaringan and Cilincing.

World Vision team distributed almost 400 packages of children kits in Jatinegara and Cawang ADP areas on Thursday and will continue distributing some 400 more packages on Friday. 

“We distributed children kits at two shelters in Jatinegara and three other places in Cawang areas yesterday,” said Hendi Julius, coordinator of urban program in Jakarta. “We are planning to expand our relief aid programs to the Penjaringan and Cilincing ADPs soon.”

The Penjaringan and Cilincing areas in North Jakarta are among the places severely flooded.

Hendi noted all the distributed aid packages are from the pre-positioned goods. “We are still waiting for more goods from the suppliers.”

If the floods get more severe in the coming days, World Vision would likely implement more substantial response in the coming weeks to ease the lives of thousands of the displaced people.