Garut, West Java (ANTARA) – The Social Affairs Ministry has readied social granaries in three sub-districts, Garut City, Tarogong Kidul, and Banjarwangi, in Garut district, West Java, for improving preparedness against disasters.
“(Social granaries can) accelerate the distribution of logistics so that when a disaster occurs, there is already assistance,” the ministry’s director of social protection for natural disaster victims, Iyan Koesmadiana, remarked at the opening of the three social granaries in Garut on Saturday.
The preparation of social granaries is among the ministry’s flagship programs for handling the needs of the community in the event of a natural disaster, he said.
The social granaries built in the three sub-districts will make the provision of services and basic needs, such as food and clean water, to people easier and faster, he added.
Under the program, the Social Affairs Ministry will synergize with the Garut District Social Office to quickly provide logistics assistance supplied by the Bandung Education and Training Center of Social Welfare’s (BBPPKS’) warehouse, Koesmadiana said.
“We will give shelter equipment such as cleaning tools, hot water, and so on,” he added.
Related news: Govt to build social granaries to mitigate disasters in Kapuas Hulu
Deputy chairman of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives, Ace Hasan Syadzily, who was present at the launch of the social granaries, expressed support for the program, which is designed to help meet the community’s basic needs quickly after disaster events.
“Commission VIII strongly encourages that this is part of our disaster risk reduction and our preparedness against disasters,” Syadzily said.
Meanwhile, acting regional secretary of Garut district, Didit Fajar Putradi, expressed his gratitude for the attention from the ministry and the House in distributing assistance through social granaries.
He said that Garut district had received similar assistance in building social granaries after flash floods struck Karangtengah, Sukawening, and Sukaresmi sub-districts in 2021.
“We also use the budget of unexpected costs (BTT) to handle some problems, especially disaster impacts,” Putradi added.
Related news: Rismaharini reviews social granary readiness in 2 East Java districts
Related news: Social Affairs Ministry readies social granaries for disaster victims