Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has provided aid for Islamic boarding schools that were damaged in the earthquake that struck Cianjur district, West Java, in November 2022.

“This is assistance from Baznas (Amil Zakat National Agency) for the reconstruction of 69 Islamic boarding schools impacted by the Cianjur earthquake,” he said at the Al-Bahjah Islamic Boarding School in Cijedil village, Cugenang sub-district, Cianjur district, West Java, on Wednesday.

Each school will receive Rp50 million (around US$3,210) in aid.

“One of those impacted are Islamic boarding schools, whose entire construction will be carried out by the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry,” he informed.

According to the head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati, who was also present during Amin’s visit to the school, the buildings of the Islamic boarding school are not earthquake-resistant yet.

“These have not been designed to be earthquake-resistant, so the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry recommends rebuilding them,” she said.

The management of Al-Bahjah Islamic Boarding School informed that two students were injured by falling roofs and had to get stitches. Currently, male students of the school are being evacuated to their other buildings in Kuningan and Bogor, West Java.

The 5.6-magnitude quake in Cianjur on November 21, 2022, caused 602 deaths.

The government has provided compensation of Rp15 million to the families of each deceased victim, with the total compensation given to the families of the 602 victims amounting to Rp9.03 billion.

The compensation has been allocated in two stages. In the first stage, the kin of 122 victims have been provided a total of Rp1.83 billion in compensation, and in the second stage, the kin of 480 victims have been handed a total of Rp6.75 billion in compensation.

A total of 166,927 people were forced to seek refuge elsewhere due to the quake.

Losses caused by the quake reached up to Rp4 trillion, with 59,889 houses suffering damage. Of the homes damaged in the quake, 14,581 were heavily damaged, 17,198 were moderately damaged, and 28,110 were lightly damaged. In addition, 281 houses of worship, 18 health facilities, 18 offices, and 701 educational facilities were also affected by the quake.

The central government handed out assistance based on the extent of damage suffered by the homes: Rp60 million for severely damaged homes, Rp30 million for moderately damaged homes, and Rp15 million for slightly damaged homes.

Source: Antara News