Flash floods hit Lengkeka village, Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on 3 March 2020. It occurred following the heavy rains that caused flooding to come down from the upper mountains with wood, stone, and mud.

According to data compiled by the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Poso Regency and sources on the field, the flood caused:

• 1 person died.
• 951 people were forced to evacuate.
• 5 houses were washed away, 53 houses were severely damaged, and approximately 74 houses were slightly damaged.
• 4 public facilities were heavily damaged

Photos below were taken after the flash flood (credits: YPAL Poso):

The Situation on the Field

Evacuees are now mostly concentrated in one location at the West Lore sub-district office, while some of them choose to stay in the storage houses at the rice fields that are not affected by flooding. Their daily activities are almost paralyzed.

Floods also damaged the farming areas. Consequently, the evacuees have no much options but to depend on logistical assistance from outside. Even though the public kitchen has been set up and is functioning, there has not been much help they received to survive while in evacuation camps.

Photos on the situation in the evacuation post (credits: YPAL Poso): 

Evacuee details:

• Families: 245
• Women: 457
• Men: 494
• Babies: 14
• Toddler: 64
• Elderly: 124
• Pregnant women: 11
• People with disabilities: 13 (7 women and 6 men)
• People with illness: 29

 Health management has been handled by the local health center assisted by the health team from Poso regency. From the interim examination, there were some evacuees affected by ISPA, diarrhea, hypertension, eye irritation due to mud, headaches, coughs, colds, muscle aches, and back pain.

For the time being, elementary school is closed. There is a plan to make an emergency tent at the evacuation site so that the learning process is still ongoing.

What we will do?

We need your help to conduct an emergency response in the Lengkeka village affected by flash floods. Through this emergency response, we will work with local partners in Poso to provide the two-weeks-to-one-month basic daily needs for evacuees.

Whom will we help?

Together we will help 245 flood-affected families in Lengkeka village who were forced to evacuate to the West Lore sub-district office. Since the daily activity was almost paralyzed due to flooding, they rely on logistical assistance from outside parties which was still minimal in number.

What is our help?

From your donations, we will distribute basic daily needs in the form of a Family Bucket aid package. The Family Bucket contains basic daily needs for approximately 2 weeks to 1 month, including:

• healthy food and drinks,
• baby needs,
• medicines,
• sanitation needs,
• shelter equipment,
• and disaster-related education media.

We have implemented the aid distribution system using the Family Bucket in various disaster-affected locations in Indonesia as it has proven to be more effective with low-risk conflict. One family bucket that costs about US $ 100 will help the evacuees to survive during hard times in evacuation posts.

Documentary video on how we deliver emergency response through Family Bucket:

THANK YOU! Your help, how modest it is, means a lot to the families.

About us

IDEP Foundation (IDEP) is a non-governmental organization established in 1999. Combining the disaster risk reduction and permaculture approach, IDEP collaborates with the community to make community resilience happen. For 20 years, IDEP has helped many communities in disaster-affected areas such as Aceh, Mentawai, Padang, Merapi, Jogjakarta, Bali, Kupang, and East Flores.

To get more information, please visit IDEP Foundation.