MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – The President of Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir, emphasized that support and assistance for residents displaced by disasters in Indonesia, such as the floods in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, must fully prioritize the protection of human dignity.
According to Haedar, the government, with its authority, should guarantee the rights of displaced citizens through proper policies and state-provided facilities. Evacuation shelters using large and sturdy government buildings, he said, are essential to ensure refugees have safe and decent spaces, including family privacy.
“The government must also ensure the privacy of each refugee family. This can be done by providing tents for each family inside the evacuation building. Refugees must not only be left to mix together in a single hall used as a barracks,” Haedar said on Sunday (30/11).
Though living in evacuation centers, he stressed, people still need adequate facilities to protect their privacy, especially women and children.
Haedar urged the government to plan such emergency measures as a standard operating procedure for refugee management, given Indonesia’s high disaster potential. Every region has buildings suitable for evacuation. Each region can also plan family-based evacuation support, complete with family tents, healthcare services, logistics, and other necessities.
Visiting Refugees in Perlis
A few days prior, on Thursday (27/11), Haedar had visited flood-affected residents taking shelter at the Dewan Hall owned by the Perlis state government in Malaysia during his visit to Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia.
Accompanied by the Mufti of Perlis, Dato’ Arif Perkasa Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin, Haedar observed the implementation of a family based evacuation system.
Although floods hit many parts of Perlis, the UMAM campus itself was located in a safe area. According to UMAM Vice-Chancellor Saidul Amin, UMAM students are in a secure location and in good condition.
“In fact, UMAM students have already been helping flood victims in Perlis,” said Saidul, who is also the Rector of Muhammadiyah University of Riau. (Bintang Adrian)
