Sumedang, January 15th, 2021. PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) participated in distributing assistance to relieve landslide victims in Sumedang, West Java. For the distribution of aid, the XL Axiata team collaborated with local officials to ensure that the distribution process reached residents in need. The XL Axiata team directly delivered the emergency response assistance at the Cihanjuang Village Command Post, Cimanggung District, Sumedang Regency, Friday (15/01).
Group Head Central Region of XL Axiata, Rd. Sofia Purbayanti said, “As part of the Sumedang community, we, the XL Axiata Family are concerned about the landslide disaster in Cihanjuang Village, Cimanggung District. We would like to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to a number of residents who have died. Furthermore, we aim this assistance to help alleviate the burdens of other residents who are also affected. "
Sofia added that the XL Axiata team has confirmed that there was no XL Axiata network at the disaster site. Therefore, this natural disaster did not interfere with XL Axiata's service operation. Thus, the XL Axiata team in Sumedang could focus more on distributing the assistance.
The landslide disaster in Sumedang occurred on Saturday, January 9, 2021. Based on official data from the evacuation team so far, 24 victims have been found dead and 16 others are still in search. Meanwhile, around 200 heads of families were evacuated to a safe place to avoid the possibility of further landslides in the middle of this rainy season. The evacuation process will continue to be carried out at several points such as the area holding the wedding party, volleyball court, and around the An-nur Mosque area. The current high rainfall causes the search process for victims is hampered and takes a longer time.
Anticipatory steps have been taken by the XL Axiata technical team to deal with various possible natural disasters in a number of disaster-prone areas in West Java since the increasing rainfall in the area. This needs to be done to ensure the condition of network infrastructure, as well as to distribute the assistance to the communities affected by disasters. XL Axiata management has collaborated with relevant officials, including the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in a number of regions.
Assistance for Refugees of Mount Merapi
At the same time, XL Axiata also returned to distribute assistance for the refugees who avoided the Mount Merapi eruption in a number of shelter points scattered in Sleman, Magelang, Klaten and Boyolali Regencies. This week, XL Axiata team handed over assistance for the residents who fled in Jrakah Village, Selo District, Boyolali Regency. The assistance consisted of APD (Personal Protective Equipment/PPE) and light medicines. The same assistance was also distributed to shelter posts located in Klaten, Magelang and Sleman.
"Given the refugee camps that are scaterred across four regencies, we will gradually distribute the assistance. We adjust the assistance type according to the needs of the refugees, officials, and the volunteers handling this evacuation. For example, masks, in addition to be used everyday to avoid the spread of Covid-19, also to anticipate if at any time there is ash rain due to the eruption. We will continue to monitor the needs of the refugees so that the distributed assistance can be effective, ”said Sofia.
Regarding telecommunication networks, currently there are more than 80 BTS units within a 15 km radius around Mount Merapi. The XL Axiata team continues to anticipate the network security since the beginning of the change in the status of Mount Merapi. In addition, the team in the field is also preparing to strengthen networks at evacuation points so that they can support disaster management if the status of disaster risk continues to increase.