Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Culture has raised Rp1.5 billion (around US$90,000) to help manage the impact of floods and landslides on cultural heritage sites in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
In a press conference here on Thursday, Culture Minister Fadli Zon stated that the funds will be channeled to the Cultural Preservation Centers in the three Sumatra provinces.
According to him, at least 43 cultural heritage sites have been affected by the devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra, comprising 34 sites in Aceh, seven sites in North Sumatra, and two sites in West Sumatra. They experienced light, moderate, and severe damage.
Fadli noted that a number of cultural heritage sites in Aceh sustained moderate damage due to flooding, including the Tomb of Sultan Ma'ruf Syah, the Poteumeureuhom Mosque, and Teungku Di Pucok Krueng Mosque.
According to him, the floods also inundated old tombs, mosques, and traditional houses in the Central Aceh region.
"The Toweren traditional house in Central Aceh was submerged by floods, which is quite severe. The Loyang Ujung Karang site also suffered from landslides in Central Aceh, which is quite severe," he remarked.
The cultural heritage sites in the North Sumatra region affected by the disasters include the Al-Osmani Mosque, Sri Alam Dunia Mosque, Bagas Godang Sipirok, and Bagas Godang Muaratais.
In West Sumatra, he continued, the home of national hero Rasuna Said was affected by floods. Apart from that, the Sawahlunto-Teluk Bayur Railway Line was also affected by floods and landslides.
The minister stated that the hydrometeorological hazards also affected 72 cultural heritage custodians and their homes.
Floods and landslides recently hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, following high-intensity rainfall.
The respective governments of the three provinces have declared a disaster emergency response status, effective from November 28 to December 11 for Aceh, November 27 to December 10 for North Sumatra, and November 25 to December 8 for West Sumatra.
According to data from the BNPB, as of December 4, the death toll from the disasters had reached 836, while 509 people were still missing.
