Name : Perdani Budiarti Hayuningtyas

Student ID : 191i426i
Subject : Disaster Risk Management
Submission date : December 19th, 2019
Case Study on Evacuation from Natural Disaster:
2016 Pidie Jaya Earthquake, Aceh Province, Indonesia

Summary
A magnitude of 6.5 earthquake occurred in the southeast of Banda Aceh City on 7
December 2016 at 05:03 AM of Indonesia Western Standard Time. The epicentre was located
near the Reuleut Village in Pidie Jaya Regency, in the Pidie Fault, and this 15 Km depth-
shocked is categorized as a strong and shallow earthquake. There were several aftershocks
that happened on 7 December and the next following days. By 15 December, there were 110
aftershocks in total.
The earthquake affected a total of 4,865 Ha area where most of them are agricultural
and fishery areas of three regencies, Pidie Regency, Pidie Jaya Regency, and Bireuen Regency.
By overlaying the multi-hazard map and vulnerability map, Pidie Jaya Regency as the most
affected regency is categorized as the medium vulnerability area.
The local government of Pidie Jaya Regency did not have either temporary evacuation
places or the evacuation route. It made the people could not get information about how to
evacuate from disaster in their disaster-prone living area. Moreover, most of the people were
sleeping when the earthquake happened in the early morning, so they could not escape the
earthquake and save their lives. Until 20 December 2016, the death toll is 104 people, and at
least 1,000 people injured. A total of 18,752 houses were reportedly damaged, and 85,256
people were displaced.
The central government set the emergency response period for 14 days (7-20
December 2016) for evacuation. The transition period from emergency status to recovery
period happened for 90 days. A lot of stakeholders involved in the rescue and evacuation in
Pidie Jaya Regency, from the central government to local government, governmental
organizations, NGOs, and assistance from overseas such as JICA and AUS-AID. Most of them
provided temporary schools, clean water, public toilet, psycho-social assistance, and basic
public services for people who still living in tents and shelters.
Based on interviewed to 21 people from the affected area, it can be found that most
of the people did not prepare to face the earthquake (95% thought that the earthquake
would be followed by tsunami; 50% of them thought that tsunami would come due to their
traumatic experienced of tsunami Aceh in 2004). Two hours after the earthquake,
Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency informed that the earthquake would
not be followed by a tsunami, but only 24% of the reviewee got the information while 76%
did not know at all.
Most people voluntary evacuated from their houses by motorbike (45%), walking
(40%), running (10%), and car (5%). Since there was no exact record about the evacuation
time and the distance travel of safety in Pidie Jaya Regency, the responding time considered
as right after the earthquake happened, and the rescue and evacuation operation are still
taking place until six days after the shock. The community was unfamiliar with the hazard
map, evacuation route, and evacuation center, they tend to follow the order of community
leaders such as the head of districts or villages. Most of the evacuation centre located on the

1
mosques and open space areas. Unfortunately, there were no facilities for disabled people
and animals to evacuate safely. The people usually come back to their houses to secure their
belongings when the aftershock ended, but they come back again to the evacuation area
since they felt safer to stay with a lot of people in that location. Even after twelve days, some
people went back to their homes and built small tents in their front yard due to their trauma
of the earthquake.

Discussion
 Based on the research conduct by National Earthquake Study Center Team Center for
Housing and Settlement Research and Development Ministry of Public Works and Housing
(2017), it is reported that most of the people automatically ran out of their house when
the earthquake in strike, some of them held on the door, and the other looked for their
children before ran out of the house
- In my opinion, run out of the house is not the right thing to do when the earthquake
hit for the first time. The people should have stayed under the table or chair until the
earthquake stop. It will protect them rather than go outside and struck by the
collapse building or something falls from the higher place. After the earthquake stop,
they can come out to make sure everything is fine, and they can go to the evacuation
place.
 Most of the people went out of their houses to gather in mosques, open spaces, and stay
far away from the beach since they were afraid that tsunami would happen after the
earthquake.
- I think most of the people use their instinct to go to the mosques and open spaces
since they didn’t have enough information about the evacuation route or the safe
place to evacuate. Some of them only follow the order of the head of the village to
went to the mosque. Thus, it proved that community leadership is important in when
disaster struck since people tend to believe the leader’s instruction. I think
community-based disaster risk evacuation is considered as vital point since the
neighbors are the closest people who can react and help in the emergency condition.
 Even though the government already announced there would be no tsunami after the
earthquake, the people still could not believe it and they tend to avoid beach areas and
stay in evacuation places since they felt safer with a lot people surrounding them.
- The government has to strengthen people’s trust and give them more information
and training about how to face emergency situations and how to survive in the
disaster-prone living area. By involving the community in the disaster risk
management, the government will empower the community and make them feel
safer.
 There was no coordination between the government and stakeholders before the disaster
happened. It means that there was no disaster risk management, which obstruct the
evacuation and rescue operation that involve a lot of stakeholders.

2
 - A collaborative disaster risk management is needed in the disaster-prone living area
such as Indonesia. With good coordination among all stakeholders, it will make the
rescue and evacuation easier to do when the disaster occurred.

References

National Earthquake Study Centre Team. (2017). Kajian Gempa Pidie Jaya Provinci Aceh
Indonesia 7 Desember 2016 (M6.5). Jakarta: Ministry of Public Works and Housing.
Umar et al. (2017). Kaji Cepat Universitas Syiah Kuala terhadap Gempa Bumi 6.5MW Tanggal
7 Desember 2016 di sekitar Pidie Jaya Aceh. Universitas Syiah Kuala.
. (2017). BrafoPMK Ed.I/III/. Jakarta: Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and
Cultural Affairs.
. (2017). Situation Update. Jakarta: ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian
Assistance on Disaster Management.
National Earthquake Study Center Team, Center for Housing and Settlement Research and
Development, Ministry of Public Works and Housing.
Statistical Bureau of Pidie Jaya Regency. (2014). Pidie Jaya in Figures 2014. Statistical Bureau
of Pidie Jaya Regency.