President Prabowo Pledges Full Reconstruction of Homes Destroyed by Floods and Landslides in Northern Sumatra
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Prabowo Subianto has pledged that the government will rebuild all homes that were destroyed or lost due to the devastating floods and landslides that have affected northern Sumatra since last November.
While visiting disaster victims taking shelter in a school building in Wih Pesam, Bener Meriah District, Aceh, on Friday, the President said that dozens of helicopters and aircraft have been deployed to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected communities. He assured residents that the recovery and rehabilitation process would continue with full government support.
“We have a plan to replace all homes destroyed or lost,” President Prabowo stated, as broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s official YouTube channel. He urged residents to remain patient, acknowledging that resolving the flooding problem would require time. “I apologize. The President of Indonesia does not have Moses’ rod,” he remarked, underscoring the complexity of the challenge.
On the same occasion, the President commended the efforts of all stakeholders, including regional governments, security forces, and humanitarian personnel, for their contributions in assisting disaster victims across Sumatra.
The government has estimated that post-disaster recovery efforts in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces will exceed Rp50 trillion (approximately US$2.99 billion). Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) confirmed on Wednesday, December 11, that the estimate had been reported to President Prabowo.
According to AHY, the Public Works Ministry’s initial assessment places the required budget for infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction in the three provinces at Rp51 trillion, with Aceh accounting for the largest share.
Authorities reported extensive damage across 52 affected districts, including between 1,000 and 2,000 public facilities, 199 health facilities, 534 educational institutions, 420 houses of worship, and 234 office buildings. Infrastructure damage includes 259 disrupted access routes, 163 severed routes, 101 road segments cut off, and 62 collapsed bridges.
In addition, a total of 156,500 homes were damaged, comprising 143,427 severely damaged, 2,298 moderately damaged, and 10,808 lightly damaged, highlighting the scale of the disaster and the urgent need for sustained recovery efforts.
