Accelerating Post-Disaster Recovery: Medan City Government Aligns Data and Budget

Post-disaster recovery in Medan, North Sumatra, continues through the distribution of home repair assistance, the restoration of basic services, and the construction of flood control infrastructure. The next steps are directed towards accelerating the utilisation of additional Regional Transfer Funds (TKD), synchronising aid recipient data, and ensuring all programmes provide immediate benefits to affected communities.

Several public services in the affected areas have now resumed operations. Mud clearance has been completed in six locations, 28 markets remain operational, and teaching and learning activities are ongoing in 56 madrasahs and Islamic boarding schools that sustained minor damage. Nine places of worship and two drinking water service points also remain functional.

Progress is also visible in the recovery of residents’ homes. Out of 49 recipients listed in the ‘By Name By Address’ (BNBA) Change Decree, assistance worth Rp507 million has been distributed to 26 recipients across three waves. Seven recipients have completed their home repairs, while 19 others have received the first stage of disbursement amounting to 80 per cent.

The Medan City Government now needs to finalise data synchronisation, as the number of affected houses is recorded at 69 units, consisting of 27 lightly damaged, 23 moderately damaged, and 19 heavily damaged homes. Reconciliation between BNBA data and verification results from the Department of Housing and Residential Areas, BNPB, and the Ministry of Social Affairs will ensure that aid is distributed accurately.

Ensuring the handling of 10 heavily damaged houses that have not yet received assistance is also part of the follow-up. The Medan City Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) will prepare recipient data and budget requirements to be forwarded to the BNPB and the Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force.

Regarding the budget, the realisation of additional TKD reported by the Medan City Government has reached Rp82.1 billion, or 14.52 per cent of the Rp565.35 billion ceiling. This figure includes a financial aid of Rp50 billion to Aceh Tamiang Regency. Consequently, expenditure used directly for Medan’s recovery is recorded at Rp32.1 billion, or 5.68 per cent.

“The execution of TKD is still slow. Caution regarding the allocation of TKD and incomplete planning documents have caused the allocation for the Housing and Residential Areas Department (Dinas Perkim) of Rp86 billion and part of the budget for the Public Works Department (Dinas SDA BMBK) to remain stalled in the planning and procurement process,” said the Chairman of the Monitoring and Evaluation Team of the PRR Task Force, Mohammad Nurdin, in a written statement on Tuesday (29/09/2026).

To accelerate realisation, the Medan City Government has been requested to immediately complete planning and procurement documents and submit periodic progress reports on TKD usage per regional agency. This step is necessary so that the available budget can be promptly converted into physical works and direct assistance for the community.

Acceleration is also directed towards the construction of 19 permanent housing units. The BNPB has designated locations for 12 units, while the requirement for the remaining seven units still needs to be synchronised. The Medan City Government, alongside the BNPB, will oversee site readiness, recipient certainty, and budget support to ensure construction can commence immediately.

Meanwhile, the construction of a 633-metre primary drainage system in the Tanjung Mulia Hilir-Mabar area, Medan Deli District, has reached 59 per cent. The channel dimensions have been increased from the previous 30-40 centimetres to 120 centimetres. The completion of work on both sides of the channel is expected to increase flow capacity and reduce the risk of flooding in residential areas.

“The root cause of flooding is systemic, including damage to the Simalungun and Karo upstream watersheds, disconnected urban drainage, sedimentation, waste, as well as spatial planning or residential development on riverbanks. These conditions require cross-regional and cross-authority coordination, ranging from central, provincial, to city governments,” said Nurdin.

As a follow-up, the reconciliation of housing data is scheduled for the first week of October 2026, while the clarification of death compensation and living allowance data is targeted to be completed no later than 9 October 2026.