BNPB Requests Increased Funding for Flood Survivor Housing in Sumatra

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has requested an increase in the allocation for rebuilding severely damaged houses for survivors of floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, to guarantee the availability of adequate and safe housing. BNPB Chief Suharyanto stated during a Ministerial Level Meeting in Jakarta on Thursday that the proposed budget increase involves adjusting the stimulant assistance value for severely damaged houses from Rp60 million to between Rp70 million and Rp80 million per unit. “The adjustment of stimulant assistance for severely damaged houses is not merely an increase in aid value, but is the state’s effort to ensure that disaster-affected communities obtain housing that is safe, adequate, and risk-resistant,” he said. Suharyanto explained that this proposal was motivated by the results of monitoring the construction of permanent housing, both in-situ and through independent relocation, particularly for disaster victims in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. BNPB reported that based on an evaluation of the old budget ceiling from the Ready-to-Use Fund, the Rp60 million per unit was insufficient to meet the standard requirements for building sturdy houses resistant to future disaster risks. During the meeting, he elaborated that this situation was also made possible by a surge in building material prices, a rise in daily construction costs, and the high cost of logistics mobilisation to affected areas with limited geographical accessibility. Meanwhile, the number of permanent housing units included in the development plan, resulting from a review by the BNPB Inspectorate’s Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus, is recorded at 19,646 units across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The BNPB Chief is optimistic that if the scheme for adjusting the stimulant assistance for severely damaged houses can be processed further, the construction quality of survivors’ homes can be improved, from strengthening foundation structures and roof quality to ceramic floors and sanitation facilities. “A uniform policy is expected to provide certainty, accelerate the rehabilitation and reconstruction process, and ensure justice for all disaster-affected communities in Indonesia,” he said.