Community Cooperation Delivers Adequate Housing for Sumatra Disaster Survivors

The Task Force for Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Following the Sumatra Disaster has successfully completed a portion of permanent housing units (huntap) for disaster survivors who lost their homes or whose dwellings were severely damaged by floods and landslides in Aceh Province, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

According to the PRR Task Force’s daily report as of 13 March, the number of completed huntap units has increased to 110 from a total target of 36,669 units. A further 1,359 units are currently under construction. The number of completed huntap units has nearly doubled compared to the previous day, which recorded 56 completed units.

Aceh Province has seen the largest number of huntap constructions, with 104 units completed from a target of 27,104 units, with an additional 388 units under construction.

In North Sumatra, 524 units are currently under construction from a target of 5,815 units. In West Sumatra, 6 units have been completed from a target of 3,750 units, with 447 units under construction.

Most of the completed huntap units represent cross-sector cooperation between government and non-government entities, including the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the National Police (Polri), and the Ministry of Public Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP).

Additional contributors include Danantara, the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, the National Zakat Collection Agency (Baznas), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), local governments, and private donations.

In addition to accelerating huntap construction to reduce tent encampments, the PRR Task Force has also distributed Housing Waiting Funds (DTH) to disaster survivors who choose not to remain in temporary shelters (huntara). The DTH assistance is set at Rp600,000 per month for three months, with each household head receiving a total of Rp1.8 million.

To date, all recipient accounts have received fund transfers with a 100 per cent distribution rate for 13,728 recipients across the three provinces. The breakdown shows 7,807 recipients in Aceh, 4,162 recipients in North Sumatra, and 1,759 recipients in West Sumatra.