Disaster Recovery Task Force Accelerates Temporary Housing Construction for Sumatran Disaster Victims

The Task Force for Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) following the Sumatran disaster is committed to continuously increasing occupancy of temporary housing units (huntara) alongside the distribution of housing waiting allowances (DTH). This effort aims to reduce displaced persons still living in tents due to flooding and landslides in Aceh Province, North Sumatra (Sumut), and West Sumatra (Sumbar).

According to the Task Force spokesperson Amran, daily reports from the Disaster Recovery Task Force as of 10 March showed that 14,725 temporary housing units have been completed across the three affected provinces out of a total 18,697 units planned, representing 78 per cent progress.

Aceh Province has the highest temporary housing construction, with 12,926 units completed out of a total 16,847 planned units, achieving 76 per cent progress. In North Sumatra, 969 units have been completed out of 1,020 planned, reaching 95 per cent progress. In West Sumatra, all 830 planned units have been completed, achieving 100 per cent progress.

Whilst increasing huntara occupancy, the Task Force is also progressively constructing permanent housing units (huntap). As of 9 March, the Task Force reported 1,463 units under construction out of 36,669 planned units, with six units already completed.

Beyond accelerating temporary housing construction to reduce tent-dwelling refugees, the Task Force is also disbursing housing waiting allowances for disaster survivors who choose not to reside in temporary housing. The DTH assistance amounts to Rp 600,000 per month for three months, providing each household head with a total of Rp 1.8 million.

To date, all DTH recipient accounts have received fund transfers with a 100 per cent disbursement rate covering 12,771 recipients across the three provinces. The distribution comprises 6,846 recipients in Aceh, 4,162 in North Sumatra, and 1,763 in West Sumatra.

The strategy of accelerating temporary housing, permanent housing, and DTH distribution has had a significant impact on reducing the number of refugees living in tents. Task Force data from 9 March shows significant decreases across the three provinces. The number of displaced households dropped from 2,300 on 8 March to 1,872 on 9 March, a reduction of 428 households, equivalent to 5,963 displaced persons.

Amran affirmed that the Task Force will continue reducing the number of tent-dwelling refugees before Eid al-Fitr 2026. Rehabilitation and reconstruction phases to reduce refugee numbers will continue, including increasing temporary housing occupancy, distributing housing allowances, and mud clearance operations. The Task Force is optimistic that the number of refugees will continue to decrease as they move into temporary housing units, with the ultimate goal of eliminating tent encampments entirely before the upcoming Eid celebration.